W L
ALL IN A DAYS WORK
BY DUGIE GEMMILL , PARKSIDE VETERINARY PRACTICE
The year twenty-twenty-one didn ’ t arrive with much of a fanfare or celebration in my world , and perhaps because we are still in thrall to the same-old , same-old routine , nor does it feel only two weeks young . At Parkside Vets we remain busy dealing with a multitude of sick and injured pets and coping with the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and our new way of practicing our profession . Using words like biosecurity and infection control in general conversation has become as frequent as applying hand gel . Mask-wearing has become so normal that I have driven all the way home and entered the house before I realise its still on . However , wearing a mask in the cold air outside , does help keep you warm .
A few weeks ago , we met the lovely Bruce . A young feline chap who had become the victim of one of humankind ’ s less than savoury types – the owner of an air rifle . Bruce had been into the garden for his post-breakfast constitutional and before leaving for work his owner searched for him in his favourite spot under her daughter ’ s bed . It was then that she noticed some blood on the carpet , and on careful inspection of Bruce noticed a small wound on his thigh . What was alarming was that he could not take any weight on his leg . Bruce was gently whisked to their vets who found that he had a nasty fracture in his femur ( thigh bone ) where the air-gun pellet had impacted the bone . The vets contacted Parkside and asked if we would be able to perform the required surgery . I said that Bruce was lovely . This a huge understatement . He may be the loveliest and friendliest cat I have encountered . The evening after his surgery he was purring and rolling on his bag for kitty cuddles for everyone who paid him attention . There was a general murmur amongst the nursing staff about applying for adoption ! You will be pleased to know that with his bone plate and screws in situ , Bruce is doing very well – so much so that his loving and attentive family are struggling to keep him quiet !
Last week I had another request from a veterinary practice to treat a young Springer Spaniel , Roxy . Roxy ’ s owner is the proud shepherd to a small flock of Springer Spaniels and had taken them
for an isolated rural walk . While trotting down a gentle slope , Roxy suddenly let out a yelp and was unable to put weight on one of her front legs . She had suffered from a fracture in her elbow joint peculiar to certain breeds , especially Spaniels .
This fracture can occur with seemingly minimal force applied , and results because of a condition called humeral intercondylar fissure . The humerus is the upper arm bone of the front leg . If you imagine a cartoon drawing of a bone , you have the shaft of the bone and a bobbly bit at the bottom . This part of the bone is the condyle . When bone grows in young animals and children , it does so via cartilage growth from physes or growth plates . As we mature these growth plates close and become bone giving the skeleton a solid structure . The condyle of the humerus forms in two halves and it is thought that the fissure results from these two halves fusing incompletely ( this should normally happen in a dog by twelve weeks of age ). The fissure creates a weakness in the bone which predisposes the affected dogs to an array of condylar fractures . The fissure can be present with or without any apparent clinical signs of lameness or elbow pain . While they can be picked up by both radiography and arthroscopy the best way to find them is with a CT ( computed tomography ) scan . Where a fissure is discovered a screw can be used to dramatically reduce the likelihood of a fracture occurring .
Poor Roxy was a little timid and nervous when she first arrived at Parkside but with the care and attention of our superb nursing team , she soon relaxed . On the afternoon she went home after her surgery , one of the nurses Lisa , was discovered sitting in her kennel with Roxy on her lap ! The working life of a vet and vet nurse can be hard and stressful . However , we are lucky to have balance in the opportunity to cuddle our patients !
Dugie is a graduate of Glasgow University and has worked at Parkside Veterinary Practice since 1990 and has been the Clinical Director for the last seven years . He has a keen interest in laparoscopic and orthopaedic surgery .
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