Suki, Raffa & Zizi

Jonathan and his family were delighted to welcome new puppy, five-month-old Golden Retriever Poodle Cross Suki into their lives. But after only nine weeks they discovered that her front legs were developing abnormally and now require urgent attention as the bones of her forearms are growing at different rates. Noel diagnoses radial head subluxation and antebrachial growth deformity which is causing elbow pain and the paws to rotate outwards. “It’s a big ask because it’s going to require major surgery,” says Noel, “and that surgical intervention would most likely involve chopping the bones in half, rotating the wrist into alignment with the elbow and trying to push the radial head back into position. It’s full on.”

Gaj and Cathy’s beloved elderly Labrador Raffa is nearly eleven and has become lame with constant pain in his front legs. They’ve exhausted numerous options including medication, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy and now think that surgery might be the best option for him. Noel discovers cartilage erosion in both elbows, leading to arthritis, which presents a dilemma. “I think there may be some moral issues putting a dog this age through three months of recovery with six weeks of confinement, knowing that he’s only got say one or two years left.” Noel’s skills are once again tested as he explores a possible alternative route.

Andrea and Balazs come to Fitzpatricks as an emergency referral with their happy-go-lucky five-year-old dachshund Zizi, who has suddenly lost the use of her back legs overnight. Noel explains that dachshunds are predisposed to disc problems, and an urgent MRI scan confirms that Zizi has suffered an exploded disc, causing significant compression of the nerves which supply her back legs and her bladder. The clock is ticking for Zizi as Noel takes her straight to surgery to try and relieve the pressure on her spinal cord before further damage occurs. But only time will tell if she will ever walk again.