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ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN !
BY DUGIE GEMMILL , PARKSIDE VETERINARY PRACTICE
By definition an accident is something bad or unfortunate that happens unexpectedly , or unintentionally that leads to harm or injury . In the veterinary world we are not fond of mishaps and accidents . Some are genuine mischance – the coming together of unlikely and unseen forces and bad luck . Some are entirely avoidable . Recently , we have had to deal with both extremes .
Finn the Springer Spaniel is one of the loveliest dogs I have ever encountered . A working spaniel with a devoted owner - a visible strength of devotion exists between the two that is awe-inspiring . Finn is generous with his affections and wags his tail and donates free kisses towards everyone in the practice . While romping with his dad one afternoon Finn stumbled and suffered accident number one . He ruptured the cranial cruciate ligament in one of his knees . Certainly unexpected , certainly unintentional , and entirely no one ’ s fault . I have discussed this before , but in brief this super-athlete needed a surgical procedure to stabilise his knee , and we arranged to perform a TTA ( tibial tubercle advancement ) where one modifies the shape of the shin bone below the knee , and we insert a titanium cage to stabilise the structures . Finn was a star patient ( the nurses even gave him an official bravery certificate !). Before , and after surgery the waggy tail was in full employment , and the doggy kisses were in full flow . His recovery was superb and within a few days was able to walk on his operated leg with hardly a limp .
This was all going very well I hear you say . Indeed – until the coming together of unlikely and unseen forces . While returning from a doglead , controlled , garden toilet-break , Finn slipped on the kitchen floor . An innocuous event , something that happens to my wee terrier Dr Gilbert on a daily basis , but for our hero , the cause of accident number two . The poor brave chap developed a fracture across his tibia below the site of his operation . Certainly unfortunate , and very unexpected . Vets and veterinary nurses do manage occasionally to have time away from work and I learned of the accident on my way to the dentist ! The team at Parkside are superb and we were able to repair the fracture with a bone plate the same afternoon and I ’ m happy to say that this lovely gentleman is , once again walking with ne ’ r a limp !
One evening , as we were preparing to finish our working day , we were startled by a panicked owner running into the building with an emergency . Their dog had been running in a nearby park playing with the owner when the next accident occurred . The family had been indulging in an activity that in my world has huge potential to lead to harm or injury . I would go as far as to say the results are not unexpected even if unintentional . This activity should be discouraged in the strongest way possible – stick throwing . Every vet in the world will at some point remove some wood from a dog ’ s mouth or throat , or worse . Many years ago , I removed an eighteeninch-long stake from a dog ’ s chest ! Stick throwing is dangerous – perhaps I am being too forceful , but would one throw a sharp object for one ’ s child to catch ? Our emergency patient was both the victim of extreme misfortune and yet freakishly lucky at the same time . The stick had produced a huge wound under his tongue but had simultaneously caught the very tip of his tongue . A matter of millimetres prevented a terrible accident becoming a tragedy . The force of the stick drove his entire tongue into the tear and blocked the passage to vital blood vessels in the neck . The poor chap was anaesthetised , and we were able to operate immediately , and happily I can report that he is healing very well .
Accidents do happen – it ’ s an unfortunate facet of life . In the veterinary profession we never know what will come through the door next . However , I do know that sticks , while useful for walking or for lighting fires , are definitely not for throwing !
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 ten years . He has a keen interest in laparoscopic and orthopaedic surgery .
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