Cameron's Story

Feature story: Cameron's journey: A story of inspiration and hope for patients with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).

Cameron's story starts out much the same as many patients who suffer from Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD), beginning with a vague symptom - Cameron seemed reluctant to jump on the furniture. Over the next 48 hours, Cameron began to exhibit some early signs of pain, restlessness and inability to jump on the furniture. This quickly progressed to rear limb weakness and an inability to use his right rear leg. Cameron was rushed to NCSU's Emergency Service and by the time he arrived he was unable to use either of his back legs. Cameron was examined by a neurologist and evaluated by CT scan to determine the source of the problem. He was quickly diagnosed with acute disc herniation with spinal cord compression. At that time, Cameron maintained normal perception of deep pain stimuli, which indicated that a narrow window of opportunity remained before permanent spinal cord damage occurred. He was immediately taken to emergency surgery. Sometimes, even with successful and aggressive emergency surgical intervention, some patients have progressive damage that occurs during and after surgery. Herniated disc material was successfully removed during surgery and several other at-risk discs were removed as a precaution. Upon recovery from surgery it became apparent that Cameron had suffered more damage to his spinal cord than originally diagnosed. Consequently, he had lost all motor function and sensation to both rear legs as well as loss of voluntary control of urination and defecation.

Now began the long and uncertain road to recovery. There was a small chance that Cameron's spinal cord would recover some or all motor and sensory function over a period of weeks to months. During that time, intense 24-hour nursing care and daily physical therapy were essential to his success. This is a daunting task that many owners are simply unprepared or unable to handle; however, Cameron was blessed with a special family! Despite all efforts during his rehabilitation, Cameron did not regain the ability to use his rear legs or his ability to urinate and defecate on his own.

These days, Cameron is living a rich, full, and functional life with the assistance of a cart from Eddie's Wheels and the amazing dedication of his loving family. He has been such an inspiration to everyone and continues to bless us with his bright eyes, joy for life, and unbreakable spirit.

Dr. Trudi Bowden
Gentle Care Animal Hospital

Enjoy the following links for more information:

Cameron's personal recovery journal, http://cameronsrecovery.shutterfly.com/

Video of him racing down the side walk, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5CWYzg4FSk .

For more information about Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) visit the following website: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2373

See the following link for detailed information on caring for a pet who cannot empty his/her bladder voluntarily: http://www.handicappedpets.biz/www/pet-health-articles/8-pet-bowel-and-urinary-problems/20-how-to-express-your-pets-bladder.html

For more information on Eddie's Wheels, visit the following website: http://www.eddieswheels.com/index.html