A Devastating Turn

Sam, a spirited 7-year-old cocker spaniel, was living his best life, adventuring through mountain trails and basking in the great outdoors. But everything changed when he suddenly lost the ability to stand on his front legs, experiencing unbearable pain without an obvious cause.

A Sudden Emergency

Sam was rushed to us as an emergency case, where his condition rapidly worsened. Paralysis spread to his back legs, his breathing became strained, and his discomfort was evident. The veterinary and rehabilitation team immediately initiated a thorough assessment, suspecting a neurological or spinal issue. To pinpoint the cause, Sam was rushed to our in-house CT scanner and within minutes the scan was completed and the images sent to the Radiologist for interpretation and diagnosis within 4 hours.

The Diagnosis: Spinal Compression

The CT scan revealed a severe compression on Sam’s spinal cord in his neck region. As seen on the images the material within the red circle is from a ruptured spinal disc. This has entered the spinal column, causing spinal compression which is a time-sensitive condition. The longer the pressure on the spine remains, the more damage it can cause—possibly leading to permanent paralysis. Sam’s case was urgent, and the decision was made to transfer him to Chester Gates Referral Hospital for immediate treatment.

A Critical Transfer

Transporting Sam safely was paramount. He was carefully stabilized with pain medication and securely stretchered to prevent any further spinal damage. A veterinary nurse and rehabilitation team member accompanied him in our ambulance, ensuring his condition remained stable en route.

Meanwhile, the CT images were sent ahead to Chester Gates, the quality of the images were to such a good standard and level of detail that the specialist surgical team were able to use them to formulate a precise treatment plan. This allowed them to make adjustments to the surgical approach, ensuring the most effective spinal decompression procedure. Enabling the specialist team to view these images and plan whilst we were in transit allowed Sam to go straight into surgery on arrival, reducing the time of the compression and improving Sam’s chance of recovery.

Emergency Surgery and Immediate Relief

Upon reaching Chester Gates, Sam immediately underwent the emergency spinal decompression surgery. Surgeons removed significant amounts of blood and disc material that had been pressing on his spinal cord. The operation successfully alleviated the pressure, bringing Sam much-needed relief. His breathing stabilized, his neck regained some mobility, and his pain became more manageable.

Despite the success of the procedure, post surgery Sam remained paralyzed in all four limbs and required catheterization due to loss of bladder control which is quite common for this type of spinal injury. After two days of intensive monitoring, he was stable enough to return home, with strict post-surgery care instructions emphasizing cage rest and pain management.

The Road to Recovery: Rehabilitation

The road to recovery wasn’t easy, but Sam had a dedicated team working with him every step of the way. The veterinary team has been instrumental in managing Sam’s case post surgery when complications arose. The rehabilitation team was involved from the start, offering advice to Sam’s owners on how to adapt their home to better suit his needs. They also provided a personalized rehabilitation program, which included physiotherapy exercises for the family to perform at home, as well as massage and laser treatment to help reduce pain, swelling, and muscle tension. His owners have also been extremely committed throughout his treatment and working hard with him between his sessions.

As soon as Sam was able to stand, hydrotherapy became a pivotal part of his recovery. Underwater treadmill (UWTM) therapy played a crucial role in helping him regain his natural gait while minimizing stress on his body. While he initially showed delayed reflexes in his hind legs, consistent therapy yielded noticeable improvements. His left hind leg, weaker than the right, gradually regained strength with targeted exercises and weekly rehabilitation sessions.

Steady Progress

Thanks to consistent weekly rehabilitation sessions, including underwater treadmill therapy and laser treatments, Sam’s condition continued to improve. His hind limb muscle mass, which had been 3 cm smaller on his left leg, is now only 1 cm different from the right. Most importantly, Sam’s personality began to shine through once again. Though he’s not quite back to his mountain adventures, he’s slowly regaining his strength and mobility.

Now, Sam has advanced to the pool, a crucial step in restoring joint flexibility and further strengthening his hind limbs. His recovery, while ongoing, is a testament to his resilience, the unwavering support of his owners, and the dedication of his veterinary and rehabilitation team.

Looking Toward the Future

Sam’s journey from paralysis to recovery is a testament to resilience, expert veterinary & rehabilitation care, and the unwavering support of his loving family. Keep going, Sam—you’ve come so far!

