Help Hanna with rare spinal condition

Hanna is a female Kromfohrlander, a rare dog breed in the UK, approaching her second birthday. Hanna was born in Porvoo, NE of Helsinki, in Finland and in the summer of 2022 we drove to Finland to collect her and bring her home to Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where she lives with another Kromfohrlander, her great uncle, Hopo, 7 years her senior.

Hanna has grown to be a wonderful dog, gentle, loving and inquisitive and with a zest for life. We love Hanna completely and a rapid change in her circumstances in just 2 weeks has been heartbreaking for our family. We are committed to giving her the best possible chance of survival and a good life.

Just before Christmas, Hanna developed a pronounced limp in her rear right leg, which we thought might be a result of a slip whilst running at her usual breakneck speed. The day after Boxing Day, we took her to our vet, who confirmed that she could not bear weight on the leg, with her toe reflex absent. She was by now increasingly unsteady on her left rear leg also. She was referred to AVR, a specialist veterinary practice, and examined the following day. To help diagnose the cause of her loss of motor control, she had a CT scan that afternoon for a suspected disc injury in her spine. However, the scan revealed normal bone structure and no sign of injury. She did not appear to be in any pain and her mental state and appetite seemed unaffected. She was put on an anti-inflammatory medication with 10 days of cage-rest to see if the condition improved.

It did not. The loss of control worsened, she could not stand, toileting became problematic and by 3rd January she became incontinent. She was examined again the following day and thanks to the arrival of the Mobile MRI unit on the 5th January, she had an MRI scan which successfully revealed the problem.

A thumbnail sized cyst was present in her spinal cord. It had grown to such a size it was causing intense pressure and effectively cutting off communication between her brain and the lower part of her body. The condition is incredibly rare, recorded worldwide in only 4 dogs. Surgical removal of a cyst in the spinal cord has NEVER been performed and would carry an extremely high risk of paralysis. Several leading vet neurologists have examined the case and the view is the same, very high risk. Given Hanna’s deterioration and considering the urgency and risks involved, it has been decided to proceed with an ultrasound-guided aspiration of the cyst, in an attempt to withdraw its contents and reduce the pressure on her spinal cord. Although lower risk, this is still a very delicate operation which will be carried out as soon as possible

As pet owners will know, the cost of veterinary treatment can be high, and in this case, very high. We have already exceeded our annual Petplan insurance limit (£4,000) by £1,000 and now face an expensive operation which, if successful, will lead to follow-up treatment of unknown duration and cost.

We are absolutely committed to help Hanna live as full a life as possible and are seeking help to fund the journey. Our target is an ambitious £10,000 but in reality the smallest of contributions will help and would be humbly and gratefully appreciated. We would also commit to donate any unused money to the Dogs Trust, an important charity, dedicated to help our four-legged friends in times of distress across the UK.

Initial examinations and CT scan £1,810

MRI scan and further evaluation £4,945

Operation to aspirate the cyst £5-6,000

Post-op hospitalisation and care £1,500 (estimate)

Follow up treatment if successful Unknown

Again, we thank you so much for your consideration and support for Hanna in her time of need

Heartfelt appreciation

Chris, Josephine, and Hopo