NorthStar VETS Cool Case Tank

The team at NorthStar VETS is doing innovative and amazing things every day as they work to advance the level of care available to your pet. This series of posts highlights cool cases at NorthStar VETS and the types of things done to save pets and improve their quality of life. These are cases using innovative and cutting-edge medical techniques, and/or stories of pets beating the odds. This is the story of Tank, a patient of our Neurology team.

About Tank
Tank is a 5-month-old English bulldog that came to NorthStar VETS for urinary and fecal incontinence and a short-strided pelvic limb gait. Tank has only been with his new family for about two weeks, but has always had these problems.

Tank’s Condition
The MRI showed the dog had a meningocele. This means that the tissue surrounding of the spinal cord, instead of closing at the end, is open and extends through the vertebrae and attaches to the overlying musculature. This puts tension on the nerve roots and causes the clinical signs we see (tethered cord syndrome). The goal of surgery is to find the nerve roots that are erroneously attached and cut them to release them. There is a 50% chance of permanent incontinence due to the fact that damage to the nerve roots may already be too extensive.

How Things Went for Tank
The procedure went well and Tank looked and felt great in the days following his surgery.

Learn more about the Neurology service at NorthStar VETS

Gaemia Tracy, DVM
Gaemia Tracy was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Tracy attended The University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts (Biology) degree. While there, he played baseball and Sprint Football. He attended The Ohio State University School of Veterinary Medicine from 2008-2012. Immediately after graduating veterinary school, Dr. Tracy completed a rotating small animal medicine and surgery internship at Carolina Veterinary Specialists in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Tracy then completed a Neurology and Neurosurgery residency in Jacksonville, FL at North Florida Neurology with Dr. Andrew Hopkins and Dr. John Meeks as his mentors. Dr. Tracy completed his residency before joining Northstar VETS.

Dr. Tracy’s professional interests include IVDD, spinal surgery, management of seizures and inflammatory diseases of the brain and spinal cord.

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