As the New Year is upon us, we would like to share and end of year success story that we hope everyone will carry with them into 2025. Throughout the year, we have helped pets that have ingested something they shouldn’t have from chocolate to socks and everything in between, including a fish hook!
On a beautiful weekend morning when the sun is out, what better thing to do in North Wales than go for a long walk on the beach with your beloved dog. We all love watching our dogs running carefree… until they catch the smell of something… and the next thing we know they have picked up an offending object and swallowed it before we can get to them! Even the best trained pooches can fall victim to foreign body ingestion. This, unfortunately, is what happened to Tia and her owners when she found a fish hook and swallowed it in seconds. Luckily for her and after realising there was no way of getting the hook out safely themselves, her owners acted quickly and brought her straight to us! Tia was feeling quite sorry for herself when she arrived and was in obvious discomfort. After safely sedating her, x-rays of her head and neck were taken, revealing exactly where the culprit was! The fish hook had become lodged in her oesophagus. Specialist care was needed to remove the fish hook by endoscope, so we contacted a referral hospital that was able to take and treat Tia the very same day!

She was back home quicker than you could say “Let’s go fishing!” and has recovered superbly.
We understand that it is difficult to keep our pets safe and prevent them from eating things they shouldn’t. Even the best trained dogs can still end up eating things they shouldn’t, and we are here to help when accidents happen. The only way to ensure that we can keep our animals safe is by storing foods out of reach and by properly disposing of rubbish, especially in public places where owners take their dogs for walks. If you are concerned that something similar may happen to your pet, we are happy to advise you on different ways you can keep them safe.

There was suspicion that Rex had been playing with a stick and we thought that was how the injury was caused. We needed to explore the wound to see where it went and what damage had been done. It was a complete surprise when we found this still in the wound.

No wonder he was so uncomfortable. We suspected that Rex had landed on the stick with force and as the stick was wet and rotten it had snapped. This left us with other worries how far had the stick gone, what actual damage had it done and were there any other bits of stick present. Any little splinters could cause future problems. Thankfully after flushing the wound continuously for several minutes we able to perform a CT scan. The results were excellent and exactly what we hoped for. We were able to rule out any damage or any lingering pieces.

And in case you want to know what the specialist saw on the CT?

There is a poorly defined region of hypo attenuation and focal swelling within the root of the tongue on midline (Figure 1, red arrowheads). Numerous small gas foci are present within the tongue and geniohyoid/mylohyoid muscles with subjective enlargement and presumed contrast enhancement of rostral aspect of the layer. There is fluid accumulation in the le retropharyngeal space and overlying subcutaneous space (Figure 2, green arrowheads). Rostrally, numerous small gas foci are seen between the le aspect of the tongue and digastricus muscle (Figure 3, yellow arrowheads)

Doppler heart tests for £99

Cheshire – Sunday 21st July

Very kindly subsidised by the National Whippet Association Sarah Pirie Heart Fund.

Contact the Breed Health Coordinator Jo Whitehead joclarewhitehead@yahoo.co.uk to book or message the Whippet Breed Council Facebook Page.

Original source – Whippet Breed Council

Whippet cardiology update – May 2024

In late April 2024, a meeting with the UK Kennel Club Health Team, Veterinary Cardiology Society cardiologist (Hannah Stephenson), and UK Whippet Breed Health Co-Ordinator (BHC – Jo Whitehead) was held. We would therefore like to provide an up-to-date cardiology summary for the breed and make recommendations clear.

Heart testing data for Whippets in the UK has now been collected for more than 15 years. Around 2000 auscultation test certificates have been collated. Approximately 25% of these certificates record that the dog tested had an audible murmur. The cause of the murmur (be it innocent or due to a heart problem) can only be determined if the dog goes on to have an echocardiogram/doppler. Most of those with a recorded murmur have either never had an ECG, or their results have not been sent to the BHC.

The breed continues to advise that all breeding stock are heart tested by auscultation before breeding and further encourages that if a murmur is detected, a Doppler scan is conducted. Low-grade murmurs should not be ignored.

Pulmonic Stenosis (PS).

