Paralyzed Dog Wags Tail for First Time in Her Sleep—'Happy in Her Dreams'

A dog suffering paralysis in her back legs has melted hearts after being captured wagging her tail in her sleep.

Jess McKay and her husband Ryan Robinson-Hatton live in Manhattan with their Italian Greyhound dogs Adelaide and Phoebe.

But disaster struck earlier this month when 4-year-old Adelaide suffered a sudden injury.

"On July 2, Adelaide was playing in the other room with her sister Phoebe," McKay told Newsweek. "They were playing normally but then we heard a blood-curdling dog scream and when we raced into the room, Adelaide was sitting on the ground with her back legs limp."

Her owners quickly realized she was unable to use her back legs as she dragged herself across the room.

"Knowing it was extremely serious we took her immediately to the animal emergency hospital," said McKay.

The rate of leg fracture in Italian Greyhound dogs is higher than other breeds, with a rate of fracture around 25-45 percent, with this in mind Adelaide was sent straight to X-ray. But when she had no broken bones, they were sent to a different facility where she could have an MRI.

This test revealed that Adelaide was suffering ANNPE, which stands for acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion.

ANNPE is a form of intervertebral disc disease or IVDD which occurs when an intervertebral disc protrudes or ruptures, often compressing the spinal cord.

Symptoms include sudden pain during activity, usually characterized with a crying out and followed by lameness, often on one side of the body.

Thankfully for Adelaide though, ANNPE does improve in most dogs.

"The neurologist said while Adelaide can't walk right now, she has a great chance of recovery and we were lucky enough to not need surgery, like other forms of IVDD," said McKay. "The neurologist said that it was a freak accident, could not have been predicted, and had no genetic warning. The injury affects her spinal cord, so currently she cannot walk and the treatment plan is professional and at-home physiotherapy.

"The first three months are crucial for recovery, but we don't know if she will get to 100 percent mobility again in that time."

While her progress is slow, Adelaide is showing signs of improvement. In a video with over 600,000 views, Adelaide was captured wagging her tail while asleep. Posting the video, her owner wrote: "Knowing she's happy in her dreams makes me cry."

McKay and Robinson-Hatton have been sharing Adelaide's life online since 2019 when they first brought her home, and even host the podcast The Iggy Parents about raising an Italian Greyhound.

But despite being passionate Iggy owners, they had never heard of ANNPE or IVDD, and were keen to share their experience.

"We wanted to spread awareness to other dog parents who may experience this unfortunate and random incident in the future," said McKay.

"The response so far has been so encouraging. Many other dogs who have experienced IVDD and ANNPE are sharing their stories in the comments and even recommending physiotherapy clinics, acupuncturists and other forms of therapy like cold-laser and hydrotherapy," she said.

"It's so comforting to know that we're not alone in this. Our hope is that Adelaide will fully recover, but we know it is a long road ahead to get her on her feet again."

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