Solihull vet helps paralysed puppy make miracle recovery

A puppy struck down with a rare brain bug which left him paralysed and unable to bark has made a miracle recovery after vets taught him how to WALK and WAG his tail.

Springer miniature poodle cross Mylo was born healthy but his owners became concerned when he stopped being able to ‘woof’ or whimper and was unusually tired.

Worried owners Jason Carter, 50, and wife Pauline, 47, from Yardley, thought he might have injured himself on a walk so took him to the vets.

Tests revealed Mylo had a life-threatening neurological disease called immune-mediated polyradiculoneuritis which left him paralysed.

Mr and Mrs Carter were warned he was at risk of dying if his immune system attacked his own nerves which controlled his breathing.

Mylo was transferred to Linnaeus-owned Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull where he spent 11 days in intensive care in November. The centre is one of the UK’s top small animal hospitals.

Vets started rehabilitating Mylo and after several days, the plucky pooch started lifting his head.

Heartwarming footage shows the moment the puppy learnt to walk and wag his tail again with the help of specialist canine physiotherapists.

Incredibly, less than three months after being struck down, Mylo is walking again.

What have Mylo’s owners said about his recovery?

Relieved owner Jason, of Yardley, Birmingham, said: “We had only brought him home from the breeders two weeks previously and initially thought he’d injured himself jumping.

“At first, we had thought he had hurt himself but when we were told he was paralysed by a disease we were very upset.”

“From what you read, polyradiculoneuritis is a very unusual disease and there could have been a number of triggers.

“The fact Mylo was in intensive care made it real for us and we knew it was going to be tough.

“The visits with the family just seeing him lying there with a drip and only able to follow you with his eyes were tearful.

“If it wasn’t for their quick diagnosis and the care given from the vets and physio, we know Mylo wouldn’t have made it.”

What did the vets said about Mylo’s condition?

There is no medical or surgical treatment for Mylo’s condition and prognosis depends on the age and fitness of the dog.

Vet Rob Clark, who treated Mylo, said: “Mylo’s own immune system was attacking his nervous system, leaving him unable to move any of his legs or even lift his head.

“I had to prepare Mylo’s owners for the worst, as polyradiculoneuritis can be life-threatening if it progresses to paralysing the nerves which control breathing.

“For patients such as Mylo, we have to watch and wait to see if the nerves start to heal.

“He was paralysed from the neck down, so he was not moving his legs at all and, as a puppy, he was still in his growing phase.”

Veterinary physiotherapist Emma Box used massage to help encourage feeling back into Mylo’s limbs.

She said: “An exercise programme is essential so I spent a long time massaging and stretching Mylo’s legs and moving his joints for him.

“Then, as Mylo started to recover, we began a course of rehabilitation.

“Firstly, we started the process of teaching Mylo how to hold normal positions such as sitting and lying.

“We introduced exercises which involved manually positioning Mylo into a lying or sitting position, and slowly taking support away over time.

“Initially, he didn’t have the strength to hold himself upright but gradually you would take your hands away and he would hold himself up.

“Eventually, after three long months of gruelling rehabilitation at home and countless trips back to us, Mylo is now able to explore the exciting world as a puppy once again.”

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. BirminghamWorld is Birmingham’s latest news website, championing everything that is great about our city - reporting on news, lifestyle and sport. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going.