Jo Whitehead is to gather data on known PS cases and will be forwarding details to Hannah Stephenson. There appears to potentially be a genetic predisposition in Whippets from some bloodlines. It was suggested that the possibility of developing a genetic test for this condition is explored. If geneticists and the cardiology board believe this to be feasible, it will involve collecting DNA from known PS-affected Whippets and their relatives.

This would be a significant breakthrough for the breed.

Any dog with Pulmonic Stenosis (however mild) should not be bred. Although mild PS is unlikely to have significant effects on that dog’s own longevity, it could easily pass on PS to its offspring, in a much more severe form. A dog that has been operated on for PS and can now technically be ‘cleared’ on auscultation should never be bred from.

Mitral Valve Disease (MVD).

MVD has been more often seen in older Whippets with little effect on longevity and doesn’t usually progress significantly.

Young dogs diagnosed with MVD or significant MV regurgitation should not be bred from.

Suggestions made that the breed encourage testing in dogs aged 8+ so that the progression and prevalence of MVD can be understood.

Summary

• Auscultation test before breeding.

• Doppler test before breeding if a murmur is detected on auscultation.

• Regular re-tests throughout the life of the dog

• Encourage testing of dogs aged 8+

• BHC will be approaching people to discuss follow-up results and also participation in the development of a genetic test for PS

• The Breed Council website will keep an up-to-date list of dogs tested clear by auscultation/doppler confirmed innocent murmurs.

Within the previous two-year period (should go live within the next couple of months).

• With the support of the Sarah Pirie Heart Fund (NWA) and the newly formed Breed Health Fund – money will be available to

Pre-Visit Checklist for Owners

Before your vet visit, make sure to gather the following:

• List of Questions: Prepare any questions or concerns you have about your pet’s health or behavior.
• List of Medications: Bring along a list of any medications your pet is currently taking.
• Muzzle (if needed): Consider muzzle training if your pet may require a muzzle during the visit. Guide to muzzle training.
• Short Lead: Use a short lead instead of a retractable one for better control.
• Blanket or Familiar Item: Bring a blanket or something familiar that your pet often uses or lays on.
• Food or Treats: If applicable, bring your pet’s favorite treats or food.
• Photos or Videos: Provide any photos or videos of your pet displaying symptoms, if available.

How to Prepare for the Visit:

• Stay Calm: Remember, your pet can pick up on your feelings too, so try to remain calm to help keep them at ease.
• Safe Transportation: Ensure your pet is safely transported to the vet and is accustomed to the mode of transportation.
• Stay in the Car if Preferred: If your pet is more comfortable waiting in the car, please notify us upon arrival. We’ll come out to you when ready, reducing stress, especially in busy waiting rooms. This also helps maintain a calm environment for other pets if your dog tends to vocalize.
• Handling Preparation: Handling plays a significant role in examining your pet, so please get your pet used to being handled in areas such as paws, tail, ears, face, and body. Guide on handling your dog.

In a literal sense it means Abnormal development

Dys – abnormal, impaired, difficult,

Plasia – from Greek plasis a moulding or formation, from plassein to mould

But what does to a pet? sadly it can men a lifetime of pain and difficulty with normal movement.

With our CT scanner we have been lucky enough to actually see a four view picture and explain exactly how this condition becomes a problem. We were asked to CT scan a 5 year old labrador that had suddenly gone lame.

These are the pictures and explanation oooo fancy but what does it actually mean. Well Sadly it means that the dog in this case has an elbow that works as a mortar and pestle as the fragments rub in the joint. The word incongruity means the normal joint does not sit in the correct location and as the CT defines in this case is moderately out of place. Therefore as you can imagine this is a disease process that will progress.

The bad news is that well as elbows animals can get dysplaias in many areas but also most predominantly the hips. Factors such as excessive growth rate, types of exercise, improper weight, and unbalanced nutrition can magnify this genetic predisposition. Although there are some good breeders that check the disease state of hips and elbows and how likely it is to be passed on to future offspring it is not compulsory and therefore in buying a puppy you may not know how bad its joints are going to be as the disease process manifests as they get older and bigger

The good news For the dog in the scan we sought advice from specialists. In some case surgery is an option but was though not to be the best case here. The great news was that all advice given were things Mochdre Vets could offer. The best news though was that we implemented the advice and we had reports of an amazing response with the odg being able to return to exericse and enjoy his life.

