Animal Health | Pet | Veterinary Nursing

Rare operation helps beloved rescue dog with severe leg problem

vetreportDecember 6, 2023

A much-loved rescue dog with a severe limb deformity is now looking forward to a new life with his owners thanks to a rare procedure at a leading Essex animal hospital.

The cause of eight-year-old Basil’s problematic leg and wrist is unknown but had got to the stage where he needed a particularly complicated combination of corrective procedures at Linnaeus-owned Southfields Veterinary Specialists to put it straight and cure the pet’s discomfort.

Among the ‘firsts’ to be carried out by Southfields’ orthopaedic team was the use of a 3D-printed custom-made implant.

Carlos Rubiños, specialist in small animal surgery at Southfields, said: “The operation was challenging as it involved reconstructing and realigning the whole forearm, wrist and paw.”

“It’s a rare procedure and this is the first time we’ve used custom-made 3D-printed osteotomy guides and a custom-made metal plate, manufactured by Vet3D.”

“The operation went as planned and, while it’s still relatively early days, has been very successful so far.”

Basil’s grateful owner, Annette Obertelli from Sevenoaks in Kent said: “We love Basil, he is a crossbreed rescue dog with a limited background and we’ve owned him for seven years.”

“We were extremely concerned about the procedure, not least because it was a very long operation at six-and-a-half hours.”

“However, we knew it had to be done to improve Basil’s quality of life. The vets, especially Carlos, looked after Basil very well and have been very kind to both Basil and us, and we would 100 per cent recommend Southfields to other pet owners.”

“Basil spent a number of weeks on crate rest and we’re so pleased his lameness has been treated with a rare procedure, it’s no less than he deserves.”

For more information, go to www.southfields.co.uk or search Southfields Veterinary Specialists on social media.

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