Team cock-a-hoop after lockdown cockapoo TPLO

An acutely bilaterally lame cockapoo has been given a sound future by a veterinary orthopaedics team that performed bilateral single session tibial plateau-levelling osteotomy (TPLO) surgery during the lockdown.

The surgery at Davies Veterinary Specialists was followed by a spell of rehabilitation on-site, where the bitch Lexi was able to benefit from underwater treadmill therapy sessions.

Four weeks on, Lexi is walking well and on track to make a full recovery.

Stabilise knee

Jan Janovec, European specialist in small animal surgery and head of orthopaedics, said: “Lexi underwent surgery to stabilise her left knee, but luck clearly wasn’t on her side because during recovery she developed a rupture of the cruciate ligament in her right knee and also complications associated with the previous repair.

“By that time, Lexi was almost ‘off her back legs’ and was referred to Davies.”

Dr Janovec performed a TPLO procedure on both stifle joints during one anaesthetic. An inspection of the stifle joints revealed a complete rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament bilaterally.

Additionally, a tear of the medial meniscus was identified in the left stifle and was removed via a caudal pole hemi-meniscectomy. The stifles were stabilised using a routine TPLO technique.

Recovery

Davies is one of only a few referral hospitals to have an on-site therapy and fitness centre, which allows specialist surgeons and skilled physiotherapists to work together.

Speaking on Lexi’s recovery, Davies head of physiotherapy Diane Messum said: “Four weeks post-surgery she is happily walking about and enjoying the treadmill sessions. She still has a long journey (another nine weeks, roughly) until she can go off the lead, but we are optimistic she will make a complete recovery.

“It’s very advantageous to be able to work so closely with the surgical team to monitor every aspect of her progress.”