Sophie’s Comeback: Purdue Veterinary Specialists Help a Lame Dog Walk Again

A black dog named Sophie is sitting on a brown couch

Today our series of articles about animals and their owners who’ve found help and healing at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital continues as we share Sophie’s story. This is just one of the heartwarming tributes provided by hospital clients to highlight the vital care and treatment their animal companions received from the hospital’s teams of clinicians, veterinary nurses, staff and students.

Veterinarians in the Neurology and Neurosurgery Service at the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital gave a paralyzed dog named Sophie a second chance to walk after an Easter morning emergency two years ago.

Sophie’s owner, Cody White, awoke that holiday to find his dog dragging her hind legs across the floor. He drove Sophie straight to the hospital’s 24 hour emergency room, where specialists diagnosed a spinal disc injury that was compressing her spinal cord.

Surgeons recommended immediate spinal surgery, explaining that Sophie had about a 50 percent chance of regaining the use of her back legs. White agreed, and the neurology team operated the same day.
Recovery was slow. Sophie showed no movement in her lower body for nearly two months. With daily rehabilitation and follow-up visits at Purdue, she progressed from standing with assistance to now happily walking unassisted.

“Purdue was there to help with any question I had and truly cared about her well-being,” White said. “I got my fur friend back thanks to Purdue and will always recommend the Purdue Veterinary Hospital to anybody with serious concerns about their animals. Boiler up.”

Today Sophie enjoys walks, play sessions with other dogs, and yard time with White, who praises the hospital’s neuro team for her comeback.

Writer(s): Mackenzie Martin | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

Two PVM Faculty Members Recognized with Purdue Seed for Success Acorn Awards

Purdue University has released this year’s list of Purdue researchers who received the university’s prestigious Seed for Success Acorn Awards, and the honorees include two Department of Basic Medical Sciences faculty members. The Seed for Success Acorn Awards are presented by the Office of Research to recognize investigators for their accomplishment in obtaining external sponsored awards of $1 million or more.

National Meeting Spotlights Purdue Comparative Pathobiology Department and Graduate Student Scholarship

Fall marked an important milestone for veterinary laboratory diagnosticians in general and a Purdue Department of Comparative Pathobiology graduate student in particular. The occasion was the 2025 annual joint meeting of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA), held October 30 – November 5 in Aurora, Colorado, where Purdue Veterinary Medicine was well-represented.

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Let’s unleash some appreciation this week for John Fisher, who is the admissions process manager in the Veterinary Administration Department.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine Alumna Joins Shedd Aquarium’s Animal Health Team

Lots of water and sea life are key elements of a dream that has come true for Purdue alumna Kelsey (Trumpp) Ryan (PU DVM 2019), who recently joined the decorated team of animal care professionals at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Dr. Ryan, Dipl. ACZM, will serve as an associate veterinarian at the aquarium’s A. Watson Armour III Center for Animal Health and Welfare, where she will help oversee preventative exams and veterinary care for some 32,000 animals that call Shedd home, from majestic, cold-water belugas to colorful, reef-dwelling butterflyfish.