Some dogs are have disabilities that make it hard for them to get around, but they still deserve love and a great home.
One couple refused to give up on their paralyzed dog, going the extra mile to help him overcome his paralysis — and a heartwarming viral video shows the dog realizing he can walk!
Bo, a 9-year-old Silver Labrador, has intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), a condition common in dogs, a condition characterized by ruptured spinal discs which cause back pain.
Bo’s case was so severe that he was paralyzed and unable to walk. But his owners refused to give up on him.
“They gave us the option to say goodbye or look at other options,” owner Christiana Lovelace, of Hickory, North Carolina, told Good Morning America. “And we just couldn’t do it.”
“Doing the work of trying to get him through rehab honestly seemed like an easier option than saying goodbye.”
According to Newsweek, the couple explored all kinds of treatment options including rehabilitation and acupuncture.
Videos on TikTok show the couple using a custom-built cart to help Bo get around and help him get his legs moving.
@christiana.lovelace April 2023 – 5 months after surgery and just him moving his legs felt like an accomplishment. It would still be 9 months before he eqlked unassisted. #dog #dogs #dogsoftiktok #pets #petsoftiktok #pet #ivdd ♬ original sound – Christiana | Team V Berlin2024
@christiana.lovelace I'm married to an absolute king. #dogs #dog #dogsoftiktok #doglover #ivdd #husbandwifecomedy #comedy #cutedog #cute ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Finally, they made a big breakthrough thanks to steroid treatments, and two months ago — 14 months after Bo started treatment — the paralyzed dog began walking on his own on all four legs.
“That was like a miracle, because everybody said that would not happen,” Christiana told GMA.
“It’s definitely an underdog story.”
@christiana.lovelace I can't believe we've finally made it this far… after 3 ruptured disc's, 2 surgeries (4&3 if you count mine) and I honestly thought we nightfall said goodbye to him by now- but he's still trucking! We've also ruined our furniture and at least 3 rugs. #dog #dogsoftiktok #dog #pets #petsoftiktok #petstory #ivdd #ivddrecovery ♬ Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
Perhaps the miraculous recovery hasn’t fully set in with Bo: according to one heartwarming viral video, the dog has been paralyzed so long that he seems to forget he can walk now!
“He’ll lay there and whine until I remind him he can walk,” Christiana wrote on TikTok.
“He genuinely just forgets. Like waking up in a different bed on vacation,” she explained to Newsweek. “He doesn’t remember that before he laid down he was walking. This especially happens after a nap or if he lays down for a minute after playing.”
@christiana.lovelace Replying to @lindseycagley Bo is walking again – He looks like a drunk toddler but he's walking. 👏 👏 #ivdd #dogs #dogsoftiktok #pets #petsoftiktok ♬ original sound – Christiana | Team V Berlin2024
We’re so glad Bo can walk again! Thank you to his owners for never giving up on him!
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