Carrie Underwood Shares Video of Beloved Dog Performing Physical Therapy

Approximately 46.3 million households in the U.S. have dogs, including celebrities. Carrie Underwood’s dog Ace became a celebrity to the world seven years ago when he pranced down the aisle during the christian singer’s wedding to Mike Fisher. Now, Ace doesn’t quite have the same spring in his step.

Just before Christmas, Ace suffered a herniated disc. Underwood shared more details of the situation on Wednesday January 4, in an Instagram post that featured Ace performing one of the exercises prescribed in his physical therapy routine.

The singer shared that after suffering the herniated disc, Ace was paralyzed in his back end for a couple of days and that he had since recovered some mobility in his hind legs. Now, he’s going through physical therapy to help with the healing process.

Underwood’s Instagram video shows Ace walking on a water treadmill as part of a hydrotherapy routine to help him recover. She acknowledged that her four-legged friend has a long way to go before he’s fully recovered, but that he’s “taking his physical therapy like a champ.”

Herniated discs are fairly common in dogs of all sizes, but they tend to have a greater effect on older dogs whose bones may not be as strong as they were in the prime of adulthood. In addition, breeds such as dachshunds, Pekinese, Lhasa apsos, and basset hounds are typically at a higher risk for this issue.

If a dog is showing signs of neck and back pain, it’s likely that a herniated disc is the issue. Symptoms of back pain include reluctance to walk and play, a lack of coordination, and reluctance to turn or lower the head. Any of these symptoms provides a valid reason for a visit to the vet.

The most common treatment option is confinement paired with supplemental medication to ease the dog’s pain. In Ace’s case, his paralysis confined him to a bed for a few days. Now, his physical therapy is helping him get back on his feet. Underwood is sure that he’ll make a full recovery with continued physical therapy.


