Bertie, Sunny & Edith

One-year-old bouncy golden retriever Bertie has a special relationship with mum Rachel, who found him eight months after being widowed, but at only ten weeks old she was devastated to discover that he had a dislocated hip joint and curvature of his spine, and now she will stop at nothing to find a cure for his painful limping.

Trusty Tibetan terrier, nine-year-old Sunny, originally came to Fitzpatricks after previous knee surgery elsewhere had failed. Noel identified multiple problems affecting the connective tissue of both knee (stifles) and both wrist joints (carpi) and which had rendered him almost immobile.

Edith is an enthusiastic four-year-old springer spaniel and sock stealer extraordinaire, and at first sight seems unfazed when mums Val and Tara arrive with her at Fitzpatricks. Edith hurt her back two years ago and despite no definitive diagnosis from numerous other vets, Val and Tara are convinced she is masking a problem and their hunch is backed up when they see a change in her behaviour, and the start of self-harming.