“SAMMI’S BACK! Let me introduce you to Sammi. A most unique dog. He is an eight year old spinger spaniel who was lucky enough to have met a most unique team of humans to help him. While barking at a neighbors dog one day, Mom noticed he had begun limping. His limping became worse, and after only two weeks his limping had turned into falling down. Upon her visit to her local vet, she was told he had a spinal injury. Further tests revealed that he had a slipped disk just below his neck.
After the surgery and nine days in the hospital, Sammi came to C.A.R.E. He could not walk at all, or even hold his little head up. Nobody was sure if he would ever walk again. Dr. Jessica took good care of Mom that day and Amy took him into her heart and into her world of rehabilitation. She worked with him tirelessly everyday, as did the entire crew of C.A.R.E. They showed us that anything is possible and they showed Sammi how to be strong. And he did. Now, Sammi is walking and running like the other dogs. What a beautiful thing life is.
THANK YOU ALL AT C.A.R.E. SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME MY LIFE BACK!
LOVE, SAMMI”
Check out Sammi’s progress in rehab
Watch his mom see him walk for the first time since surgery
See Sammi swimming at home on July 4th
SUCCESS TAIL
Sammi was an active, happy 8 year-old Springer Spaniel living with his mom Janie, dad Steve and his cat and dog family in Simi Valley. We first met him this March after he had suddenly become a quadriplegic, due to bone growing inside his spinal column and putting pressure on his spinal cord. Sammi needed intense rehabilitation following surgery, where his surgeon was unable to remove the excess bone.
While he had a tremendous life force and will to move again, the prognosis for Sammi’s complete recovery was bleak. Full paralysis in pets is, just as with humans, complicated and challenging to treat.
After three months of daily rehabilitation to strengthen his core muscles, including electronic stimulation, electro-acupuncture, assisted standing in the underwater treadmill, and sensory rehabilitation over a therapy ball, Sammi was able to master sitting up from a down position. We then continued treatment to pattern his legs to walk again, while constantly fighting them, as they were stiff and rigid from his neurological condition.
Then one day it finally happened — he took his first steps, and although he could not even stand and balance on his own that day, through continued rehabilitation, patience and sheer determination, he learned to walk again and never looked back. Today Sammi not only walks – he runs, jumps, swims and plays. You’d never know what he’s been through to look at him now!
