Hop, Skip, and a… Surgery?

They run, they jump, they play – but for some pets those activities can cause severe injuries. Read Bernadette Maziarski’s story of her Maltese, Rocky, who jumped off the couch and got more than he bargained for:

It all happened on a Sunday evening. I was eating my supper while watching a program on TV and as usual, Rocky, my 7-year-old Maltese was sitting next to me. When I finished, I got up to remove my plate and Rocky jumped down to check out if any crumbs had dropped to the floor. He cried out in pain and his whole back side was collapsed. He was writhing in agony, his tongue was blue. Later, the emergency veterinarian reported that Rocky had a crushed vertebra and it had punctured his spinal cord. The only thing to do was to put him down. Could nothing be done, I asked? She said the surgery to save him would be very extensive and recovery unsure. Since I had VPI pet insurance, VPI and I gave the go ahead for the surgery. It was a long night waiting to see if he survived. Rocky was well named because he is a fighter. After months of rehab and loving care, he has made a 99% recovery. The above picture was framed and hangs in the Emergency Vet surgery room.That’s a truly horrific tale, but one with a very happy ending.

Sounds like you had a very experienced veterinarian and an extremely tough dog.