Glasgow woman distraught after dog has 'unusual' injury

Five-year-old Saluki cross Daphne returned from jumping into a neighbour's garden one day with her right hind leg badly lame.

Worried owner Pauline Gallacher took Daphne to Pets n Vets Roundhouse Vetinerary Hospital in Pollokshaws to repair the damage. 

Pauline said: “Daphne darted through a small hole in our eight-foot hedge and into the neighbour’s garden.

“Within the few seconds it took for my husband to run and get her she was already limping.

“The bad news was that she had badly damaged her ankle and it transpired she would need an operation, with even the vet slightly baffled as to how she’d managed to damage herself so significantly.”

Daphne's leg post-op

Roundhouse clinical director Ross Allan handled Daphne's case and explained that the injury was very unusual and that her ankle was in a bad way.

He added: “X-rays showed the central tarsal bone had luxated or ‘popped out’ of position.

"Fortunately, and somewhat surprisingly, there were no fractures or other injuries to the joint.

“The damage had been solely to the soft tissues which stabilise the bone and play a key role in the normal anatomy and function of the joint."

Mr Allan likened having the bone in the wrong place to removing a 'critical block in a game of Jenga'.

He added: “The ankle had collapsed, was very unstable and required surgery to stabilise it back into the correct position and allow Daphne to get back on her feet.

“The first challenge during surgery was to restore the bone into its correct position and then stabilise it with a perfectly placed single screw.

“This repair was then ‘protected’ by performing a partial tarsal arthrodesis using a thin plate which was securely screwed onto the outer aspect of the ankle joint."

Daphne spent 12 weeks recovering after the successful surgery in order to allow the tissue to heal around the bone.

Mr Allan said: “When she came back four months later, the x-rays showed a neat repair and very good healing of the injury so we’re all delighted.”

Daphne's leg at her follow-up consultation

Pauline added: “It was very upsetting at the beginning and we did find it a struggle but with a lot of help from the team at Pets’n’Vets, we managed to get through it.

“We are especially grateful that Ross took the time to explain everything from start to finish and we are so happy with the outcome.

“Daphne is walking really well now. Her post-op X-rays were all great and with some more care she will hopefully be back to normal very soon.”

For more information about Pets n Vets, visit their website.