Rodney, Peggy, Elvis & Chica

In 2015 foster carer Kelly brought four-month-old West Highland Terrier puppy, Rodney, to Fitzpatricks with a heart-breaking problem, having been born without back feet. As a result of his deformity, it had proved difficult to find him a suitable permanent home. Rodney was full of life and spirit and wanted to play like any puppy, but he was in pain, and Kelly was determined to find the best solution for him and hopefully find him his forever home. One option Noel suggested was prosthetics, with an extraordinary procedure he innovated, where bionic implants are inserted into the bone and prosthetic feet attached – but as with any surgery, it’s not without risk, especially for two legs at the same time. “Whilst it could provide him with a good quality of life, if it doesn’t work out we’re in deep trouble,” Noel warns. Rodney’s operation was not only a ‘world first’ with this generation of the implant (called a PerFiTS) - but most importantly it could change his life for the better forever.

In 2015, Wendy and daughter Bertie brought an entire litter of six-week-old puppies to see Noel: Peggy, Maisie and Biscuit, three adorable miniature Dachshund puppies, along with their watchful mum Binky. Little Peggy was lame, the result of flexor tendons that were too tight relative to the growth of the bone. If left untreated her leg could have become deformed and increasingly painful for her. After intensive daily physiotherapy at the practice, Peggy also becomes the smallest dog ever to be treated in Fitzpatrick’s underwater treadmill, and now in 2020, she is providing essential companionship to a very special member of Wendy’s family.

In 2014 Noel met a puppy who had a particularly difficult start in life. Rottweiler puppy Elvis was found wandering the streets as a six-week-old stray with a fractured cheekbone and eye socket. He was rescued by the RSPCA and adopted by Jane and Simon who subsequently discovered a problem with his back legs. He was becoming progressively paralysed by abnormal growth of bone affecting his spinal vertebrae. Noel suspected the injury was potentially caused by the mistreatment Elvis suffered in the past. He underwent an urgent operation to remove the damaged bone compressing his spinal cord and the vertebrae were then stabilised using a unique spinal implant system which Noel had developed (Spinal Fitzateur). “The fact that you came in today rather than in three weeks’ time is the salvation of this dog. If you didn’t love him as much as you do, he could be paralysed,” Noel tells the couple. Elvis’ journey was a heart-breaking roller coaster of emotions, but six years later Jane and Simon have no regrets.

Three-month-old Bulldog puppy Chica arrived at the practice in 2017. After having her for only one day, Sean and Andrea discovered that she had a serious elbow fracture resulting from an accident, requiring urgent surgical repair. The intricate process involved accurately realigning the joint fragments and gently placing screws into the soft bone, with a tiny margin for error of only 1mm, in order to avoid significant osteoarthritis. We catch up with Sean and Andrea three years later to find out how Chica is still ‘top dog’ in their household.