A FAMILY’S beloved Golden Retriever puppy has a spring back in his step been given a new lease of life thanks to vets in Solihull.
When nine-month-old Freddie’s owners saw he had difficulty climbing out of his basket, investigations showed he was in pain due to severe hip dysplasia – meaning both hips were almost fully dislocated from their sockets.
No amount of pain-killers, tablets or massage could help Freddie, but surgeons at Willows Veterinary Centre in Shirley were able to intervene to get the pup back on his feet.
Orthopaedic specialist Toby Gemmill led the the team which carried out two operations to replace both defective hips.
And Freddie is now fully recovered and enjoying his new lease of life with his grateful family.
Toby explained: “Freddie was initially treated with painkillers and physiotherapy, however, he remained lame, particularly on the left hip.
“Initially we performed a hip replacement on the left side and Freddie made a good recovery from that.
“Unfortunately, the lameness in his right hind limb persisted, so a few months later we carried out a right hip replacement as well.
“Happily, Freddie has made excellent progress and is now back to running around the fields again with no sign of any limp at all.”
Before and after x-rays show just how severe Freddie’s dysplasia was before Willows fitted the two new artificial hips into the sockets.
Freddie’s owner Bev Bethel was delighted to see him up and running around again..
She said: “Freddie received excellent care from everyone at the Willows and we can’t recommend them highly enough.
“He received first class treatment at every stage and now he can finally be the puppy he should be. Thank you to Toby and all the staff who cared for our precious boy.”
