24 Aug 2020
The Jack Russell terrier-Chihuahua cross had suffered multiple fractures and soft tissue injuries in a collision with a car, but was helped back to health by team at Davies Veterinary Specialists.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Skip recovering from his surgery.
A dog that suffered multiple fractures and soft tissue injuries in a collision with a car has been helped back to full health by the team at Davies Veterinary Specialists (DVS).
The Hertfordshire team treated Skip, a Jack Russell terrier-Chihuahua cross, when he was rushed in following an initial assessment by a referring vet.
After initial assessment and stabilisation, uroabdomen was diagnosed on ultrasound scan, while a urinary tract study identified a tear in his proximal urethra as the cause of a leak. A urinary catheter was placed and radiographs showed the extent of his internal injuries.
Rufus Hammerton, orthopaedics and soft tissue surgery resident at DVS, said: “Radiographs revealed multiple pelvic fractures and dislocation of the right sacroiliac joint that connects the pelvis to the spine.”
A screw was placed from the right hip bone to the sacrum under fluoroscopic guidance to stabilise his right sacroiliac joint. Skip also had a locking plate applied to the left hip bone to stabilise the fracture of the body of his left ilium.”
Dr Hammerton added: “Intraoperative fluoroscopy is essentially real-time radiography that can be used in operating theatre to guide the placement of surgical implants in anatomical areas, where extreme accuracy is needed to avoid potentially disastrous complications due to misplaced implants.”
Skip – who recovered well from the surgery, week-long hospitalisation and supportive therapy – had been a hit since his arrival at DVS.
Dr Hammerton said: “Despite the extent of his injuries, Skip was consistently affectionate and a pleasure to treat. He was clearly a very brave little dog and we were all rooting for him to survive.”
