07/29/2026
💗🐾 FROM UNABLE TO STAND… TO WALKING AGAIN: HAZEL GRACE’S STORY 🐾💜
What could cause a nearly 100-pound dog to suddenly lose the ability to walk?
For Hazel Grace, the answer was hiding inside her neck.
Her story is not only an incredible recovery—it’s also a great example of how we use a neurologic examination, advanced imaging, surgery, intensive nursing care and rehabilitation together to treat severe spinal cord disease.
🎥 Watch Hazel Grace’s journey in the video below as we take you from her CT diagnosis and spinal surgery through her first steps and four-week recovery.
💜 WHEN HAZEL GRACE ARRIVED
Hazel Grace’s symptoms had progressed rapidly. What began as a reluctance to get up worsened until she could no longer stand or walk on her own.
When she arrived at Veterinary Specialty Center of Stillwater, she was lying on her side and unable to rise without assistance.
All four limbs were neurologically affected, although her right side was significantly worse. Her right front paw remained knuckled underneath her, and there was very little movement in her right hind limb.
Neurologically, Hazel Grace was nonambulatory tetraparetic.
In simpler terms: all four legs were affected, and she could no longer walk.
Based on her neurologic examination, we localized the problem to the cervical spinal cord—the portion of the spinal cord within her neck.
🐾 FINDING THE CAUSE
Our possible diagnosis included a cervical disc herniation, fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE), or neoplasia.
A CT scan gave us the answer.
Hazel Grace had massive disc herniations at C2-3 and C3-4 that were severely compressing her spinal cord.
The spinal cord carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. When herniated disc material severely compresses it, those messages can become disrupted—resulting in weakness, knuckling of the paws, loss of coordination and, in severe cases like Hazel Grace’s, the inability to walk.
💗 THE DECISION TO OPERATE
To give Hazel Grace the best chance of walking again, we recommended a ventral slot/decompression.
During this procedure, an opening is carefully created through the vertebral bone so the surgeon can access the spinal canal and remove the herniated disc material compressing the spinal cord.
Her family understood that cervical spinal surgery is a major procedure and carries significant risks. We estimated that Hazel Grace had approximately an 85–90% chance of walking again following successful surgery.
They decided to give her that chance. ❤️
🐾 JUNE 19 — SURGERY DAY
Hazel Grace underwent surgery to decompress her spinal cord.
But removing the compression does not mean the spinal cord immediately returns to normal.
The spinal cord still has to heal.
Hazel Grace could not walk after surgery and remained hospitalized with us for the next week.
At nearly 100 pounds, caring for a patient who cannot stand, walk or easily reposition herself requires a tremendous amount of hands-on nursing care. Our team worked with Hazel Grace on assisted standing, mobility and physical therapy while we waited for her neurologic function to begin returning.
Then, little by little, it did. 💜
🐾 JUNE 23–24 — THE FIRST STEPS
By June 23, Hazel Grace was moving all four legs and beginning to take a few assisted steps.
By June 24, she was starting to properly place her paws instead of leaving them knuckled underneath her.
And then...
she started walking.
Her first steps were weak and uncoordinated—but they were hers.
For a dog who had arrived unable to get herself off the floor, every single step was a victory.
💗 JUNE 25 — ANOTHER BIG MILESTONE
With physical therapy, nursing care and a lot of encouragement, Hazel Grace continued getting stronger.
We also discovered that our patient was VERY food motivated. 😂
Treats quickly became one of our favorite ways to encourage her to stand, move those legs and take just a few more steps.
Then Hazel Grace did something that would normally seem completely ordinary:
She stood on her own to drink water.
For her, it was anything but ordinary. ❤️
💜 JUNE 27 — GOING HOME
After several days in the hospital, Hazel Grace was strong enough to go home with her family and continue her recovery.
She still required assistance and significant nursing care, but she had already come an incredible distance from the dog who couldn't stand when she arrived.
And she wasn't finished.
🐾 JULY 3 — LOOK WHO WALKED BACK IN!
Hazel Grace returned for her first recheck and walked into our hospital.
She was still slow to rise and needed a sling nearby for safety in case she lost her balance, but once she was standing, she could walk strongly on her own.
Her incision was healing beautifully, she could comfortably move her head and neck in every direction—and yes, she was still extremely food motivated. 😂
💗 JULY 24 — FOUR WEEKS LATER
At her four-week neurologic recheck, Hazel Grace's surgical site was completely healed and she had made tremendous improvement from the severe neurologic deficits we saw when she first arrived.
She still had some strength and coordination to regain before returning to full functional capacity.
But think about where she started:
Unable to stand.
Unable to walk.
Unable to get herself off the floor.
Four weeks later, Hazel Grace was walking on her own. ❤️
🐾💗 EVERY STEP MATTERS 💜🐾
Neurologic recovery isn't always one dramatic moment.
Sometimes it's moving a leg that didn't move yesterday.
It's placing a paw correctly.
It's standing long enough to drink water.
It's taking a few steps toward a treat.
It's finally going home.
And sometimes...
it's walking back through our doors four weeks later.
Hazel Grace's recovery took advanced imaging and spinal surgery, but it also took intensive nursing care, rehabilitation, a family willing to take on the challenge of caring for a nearly 100-pound neurologic patient at home—and one incredibly determined girl.
We couldn't be more proud of you, Hazel Grace. Keep walking, sweet girl. 💗🐾💜
— The Veterinary Specialty Center of Stillwater Team
🚨 WHEN SPINAL CORD COMPRESSION IS SUSPECTED, TIME MATTERS
One of the most important lessons from cases like Hazel Grace’s is not to wait when a pet begins showing significant neurologic changes.
If your pet suddenly develops weakness, begins knuckling or dragging a paw, has difficulty standing or walking, acts "drunk" or rapidly loses mobility, seek veterinary care immediately.
When a disc herniation is causing spinal cord compression, the severity of the neurologic injury and how quickly appropriate evaluation and treatment can be provided can have an important impact on recovery.
If surgical spinal cord compression is suspected, early referral to a veterinary surgeon or veterinary neurologist is extremely important.
Neurologic signs can progress rapidly. A pet who is walking today may not be walking tomorrow. When mobility is being lost, don’t wait to see if it gets better on its own. 💗🐾
