A tiny chihuahua named Bessie defied the odds, walking again after a rare tumor paralyzed her back legs—but her owners knew the reprieve wouldn’t be permanent.
Recovery at Home
At home, Wright provided intensive care — holding Bessie up when she needed to go to the bathroom, spoon-feeding her baby food, administering pain medication every few hours.
“She hated me for a couple of days,” Wright said. “Every time I’d get her out of the crate, it was medicine time.”
Within weeks, Bessie walked into the hospital for her recheck appointment. One back leg remained weaker than the other, but she was mobile — running through the house, occasionally sliding on hardwood but catching herself.
“The most impressive thing was that she can now walk,” Mischler said. “That was definitely unexpected.”
Even Bessie’s personality worked in her favor. Most chihuahuas show fear or aggression during examination. Bessie remained calm through every neurological test, every needle stick, every manipulation of her healing spine.
“She was a huge sweetheart,” Mischler said.
Borrowed Time, Well Spent
The tumor will grow back. Without radiation therapy, most nephroblastomas recur within one to two years. Wright and Chartier know this — Shinn made sure they understood before surgery.
The goal was never false hope. It was quality of life and time.
“A year for a dog is different than a year for us,” Shinn said. “Now they have time to prepare themselves, either mentally or financially, for when that time comes.”
The case also delivered lasting value beyond Bessie’s recovery. The surgery footage created a teaching resource that didn’t exist before. Mischler gained hands-on experience with a condition she may never see again. The clinical study added another data point to help predict outcomes for future paralyzed patients.
For now, Wright and Chartier are doing what the surgery bought them time to do: watching Bessie be a dog.
“If we had to do it all over again, we would,” Chartier said. “They treat the animals like family here.”
The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine’s neurology service treats complex neurological conditions in companion animals from across Virginia and neighboring states.