This is the advice from the specialists

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: It would be important to prevent Milo from getting overweight as this would put more pressure and cause more inflammation on his abnormal joints. It he was already overweight, then I would recommend he loses weight.

ANALGESICS: Prescription of NSAIDs for at least 3-4 weeks initially would be recommended. You could add other drugs, such as gabapentin, paracetamol (pardale), amantadine or amitriptyline to see if he responds. Galliprant, which has a different mechanism of action than NSAIDs could be tried to see if it is effective, although generally this is not as effective as NSAIDs. Librela could also be beneficial for long-term management of OA.

NUTRACEUTICALS: I would recommend Milo is prescribed joint supplements containing omega 3 fatty acids as they have been reported to clinically help dogs with osteoarthritis. The use of cannabinoids could also be helpful in the management of chronic pain, although I do not have experience with this therapy.

EXERCISE MODIFICATION: Milo´s joints are not normal and the osteoarthritis will progress with time. Although exercise is beneficial for the correct nutrition and movement of the joints, high impact activities, such as jumping, running or playing with other dogs, are detrimental to degenerated joints. I would recommend he is kept active, but mostly with low impact activities, such as walking on the lead and on soft/padded surfaces. We generally start with 5 minute slow walks on the lead, 2 – 3 times a day, for 2 weeks. Then, and provided he is improving, the length of his walks could be progressively increased by 5 minutes every 2 weeks. The length of the walks would need to be adjusted to his tolerance and decreased if he becomes stiff.

PHYSIOTHERAPY: Leo would benefit from physiotherapy and hydrotherapy performed by a certified physiotherapist to improve his clinical signs. Laser therapy and acupuncture have also shown positive effects on osteoarthritic and painful joints so it would be worth trying to see if he responds. Hydrotherapy is a very helpful therapy to try to build up the atrophied muscles, maintain/improve joint range of motion, relax the musculature, etc. while not supporting 100% of the weight through the joints. This may also help him do some exercise and be less depressed. We just need to find what works for Leo. Regenerative medicine with intraarticular injections of platelet rich plasma or stem cell therapy could also be considered. Unfortunately although the use of MSC is a promising therapy for OA, results from different studies are contradicting. Generally evidence would say dogs may improve with the IA administration of MSC and/or PRP, but in very degenerated joints, this beneficial effect may not be that evident. Other IA injections could be tried, such as arthramid vet. I generally leave IA injection of steroids as a last resort, as this would improve the clinical signs but could also cause more joint degeneration.

Windy and her mum have been friends of the practice for a year and regulars in the rehabilitation department. We are exceptionally proud of Windy and her recent successes in the agility ring. She has tried a combination of treatments from physiotherapy, the under water treadmill, hydrotherapy and acupuncture.

Windy’s mum is always enthusiastic and passionate about her dogs fitness and well being. She initially started with the rehabilitation team to ensure Windy was performing at best and to highlight any injuries before they deteriorated. A few months ago this is exactly what happened when Windy was placing her right hind shorter on the treadmill than her left. This suggested there was some pain or discomfort when she was walking and after a closer examination we noted she was painful in her spine. Her mum took on board all our advice and started rehabilitation at home with regular visits to Mochdre Vets to see how we could help her. After 1-2 months she was much improved and back to swimming in the hydrotherapy pool. A combination of treatment and a very committed mum put Windy back on the right path and breezing over those jumps into first place.

Following this Windy still attends rehabilitation sessions to ensure she is in peak performance at all times.

Factors we focused on were:

Massage
to help ease any spinal tension building up and support her shoulders as they were being affected by compensatory changes.

Gait
Not only did we look at how she was walking on the under water treadmill but Windy is also fortunate enough to have her own land based treadmill at home. We made a program to work on walking much slower than she wanted to encourage even weight distribution and active flexion of each joint.

Acupuncture
She attended sessions with Sarah to ease pain and ensure she was managing any discomfort.

Physiotherapy
Providing advice on warm up and cool down exercise before and after entering the agility ring.

