Bella visited us for intermittent lameness on her back leg, after an initial investigation of X-rays at our Adlington branch, Bella was diagnosed with medial patella luxation. Bella was than transferred to our Standish Orthopaedic site. Medial patella luxation is a condition where the patella (knee-cap) does not stay in its normal position in the groove on the end of the femur (thigh bone) and will pop-out, or luxate, to the medial (inside) surface of the knee.  For most cats

Otto got a little more adventure than he expected on his walk. Whilst on his daily walk Otto likes to have a leisurely swim in the local pond/lake, but on this occasion when he surfaced he had a fish hook stuck in his mouth. Due to the barbs on fish hooks, they can be difficult to remove without sedation, minor surgery, and pain medication. Considerable damage can also be caused if someone pulls on a fishing line after the hook has already become embedded in the animal, so we

Today we saw Lexi who visited us for a Laparoscopic Spay. There are two types of laparoscopic spays a Ovariectomy where only the ovaries are removed or a ovariohysterectomy where the ovaries and womb are removed. By removing the womb, any chance of womb cancer is eliminated. The most important piece of equipment in a laparoscopic spay is the LigaSure machine. The LigaSure is a vessel sealing device. With this device, you simply clamp it on the vessel, squeeze a button, wait a

Sadly today we have seen a case of heat stroke please be cautious in the sun. Make sure to walk your dogs in the evening or early morning to prevent heat stroke. If the pavement is to hot to touch its too hot for your pets paws. DO NOT WALK YOUR DOGS IN BETWEEN 11am -7PM Make sure your rabbit hutches are in the shade, a damp towel can be used to keep the hutch cool. Signs of heatstroke in dogs include: Panting, which increases as heatstroke progresses. Drooling, salivating. A

Riley decided to open his owners bin in the night and ate a large amount of tin foil. Riley was admitted for x-rays and we were able to locate tin foil in his stomach. The Tin foil was removed under general anaesthetic using Endoscopy which a minimally invasive procedure. An endoscope is a flexible tube with a camera attachment. The tube is placed through the mouth into the stomach. After the foreign body is located, a grabbing instrument is inserted through the endoscope. By

Meet Bailey who visited us with a sore leg he had damage to her cruciate and had a surgical procedure called a TPLO One of the most common injuries to the knee of dogs is tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). This ligament is similar to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans. There are actually two cruciate ligaments inside the knee: the cranial cruciate ligament and caudal cruciate ligament. They are called cruciate because they cross over each other insid

Vivienne attended the surgery last week as she was very lethargic and her owner was very concerned. Further tests were carried out and we found Vinenne had a Pyothorax. Pyothorax is an accumulation of fluid that contains an infectious (usually bacteria) agent and immune system cells in the space surrounding the lungs and heart. A small needle was placed into the chest to withdraw some fluid, and to relieve the pressure surrounding the lungs and heart and allowing Vivienne to

Meet Leila she came to us as she had started to pass lots of small wees. An ultrasound was preformed and the veterinary surgeon was able to see large stones present taking up almost the entire bladder. Leila was booked in the following day for a cystotomy. A cystotomy is the most indicated treatment of bladder problems including removal of bladder stones,The cystotomy is performed through an incision on the dog’s abdomen which is located towards the rear of the abdomen. Once

Today we have had several calls regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) and pets. Here is some information from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Please share Can COVID-19 infect pets?Currently there is no evidence that companion animals can be infected with or spread COVID-19. If my pet has been in contact with someone who is sick from COVID-19, can it spread the disease to other people?While we do not yet know for sure, there is no evidence that companion animals can

Unfortunately we have seen our first two cases in 2020 of Myxomatosis this week. Myxomatosis is a viral disease that affects rabbits. Unfortunately it is a very serious, often fatal disease. It was first reported in wild rabbits in the UK in the 1950s and still remains a common disease found in the population today. Because of the prevalence of Myxomatosis in the wild population and its method of transmission it can easily be transmitted to our pet bunnies. Myxomatosis can be

I have lost my cat. What should I do? If you've lost your cat and they are already microchipped, the first thing you'll need to do is let the microchipping company know. Double-check with the database that your details are correct. If your lost cat is found and taken to a vet or animal welfare organisation, you'll be contacted. Don't forget! Make sure you keep your contact details up to date. If you move home or change any of your contact information, it's important to let yo

Last week we saw this giddy patient at our Standish branch for TECA surgery. A TECA or Total Ear Canal Ablation is a procedure undertaken to manage severe middle ear or ear canal disease and to treat ear canal cancers. It is used when all other options, such as topical medications, have failed. The TECA procedure is the removal of the ear canal in dogs and is nearly always combined with a Bulla Osteotomy. The Bulla Osteotomy part of the procedure involves opening and clearing

Bella recently attended the Standish surgery with problems with her anal glands and had an anal sacculectomy. An anal sacculectomy is where the surgeon makes an incision near the anus directly over the affected anal gland. The gland is then dissected from the external and internal anal sphincters. The opening created by the vet is flushed out before closing the surgical site completely or prior to placing a drain. A drain is usually placed if the dog has been suffering from a