Page 2 - Clinical Connections - Spring 2023
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RVC RESEARCH    STUDY    VETERINARY SERVICES       RVC.AC.UK
          Frida’s owners were given a graded
        exercise programme for her upon discharge.
        This  started  with  five-minute  walks  on  a
        short lead three or four times a day for the
        first two weeks before then slowly increasing
        to  20-minute  walks  at  five  to  eight  weeks
        postoperatively.
          The  referring  vets  removed  the
        cystostomy  tube  a  few  days  following
        discharge. She returned to her local vets
        two weeks after discharge from the RVC for
        wound assessment and staple removal.

        Progress
        She returned to the QMHA for re-
        examination at the end of August. Frida’s
        owners  had been following the exercise
        plan well and she was making a good
        recovery. Her owners reported that around
        once  a  week  a  mild  fleeting  weakness  in   A ventrodorsal pelvic radiograph showing
        her right pelvic limb occurred. However, on   multiple pelvic fractures, including a long
        examination Frida was ambulating well with   oblique right ilial body fracture with concurrent   A ventrodorsal pelvic radiograph showing
                                                                                 repair of the right ilial body fracture with a
                                             fractures of the right and left pubis, right
        no appreciable lameness.             ischial shaft and left ischial table.  plate and screws.
          She  tolerated  palpation  of  the  implants
        well. Examination under sedation was   More recently, Frida’s family got in touch   the veterinary surgeons was brilliant. We
        unremarkable, with good range of motion   to update the teams who treated her. Owner   had daily phone updates from Dr Matthew
        in both hips. Follow-up radiographs showed   Nancy McCartney said: “The teams at the   Simpson, who was just fantastic, which kept
        healing of her ilial fracture with no implant   RVC were completely fantastic from day-  us in the loop about Frida’s progress.
        concerns. Frida’s exercise was then allowed   one.  They were kind, understanding, and   “Frida spent the first few weeks at home
        to  be  gradually increased back to normal   explained everything to us in as much detail   getting back to eating and sleeping. She
        and she was signed off by the QMHA teams.   as we needed.  The communication from   had lost a lot of weight post-accident –
                                                                                from 4.4kg to 3.5kg. She slowly gained
                                                                                confidence in walking small distances and
                                                                                her personality definitely came back. Over
                                                                                the months she has improved beyond our
                                                                                wildest dreams. She is pretty much as she
                                                                                was pre-accident. She loves nothing more
                                                                                than chasing her ball on the beach down in
                                                                                Devon and snuggling up under the blanket
                                                                                on  the  sofa.  Considering  the  position  we
                                                                                found ourselves in in June 2022, we cannot
                                                                                thank the amazing team at RVC enough.”
                                                                                 Matt Simpson, ECVS Surgical Resident,
                                                                                commented:  “We  have  really  enjoyed
                                                                                hearing  about  Frida’s  progress  from her
                                                                                owners – she’s such a resilient little dog!
                                                                                 "The case was a multidisciplinary
                                                                                collaboration  between  different  specialist
                                                                                teams,  including  Soft  Tissue  and
                                                                                Orthopaedic Surgery and Critical Care, with
                                                                                veterinary specialists, residents, registered
                                                                                veterinary nurses and veterinary patient
                                                                                care assistants from across different teams
                                                                                all working together to help Frida.”




                                                                                      For small animal referrals, please call:
                                                                                     01707 666399
                                                                                      Email:
         Frida, back at home after the accident and recovery                         qmhreception@rvc.ac.uk


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        2   Spring 2023
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