Laser
To manage any sudden bouts of inflammation within the cells

If you have a competitive athletic dog and need some advice on conditioning and regular muscular-skeletal health checks then you can book in by ringing 01492 546112.

Greyhounds have a higher tendency to develop delayed bleeding associated with minor procedures or trauma. The bleeding often occurs around 36 to 48 hours after the procedure or traumatic incident. We don’t know which greyhounds will be affected and clotting times before the op maybe normal . With this in mind as a precaution every greyhound we see we will be offering a treatment that will be given to every greyhound undergoing a procedure.

One particular dog that benefited from this was a greyhound called Gent . Gent had previously had a dental and had to be hospitalised for 24 hours afterwards as he kept bleeding. Gent has another condition commonly seen called hronic ulcerative paradental stomatitis (CUPS).  CUPS means Gent has a disease caused from a hypersensitivity to bacteria contained within the plaque which coats the teeth. In the case of CUPS, this hypersensitivity translates into a disease which requires aggressive treatment. It’s likely that CUPS is a highly under-diagnosed problem in dogs, especially greyhounds, since most veterinarians and adoption groups make the assumption that greyhounds just have bad teeth. This meant that Gent needed another dental and all his teeth out and we were well prepared.

This time Gent didn’t bleed and went home as normal – well after some chicken!

About Hectors Greyhound Rescue

Maxwell

Breed – Black Labrador
Age – 9 Months
Gender – Male
Condition – Severe Hip Dysplasia

Maxwell was diagnosed with severe Hip Dysplasia at a very early age, and was referred to our hydrotherapy centre at Mochdre Vets in December 2018.

At his initial appointment, on 17th December 2018, Maxwell underwent a thorough evaluation, which included an on-land gait assessment, weighing, and tabulating current muscle mass measurements which were as follows:

• Left forelimb 325mm
• Right forelimb 325mm
• Left hindlinmb 415mm
• Right hindlimb 425mm
• Weight 24.7kg

Whilst these measurements demonstrated a certain symmetry, it was noted upon palpation that the rear limbs were lacking in muscular tone and development.

We also became aware of a very noticeable audible clunk of the right hip joint upon ambulation. Maxwell’s owners confirmed that they were also hearing this at home, and said that he would often groan when lying down or standing up.

Following the initial consultation, it was decided that the hydrotherapy underwater treadmill would be the best option for Maxwell.

The benefit of using the underwater treadmill being that it is keeping Maxwell’s structure in the complete alignment, whilst also enabling us to target specific muscle groups in a supported, and controlled environment.

This program of treatment provides us with the ability to build the muscles, which strengthens and assists the function of the hindlimbs, to help support and improve comfort in Maxwells condition.

Having put this proposed, and discussed plan of treatment in to effect maxwell has subsequently attended 11 consecutive weekly sessions in the hydrotherapy underwater treadmill.

From the very first session Maxwell took to the treatment, and has made significant progress. We have been able to gradually increase the duration over the sessions, and as a result Maxwell has becomre more comfortable, further enabling us to also increase the speed of the treadmill, which in turn has improved his joint range of movement, and stride length.

Having remeasured Maxwell after the 11th session, on 4th March 2019, his muscle mass measurements display that there has been a substantial muscular gain to the hind limbs, and from palpation there is an obvious improvement in muscular tone.

The measurements taken on 3rd March at session 11 are as follows:

• Left forelimb 330mm
• Right forelimb 335mm
• Left hindlinmb 460mm
• Right hindlimb 455mm
• Weight 31.85kg

Maxwell’s owners inform us that having built up muscle on the hindlimbs, they no longer hear the audible clunk on the right hip joint, and that Maxwell is considerably more comfortable lying down, standing up from lying down, and in general with his daily homelife.

Maxwell continues to attend on a weekly basis, the treatment program being regularly assessed, with the aim of further challenging his hindlimbs, building to a level where hopefully he will be able to comfortably run off lead, and enjoy a full and even happier life.

Meet Daisy

We’d like to introduce the wonderful Daisy and her Mum who had sent us her amazing photo’s of their walk around the Orme.  We had to ask her to write a dog friendly walks post about it.  I’m sure Pedro will be excited to try it, though Bert doesn’t care for hills (or walking) ….

