Orthopaedic Service
Orthopaedic & Soft Tissue Service
We have recently added Orthopaedic & Soft Tissue to the services we are able to offer our clients and patients.
If you would like to enquire further or book please contact us via the Petsapp “chat with us” link in the corner of this page or call our reception team.
For some conditions – particularly those requiring more complex surgery it is helpful to have the input of a specialist surgeon. In the past this has meant referral and its associated travel to an outside centre, for example the Vet School in Glasgow, or Broadleys vet hospital in Stirling.
We are therefore delighted to announce that we are now able to call on Richard Coe of Surgeon on Site, one of a very few European Specialists in surgery in Scotland, to visit our Dalblair Road premises and perform surgery in our operating theatre with the help of our team of nurses.
This means that patients (and clients) are spared the journey to an external centre and can often be sent home the same night (or early the next day).
At what may otherwise be a stressful time for both patients and owners this can be a great advantage – the operations can be carried out and aftercare given in familiar surroundings with familiar faces looking after your pet, and without having to travel any further than Ayr.
One common condition that Richard has successfully treated for us is Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) rupture, this is a ligament in the knee joint. In some cases the gold standard treatment for this condition can be what is termed a TPLO (Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy). This involves remodelling the shape of the tibia (shin bone) using an air driven saw and an orthopaedic plate.
Shrek's Story!
Shrek is a bouncy 8 year old Labrador retriever, he presented to the surgery back in May this year with a history of being lame on his left hind leg. After examination he was given pain relief and x-rays were scheduled to help with the definitive diagnosis of the problem. The x-rays confirmed that as suspected Shrek had torn a ligament in his knee.
The knee in a dog is a very complicated joint with the femur (thigh bone) above and the tibia (shin bone) below. There are also a number of tendons and ligaments that help to support the joint and hold everything together. A tear of one of these ligaments called the cranial cruciate is a common knee injury of dogs and this may present as a sudden onset lameness of the rear leg.
Shrek had torn his cranial cruciate ligament. There are various ways of dealing with this injury depending on different factors such as the age, weight, breed and lifestyle of the dog. The best course of action for Shrek was to surgically repair this injury by performing a specialised procedure called a TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) We arranged for Shrek to have his TPLO surgery performed by Richard Coe of Surgeon on Site. Richard is one of our visiting specialists and one of a very few European Specialists in surgery in Scotland. Richard comes to our Ayr branch which saves clients and their animals from having to travel to a separate specialist referral practice.
A TPLO is an orthopaedic surgery which is performed on the knee. An x-ray of the knee is used to measure the angle at the top of the shin bone, called the tibial plateau angle. The aim of the surgery is to reduce this angle so that joint instability is eliminated. A cut is made to the bone to achieve this, the bone is repositioned and then a plate with screws is used to stabilise the bones in their new alignment. The inside of the knee joint is also assessed during the operation and any injury to or defects in the cartilages of the knee are also addressed.
It is very important after the operation for patients and owners to follow the post operation care instructions. These include special care to rest in the initial post op period and then specific rehabilitation exercises which aim to gradually increase strength in the affected leg. Return to normal function is expected after 3-4 months. Shrek did very well during his surgery and rehabilitation and is now back to his usual animated bouncy self.
Although we still need to refer some complex cases the addition of Richard to our team of visiting specialists is a welcome one and helps us to offer the most complete service to our patients and clients.