Jessie is our 2.5 year old kelpie x, and the best thing that ever happened to us. She is rambunctious, playful and exuberant in the extreme. Unfortunately Jessie was bitten (twice!) by a red belly black snake, and then damaged her spinal cord in reacting to the bites, resulting in immediate paralysis from T13 onwards. We rushed her to SASH where her presentation – with two significant ‘separate’ conditions – was confusing and difficult to diagnose. However, by using SASH’s on-site MRI they found her spinal cord injury, and with a snake bite test kit and other blood and urine results they ascertained the snake type. Over her five days as a very sick and paraplegic inpatient she received incredible care from the nurses and surgeons at SASH. When she was well enough to come home, she still had no use of her back legs. However, with time and conscientious spinal rehab recovery guided by SASH’s expert vet physio Johanna, Jessie is not only walking and toileting independently, she is back able to chase a ball, and play at the beach; her two absolute favourite past times. Not yet three months have passed and she is still reaching milestones; this week she braved and vanquished our full set of stairs at home with no help other than some non-slip matting. We couldn’t be prouder of our stoic girl, or more grateful for the expert multidisciplinary treatment she received from SASH, not to mention their extraordinary compassion for us and our beloved Jess.