After a fun swimming session with Gwenan noticed that Daisy had a weakness in her hindlimbs. Luckily this isn’t causing Daisy a problem at present but if not corrected could do so in the future. Gwenan suggested we do some hill walking rather than just on the flat so although we love our beach walks this is something I needed to address straight away so where better locally than The Orme.

What an eye opener we’ve had as although we’ve lived here for many years we really haven’t explored the Orme. To do a full review would take way too long as already over the last couple of weeks or so we’ve had so many adventures as the paths and footways really are endless. Most days we start from either Deganwy or West Shore with a run and play on the beach and then begin our Orme walk through the gate by the Old Toll House where you can walk along to Haulfre Gardens, there are plenty of benches along the way to rest and enjoy the stunning views. Keep an eye out for the zig zag path, it is a challenging one and we often see the Kashmiri goats in this area. It really is worth the effort and gives you a great sense of achievement when you reach the top. Then either carry on climbing or enjoy the views and head back down to the main path and through the green gate towards the tearoom. At Haulfre Gardens if you take the zig zag paths with the green handrails and then keep heading up and to the right, you may come across the Great Orme Family Golf. Daisy’s preferred route however is to take the first path to the left where we’ve found so many ways to then head up the Orme, sometimes climbing quite steeply so a decent pair of walking shoes really are needed. From here you can stay to the right and have a short walk and then head back down to the Haulfre Gardens area or simply keep climbing along the various paths to the summit which we love to do. We’ve yet to then head left and explore further towards the great expanse ahead of us but we definitely will be in future.

We are always mindful of the Orme’s very special Kashmiri goats and also of the sheep, and that we are visitors to their home so I always keep Daisy on her lead and we always give them the right of way.

After exploring the summit and enjoying the breathtaking views our favourite route is then to head towards the ski slope and to Happy Valley. There are just so many ways you can do this and it really is going to take us a lot more exploring to even to begin to cover them all. The scenery is just stunning and there are vast expanses of grass that look like freshly laid carpet, I can’t tell you the fun we’re having and I’m sure it’s doing my legs the world of good as well as Daisy’s. From here we often go and have a walk along the pier and then head back towards home through Haulfre Gardens.

There are so many ways to explore the Orme from walking, driving or taking the bus to the summit or a lovely drive along Marine Drive, but please remember you will need to pay a toll fee. There are also the cable car and dog friendly tram when they are running, as with everything on the Orme are seasonal, so please check the opening hours before leaving if you want to use any of them. We’ve also had many lovely walks around the Happy Valley area which can be as easy or as difficult as you wish to make them by staying on the main path or just exploring off-track. Above Happy Valley is the ski slope and toboggan run and if you take the path to the right you’re well on your way to the summit.

There are so many things to see and do on the Orme as well as enjoying a lovely walk, such as visiting the Copper Mines which are dog friendly and definitely on my list to visit with Daisy, as well as the Iron Age Fort and St Tudnos Church. At the summit there’s a childrens playground and also mini golf for all to enjoy as well as the gift shop, visitors centre, ice cream kiosk and of course the cafe and restaurant.

Whichever way you may decide to walk up the Orme it is very steep in places so please bear this in mind but if you drive, take the tram, bus or cable car (not dog friendly!) you can still have an easier stroll at the summit.

Shaun & Daisy

 We’ve already been on some enjoyable Orme walks with Emma and Shaun which have been so much fun and seen places we wouldn’t of ventured to because they really do know the Orme inside out. Today however we weren’t on a time limit so we ventured further than we had with them before and even found a path Emma and Shaun hadn’t walked before. This was much to Shaun’s delight because he’s very much the adventurer which is why he and Daisy get on so well. We stood mesmerised for several minutes watching the seals from high above as they swam in the sea below us which is always such a privilege. At the end of a wonderful day we finished our walk with a stroll around the walls of the summit farm before heading into town for a well earned coffee and of course some treats for the dogs. We headed home happily knowing that Daisy and Shaun would sleep soundly dreaming of their next adventure exploring the Orme.

This really is just a fraction of the options there are to enjoy the Orme and whatever your time availability you can have a wonderful walk with so much variety.

From both myself and Daisy there is no other option than a really big high five paws out of five and we’re looking forward to many more happy times exploring all that the Orme has to offer.