KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Something was not right. Storm and his handler walked into the hospital but the dog’s tail was lowered between his legs and took each step cautiously. Unknown to the service members waiting to be seen, the contract working dog was coming to be seen for his herniated disc.
For more than 10 years the NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit’s service members have taken care of service members and contractors for their ailments but on March 5, they used their skills to perform spinal surgery for Storm, the first dog to have spinal surgery done in the combat theater.
“I think this is a unique experience for everyone involved to be able to provide the comprehensive care to a dog that is the same we provide to humans,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Molly Avery, with the NATO Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit, division officer of physical therapy at the Warrior Recovery Center, and a Colorado Springs, Colo., native. “The credit has to go to Lt. Col. James Giles for putting forth the effort to make the best care available to Storm, and for seeking out the services and personnel he would need for his surgery and recovery.”
After visiting the Camp Leatherneck Veterinary Team Feb. 14, Storm’s condition failed to improve with rest and anti-inflammatory medication. The doctors transferred him to the Veterinary Treatment Facility run by the 463rd Medical Detachment Veterinary Services at Kandahar, for further evaluation.
Storm’s condition did not improve and required surgery. As a contract working dog, he was not eligible for evacuation to Germany for surgery like military working dogs. Returning him to the United States for spinal surgery was too expensive for the contractor.
The doctors said that with the surgery, Storm has a good possibility of returning to work. The alternative … euthanasia. The doctors decided to perform the surgery at the Kandahar Airfield Hospital, March 7, although normally reserved for human patient care.
Storm received an MRI at KAF Hospital, March 5, to assess his spinal injury and underwent surgery, March 7, with the combined efforts of the veterinary surgeon, the neurosurgeon, and the KAF hospital staff.
The surgery was successful. Storm immediately showed signs of lessened pain and he could walk, sit and stand without hesitation which wasn’t possible prior to surgery. He spent three days recovering at the KAF VTF before being discharged with follow-up physical therapy three days a week at the warrior recovery center.
“Performing physical therapy on a dog is a totally new experience for me,” said Avery. “You have to be a little more creative because there are certain exercises you can get a human to do through verbal instruction, but with a dog, you have to physically help or show them.”
Storm is expected to make a full recovery with a scheduled eight weeks of physical therapy. When medically cleared, Storm will be paired with a new handler to retrain and re-certify so he can return to duty as a patrol and explosive detector dog.