Jeremy
08-13-2001, 11:40 AM
Partially paralyzed dog regains use of legs after experimental procedure
August 13, 2001, 12:43 PM
ROCKFORD, Mich. (AP) -- A dog whose rear legs were paralyzed after being struck by a car has regained the use of the legs through an experimental procedure.
The medical progress of the dog, named Duke, is being analyzed as part of an ongoing clinical trial involving canines at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
"Duke's rate of recovery was dramatic and much quicker than we had expected," said Dr. Peter Laverty, a clinical instructor and researcher at Purdue's Center for Paralysis Research.
The fact that the German shorthaired pointer is alive and healthy is nothing short of a miracle to his owners, Craig and Theresa Mabie of Rockford, about 10 miles northeast of Grand Rapids.
"He still has a really good nose, and I go hunting with him until he gets tired," Craig Mabie told The Grand Rapids Press for a story Monday.
Duke's remarkable journey started one day late last November. Nathan Mabie had gone by his parents' home to pick up their dogs -- Duke, then 7 months old, and Duke's mother, Hershey -- to romp around while he looked for a Christmas tree.
At the tree farm, both dogs caught a scent and took off down the road, where Duke was struck by a vehicle that did not stop. Mabie headed for the nearest animal hospital he could find, the Great Lakes Veterinary Complex, and his mother met him there moments later.
Dr. Kirsten Marshall, the veterinarian who was on call, said X-rays of Duke's lumbar vertebrae "looked like a stair step" and the dog's bruised spinal cord caused him to lose all motor movement in his back legs.
Though the prognosis is grim for dogs with such injuries -- many owners opt for euthanasia -- Marshall suggested that the family contact a veterinary neurosurgeon. They found help at Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine.
Coincidentally, the school's Center for Paralysis Research was preparing to conduct a clinical trial using dogs with spinal injuries.
The treatment involved injecting them with the chemical polyethylene glycol, or PEG, a compound commonly found in detergent, antifreeze and cosmetics. Scientists have known for 20 years that PEG can repair damaged cell membranes by coating them with a protective film that seals holes formed by disease or trauma.
It has been used successfully on humans with other ailments, but not to repair spinal cord tissue. Trials on guinea pigs by Purdue researchers showed promise, but an experiment using larger animals was needed before the therapy could be cleared for humans with spinal cord injuries.
Clinical trials involving humans are expected to begin next year.
When Duke arrived at the university, he was given a dose of PEG, and stainless steel plates and screws were used to hold his fractured spine together. A second surgery was needed and another round of PEG was administered.
Within a few days, small motor movements had returned to the dog's hind legs; two months later, he was released to the Mabies, still unable to walk. The family took turns working his legs in circular motions three times a day and fashioned a makeshift sling of bandages to hold his hind quarters during walks outside.
By spring, Duke was placing his full weight on his back legs. His back is bony and rippled due to the bone cement used to repair his spine, but he's back out in the woods again, running and pointing out game.
------
Center for Paralysis Research at Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine, http://www.vet.purdue.edu/cpr/
August 13, 2001, 12:43 PM
ROCKFORD, Mich. (AP) -- A dog whose rear legs were paralyzed after being struck by a car has regained the use of the legs through an experimental procedure.
The medical progress of the dog, named Duke, is being analyzed as part of an ongoing clinical trial involving canines at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
"Duke's rate of recovery was dramatic and much quicker than we had expected," said Dr. Peter Laverty, a clinical instructor and researcher at Purdue's Center for Paralysis Research.
The fact that the German shorthaired pointer is alive and healthy is nothing short of a miracle to his owners, Craig and Theresa Mabie of Rockford, about 10 miles northeast of Grand Rapids.
"He still has a really good nose, and I go hunting with him until he gets tired," Craig Mabie told The Grand Rapids Press for a story Monday.
Duke's remarkable journey started one day late last November. Nathan Mabie had gone by his parents' home to pick up their dogs -- Duke, then 7 months old, and Duke's mother, Hershey -- to romp around while he looked for a Christmas tree.
At the tree farm, both dogs caught a scent and took off down the road, where Duke was struck by a vehicle that did not stop. Mabie headed for the nearest animal hospital he could find, the Great Lakes Veterinary Complex, and his mother met him there moments later.
Dr. Kirsten Marshall, the veterinarian who was on call, said X-rays of Duke's lumbar vertebrae "looked like a stair step" and the dog's bruised spinal cord caused him to lose all motor movement in his back legs.
Though the prognosis is grim for dogs with such injuries -- many owners opt for euthanasia -- Marshall suggested that the family contact a veterinary neurosurgeon. They found help at Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine.
Coincidentally, the school's Center for Paralysis Research was preparing to conduct a clinical trial using dogs with spinal injuries.
The treatment involved injecting them with the chemical polyethylene glycol, or PEG, a compound commonly found in detergent, antifreeze and cosmetics. Scientists have known for 20 years that PEG can repair damaged cell membranes by coating them with a protective film that seals holes formed by disease or trauma.
It has been used successfully on humans with other ailments, but not to repair spinal cord tissue. Trials on guinea pigs by Purdue researchers showed promise, but an experiment using larger animals was needed before the therapy could be cleared for humans with spinal cord injuries.
Clinical trials involving humans are expected to begin next year.
When Duke arrived at the university, he was given a dose of PEG, and stainless steel plates and screws were used to hold his fractured spine together. A second surgery was needed and another round of PEG was administered.
Within a few days, small motor movements had returned to the dog's hind legs; two months later, he was released to the Mabies, still unable to walk. The family took turns working his legs in circular motions three times a day and fashioned a makeshift sling of bandages to hold his hind quarters during walks outside.
By spring, Duke was placing his full weight on his back legs. His back is bony and rippled due to the bone cement used to repair his spine, but he's back out in the woods again, running and pointing out game.
------
Center for Paralysis Research at Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine, http://www.vet.purdue.edu/cpr/