Page 3 - Paws and Hooves - Autumn 2021

BETTY’S STORY

Paws&Hooves Don’t you just love

a happy ending?

etty, a young, excitable miniature
B schnauzer, was referred to the RVC back

in 2016. At just 4 years old, she decided
to make a leap onto the sofa, and a playful jump
she’d done many times before, this time popped
something in her spinal column. Betty’s local vet
stabilized her and referred her to the RVC’s
Small Animal Referral Hospital.
Betty’s owner, Nina, recalls, “It was late in the
evening, we were travelling a long way with a
whimpering Betty in the back – it was all quite
dramatic and we were all really worried. Her leg
was at a very strange angle and she had clearly
done some terrible damage.”

After assessing Betty, the RVC team diagnosed
her with a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) stroke
and she was admitted as an inpatient.
“It was so hard leaving Betty but the RVC team
were just amazing – they kept us up to date on Hydrotherapy is form of rehabilitation that
her treatments across the next two weeks and really benefits patients with neuromuscular
reassured us during a time where we just didn’t disease like FCE. The water provides
know what was going to happen to her.” support and stabilisation for these patients
as they are usually unable to take much
Betty had extensive physiotherapy and weight through their limbs. Being in the
hydrotherapy to help teach her how to walk again water allows them to try and move their
and to improve the communication between her limbs more freely without having to put
brain and her muscles. weight through them as on land. The water

“We feel so fortunate to have had the expert is heated so therefore also helps ease
support we were given from the RVC. We stiffness and relax muscles.
were also very lucky that Betty has such a big Thanks to the ACT the Hydrotherapy Unit has
personality – she has never let the trauma stop her a specialist pool and underwater treadmill so
and she leads a very happy, healthy life.” when patients are very weak and are only to
Betty will be 9 this September and when Nina thinks do minimal movements, the RVC team can
back to that first night at the RVC when they didn’t introduce swimming to encourage them to
think she’d make it, every birthday really is a gift. start moving their limbs more in a completely
weightless environment. Once their conditions
Nina has stayed in touch with the ACT since Betty’s improves they are then transferred to the
fateful sofa surfing, and this Spring she won a prize water treadmill, where the water height can
in our Paws & Hooves raffle! “I never win anything be adjusted to allow more weight bearing
but I definitely won twice thanks to the RVC!” exercise and gait re-education.

All the nurses in the RVC’s hydrotherapy unit
How YOU helped Betty are experienced neurology and rehabilitation
nurses that also work with the patients in the
Thanks to your support we funded equipment vital wards so they develop a great relationship
to Betty’s recovery including a water treadmill to with all of them during their treatment. They
support her physiotherapy and a go-pro camera to also have a physiotherapist working alongside
support the hydrotherapy team. THANK YOU! the nurses in the wards assisting in their daily
rehabilitation activities.

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