A MUCH-LOVED dog that was in constant pain and at risk of paralysis due to a serious spinal condition is enjoying a new lease of life after undergoing surgery at a Cheshire veterinary practice.
Ralph, a seven-year-old Cockapoo was treated at Oakwood Veterinary Referrals in Hartford, near Northwich, when an unstable spine left him unable to move without being in pain.
Thanks to the Oakwood team’s skills and expertise, Ralph has made a full recovery and is back to enjoying walks and going on European holidays with his owners.
Owners Andrew and Jacqueline Waugh took Ralph to their usual veterinary practice, The Vets’ Place in Wilmslow, when they became worried that he was showing signs of pain. Veterinary surgeon Michael Hough diagnosed spinal pain and, due to the seriousness of Ralph’s condition, referred him to Oakwood Veterinary Referrals, which has a team that’s highly skilled in advanced surgery.
Orthopaedic and spinal surgery specialist Charlie Sale examined Ralph and performed MRI and CT scans to get a clear picture of what was wrong with the dog’s spine and identify which structures were affected.
After explaining all the options and potential outcomes to Ralph’s owners, Charlie performed surgery that involved placing and connecting specially designed implants to stabilise the dog’s spine.
To ensure the best possible outcome for Ralph, a 3D model of part of his spine was created in collaboration with Fusion Implants, a company which designs and manufactures advanced veterinary surgical implants. This model was used to create custom-made guides to enable Charlie to precisely place the implants.
Charlie said: “Ralph was suffering from a protruding disc that was impacting his spinal cord and there was instability and excessive movement occurring between two adjacent vertebrae. The pain was severe and it was affecting Ralph’s ability to enjoy life and behave like a normal dog. There was also a risk that one twist or turn could cause irreparable damage.
“This type of surgery is challenging because we were operating on Ralph’s spine and very close to the spinal cord, but with modern implant systems and custom guides we were able to do everything possible to achieve a positive outcome and the surgery went very well.
“Ralph was able to go home a few days later, with a very strict rehab programme to follow because it was extremely important that exercise was introduced gradually, over a number of weeks. His owners did an excellent job following our instructions and Ralph has made a great recovery. He’s now a happy, pain-free dog.
“Ralph has come in to see us for regular check-ups and at his final post-op check I was very close to tears because we had managed to achieve what everyone wanted, which was to restore Ralph’s ability to run around and have a good quality of life.
“Our team at Oakwood thrives on the opportunity to restore quality of life to pets like Ralph and we are all delighted at his recovery. With the most challenging and risky surgeries we perform, we are lucky to have companies like Fusion Implants to collaborate with, reducing the risk of surgery and improving the chances of success.”
Ralph’s owners Andrew and Jacqueline praised the veterinary team at Oakwood for the care they gave to their much-loved pet.
Andrew said: “It’s phenomenal what Charlie and his team have done for Ralph and I can’t thank them enough.
“Ralph had been a very athletic and active dog who loved running around in the woods or on the beach, but he started to slow down and I could feel his back click. He was initially treated with painkillers and anti-inflammatories, but he became very subdued on the medication and they didn’t address his underlying problems. Then we were introduced to Charlie, who gave us hope that it could be corrected through surgery.
“The transformation since the surgery is incredible. Never in a million years did I think Ralph would get back to being the active and happy dog that he’d been before but, to look at him now, you wouldn’t know there’d been something wrong with him. He’s enjoying life again and he was able to come on holidays to Switzerland and France with us in our campervan, which has been very special.”
Oakwood Veterinary Referrals benefits from high-tech hospitalisation, surgical and diagnostic facilities and delivers specialist services including orthopaedic and spinal procedures, cardiology, and internal medicine. It is part of Willows Veterinary Group which has 23 small animal practices across Cheshire, Manchester, Staffordshire and the Wirral.