A dog owner’s despair has turned to delight thanks to specialist care of one of our Specialists, Malcolm Jack.
Charlotte Robinson, from Plympton in Devon, was distraught when her treasured four-year-old pet Teddy fractured his right front leg while on a walk in the country.
Our staff have put the smile back on her face, though, and the spring back into Teddy’s step after a delicate operation to repair the damage.
Reliving the ordeal, Charlotte said: “We were walking in the valley behind our farm, when Teddy suddenly took off over some uneven ground.
“The next moment I heard him crying out and when I got to him, he was sat with his right leg lifted off the ground.
“I was really concerned and tearful. He was panting in pain so I scooped him up in my arms, ran back to the farm and took him to the vets.
“He was referred to Cave for treatment and they were absolutely amazing.
“I must admit I felt overwhelmed with worry when I dropped Teddy off but Malcolm Jack, their specialist surgeon was so reassuring.
“He got down to Teddy’s level and stroked him and gave him loads of attention. The care form I filled out was also reassuring, asking detailed questions about how Teddy normally ate, went to the toilet and what sort of toys he liked to play with.
“I left feeling that he would be looked after and treated with respect and kindness and that the nurses and medical staff would give him attention and love while he was staying away from his mum and dad.”
Malcolm, Cave’s head of surgery and a specialist in small animal surgery, led surgery to repair Teddy’s injuries.
He said: “Teddy had suffered a fracture of the ulna which communicates directly with the elbow joint, what we call an articular fracture.
“In these types of cases the aim is accurately repair the fracture to minimise the risk of future arthritis in the joint.
“In this case we did a CT scan to better classify the fracture configuration and help us plan the operation.
“After viewing the images, I used a lag screw to align and compress the fracture line.
“A plate and screws were then applied to reinforce the repair to help in holding the fracture in position and allow it to heal.”
Teddy has subsequently made a full recovery, leaving Charlotte full of praise for Malcolm’s expertise and the care they received at Cave.
She added: “Teddy’s back to his old self now and you’d never know he’d had a broken elbow.
“He’s back to two walks a day and being his normal, playful self. We’re so happy that his procedure and recovery went so well.
“When your pet is seriously injured like this you can feel very anxious and upset and worry how your pet will be treated, but I didn’t feel worried at all with Cave.
“I would absolutely recommend Cave to anyone who’s pet needs expert treatment – the customer care for Teddy, and for my husband and I, was second to none.”
