11 Apr 2023
George back up to speed following surgery to realign his spinal cord at Oakwood Veterinary Referrals.
James Westgate
Job Title
Small animal surgery specialist Charlie Sale, of Willows Veterinary Hospital, with owner Helen Ridgway and George.
A lurcher puppy left with a broken spine after a freak fall has made a full recovery thanks to specialists at the Willows Veterinary Group.
George was only four months old when he was left needing surgery to realign his spinal cord after trapping his paw in a rabbit hole and landing awkwardly while out for a walk.
George’s owner rushed him to a local vet following the accident, where x-rays failed to show any obvious signs of damage and George was sent home with painkillers.
However, over the next two weeks George’s condition steadily deteriorated until he was unable to walk or stand and George was then taken to Charter Veterinary Surgeons in Newcastle-Under-Lyme before being referred to Oakwood Veterinary Referrals in Northwich.
An MRI scan was performed, which revealed a fracture to one of the vertebrae in George’s spine that was crushing his spinal cord, resulting in severe pain.
Small animal surgery specialist Charlie Sale said: “By the time I saw him, he couldn’t stand up at all and was screaming in pain. We were really very worried.
“When I studied the MRI, I thought it was something we might be able to help with. He did have some movement in his limbs and so I saw the potential for the spinal cord to recover, but he wouldn’t get better without surgery.”
Fortunately, Mr Sale and team we were able to operate and manipulate the spine into the correct position.
They then had to place eight metal threaded pins into the vertebrae either side of the injury before using bone cement to create a bridge to hold George’s neck steady and in the correct position.
Mr Sale added: “The outcomes of cervical vertebrae fractures are not statistically great. There is always potential for serious complications.
“It was a high risk and challenging procedure. However, you have a very active biology in young animals and the bones tend to heal a little bit quicker.”
And so it proved, as the next morning George was back on his feet and, despite experiencing some swelling a year on from the surgery, the lucky young Lurcher has made a full recovery.
