A dog owner has shared her shock after checking a pet cam video of her paralyzed pup, only to find that she has been “practicing walking” at night while her owners sleep.
The clip, originally shared on TikTok by @rollingwithkaylee, has been viewed over 10 million times, moving viewers to tears around the world.
Remarkable ‘Spinal Walking’
In the video, recorded on a home security camera, Kaylee, who is paralyzed from the waist down, can be seen slowly moving her hind legs as she takes careful steps around the room.
Her owner explained that what viewers are witnessing isn’t recovery, but rather a rare phenomenon called spinal walking.
“She is permanently paralyzed and it’s complete,” Kaylee’s owner said in a follow-up clip. “Her brain to back leg connection is completely severed and this means that she can do what’s called spinal walking. Which is sort of miraculous. It doesn’t make sense that she’s able to control her movements as well as she can.”
Spinal walking occurs in animals that have lost deep pain perception due to spinal cord injury. Without conscious control from the brain, the spinal cord can still generate rhythmic movements that resemble walking. It’s more commonly seen in small dogs with low centers of gravity, making Kaylee’s case, given her size, very rare.
This isn’t the first time a dog has amazed the internet with spinal walking. Earlier this year a dog in Boise, Idaho, baffled the internet by suddenly walking again after paralysis.
Kaylee’s injury occurred when slipped a disk between her T12 and T13 vertebrae during a run at the dog park. “There was no major accident it was just like a freak accident,” her owner shared. “She did get surgery that had a 50 percent success rate, but she was not in that 50 percent, and that’s okay—she is a very happy girl regardless.”
Despite being told she would never walk again, Kaylee’s resilience has astounded even her trainer. “Her trainer thinks it’s insane that she can walk as well she can,” she said. “She does have her wheels that we’ll always have to use for long walks, but she can get around the house and on short walks without them now.”
Viral Reaction
The viral video has inspired an outpouring of emotion from viewers, many of whom said they were moved to tears watching her determination.
“You’re doing so good baby,” said one commenter. While another wrote: “I just did my makeup and now I’m sobbing.”
“Tell her I said she’s the best girl,” wrote another viewer.
Newsweek reached out to @rollingwithkaylee via TikTok for comment.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
