PATIENT STORIES

Read through a range of our patient stories below.

Surgery

Internal Medicine

Cancer Care

Endoscopy / Arthroscopy / Laparoscopy

Medical Imaging

2021-07-17T03:20:50+10:00

Theo

Theo is a lovely British Blue who presented to Southpaws with lameness in his left hind leg. After Xrays revealed capital physeal dysplasia with separation of the femoral head on both sides of Theo’s hips. Southpaws specialist surgeon performed a Total Hip Replacement. Craniolateral approaches to each hip side were made. The joint capsules were incised and the coxofemoral joint luxated. Size 12 acetabular cups were fitted. The femur was prepared and a size 3 stem fitted with liquid PMMA inserted into the femoral canal. A +2 8mm head was placed. Theo recovered well from his surgery requiring lots of crate rest, which he didn’t like much. Upon release Theo resumed a normal happy and healthy life. Southpaws specialist surgeons can perform a wide range of orthopaedic surgeries from Total Hip Replacement to TPLO and fracture repairs.

2021-07-17T03:22:54+10:00

Scarlett

Scarlett is a beautiful 3 year old Australian Shepherd, she presented to Southpaws suffering from bilateral elbow dysplasia. Our surgical team performed a bilateral subtotal coronoidectomy (removal of bone fragment from the elbows) and a right biceps ulnar release procedure (BURP). The BURP process releases part of the biceps muscle from the bone, removing the potential for this connection to interfere with the articulation of the elbow. Scarlett went home very happily with mum today.

2021-07-17T03:26:59+10:00

Ralph

Ralph is a beautiful 1 year old French Bulldog who came to see Southpaws for medial patella luxation. Patella luxation (dislocation) is a condition where the knee cap rides outside the femoral groove when the knee is flexed. It can be further characterised as medial or lateral, depending on whether the kneecap rides on the inner or on the outer aspect of the stifle (knee) respectively. A tibial crest transposition (TCT) was performed to realign Ralph’s patella and it’s insertion site, to prevent the patella from continuing to luxate. Ralph recovered well after an overnight stay in hospital and is now living happily with his family. Southpaws specialist surgeons have years of experience in orthopaedic surgery including elective and trauma related surgeries. Other canine knee related issues include cruciate disease and Southpaws surgeons can perform TPLO, TTA, CBLO and extracapsular techniques for this condition.

2021-07-17T03:24:16+10:00

Fritz

Fritz is a miniature Dachshund who presented to Southpaws with pain around his back legs when patted and he just wasn’t his usual spritely self. Intervertebral disc disease was suspected and confirmed via a CT scan. IVDD is common amongst canine breeds with elongated spines and short legs such as Dachshunds, Bulldogs, Basset Hounds. Corgis and Beagles but it can also occur with larger breeds such as German Shepherds, Retrievers and Dobermans. IVDD is often genetic but other factors such as obesity and trauma can contribute. Surgery decompresses the spinal cord by managing any herniation or protrusion of disc material. In Fritz’s case Southpaws surgeons identified a large mineralised disc extrusion at L1-L2. Surgery was performed via a right sided hemilaminectomy to relieve pressure on the spinal column. Southpaws specialist surgeons have performed many thousands of neurosurgery operations including decompression, resection, distraction and stabilisation of the spine.

2019-03-12T21:49:09+11:00

Clayton

Clayton was a star patient, he had stifle surgery for tibial tuberosity distolateralisation. Clayton had a condition called medial patella luxation, where the conformation of the tibia (shin bone) pulls the patella (knee cap) in the wrong direction causing it to move out of its groove. This condition if left untreated can cause early arthritis and pain. The surgery involves moving some of the tibial bone into a new position with bone pins so that the patella (and Clayton) stays in its groove. Southpaws specialist surgeons have years of experience in orthopaedic surgery including elective and trauma related surgeries. Other canine knee related issues include cruciate disease and Southpaws surgeons can perform TPLO, TTA, CBLO and extracapsular techniques for this condition.

2021-07-17T03:28:03+10:00

Ba Bing

This gorgeous little munchkin is Ba Bing, a 4 year old Yorkshire Terrier who presented to us with grade 3 medial patella luxation and complete rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament. An extracapsular repair was performed which involves placing a synthetic implant outside the stile joint to mimic the action of the cranial cruciate ligament. A tibial crest transposition (TCT) was also performed, which aims to realign the patella and its insertion site to prevent the patella from continuing to luxate. Ba Bing was very brave. Southpaws specialist surgeons have years of experience in orthopaedic surgery including elective and trauma related surgeries. Other canine knee related issues include cruciate disease and Southpaws surgeons can perform TPLO, TTA, CBLO and extracapsular techniques for this condition.

2019-05-08T14:13:29+10:00

Rex

Hi my name is Rex. I started having fits a couple of weeks ago, had a terrible headache and felt angry and scared all the time. It turns out I had a brain tumour of all things! I went to visit Southpaws and Dr Charles Kuntz and Dr Kath Duncan actually took my brain tumour out through my eye socket ! I spent three days in hospital afterwards under the care of Dr Paul Crocker and I was up and walking again and ready to go home. Since then I have felt amazing and back to my happy old self. To all you other pups, OK and cats, you should know that brain tumours don’t always mean disaster. Southpaws specialist surgeons have performed thousands of successful brain and spine surgeries on dogs and cats between them, and pet owners can go and see them for a free consultation by referral. They have all the latest imaging including CT, Xray, endoscopy and fluoroscopy and surgical equipment, just like a hooman hospital.

2021-07-17T03:19:09+10:00

Darcy

This is Darcy – she had a transorbital craniotomy to remove a tumour associated with the olfactoray bulb of the brain. This part of the brain is responsible for smell but should not be affected. Darcy has had an amazing recovery thus far, always full of beans and letting us all know how well she is feeling. Even the very next day after surgery she was walking outside and wagging her tail like nothing had even happened!

2021-07-17T03:17:32+10:00

Willow

Willow is a gorgeous 3 month old Weimaraner who presented to us with PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) which is an abnormal vessel at the base of the heart allowing too much blood to re-circulate through the lungs. The vessel is patent throughout foetal life but should close by three days of age. If the vessel remains open, allowing abnormal shunting of blood, progressive heart enlargement and heart failure can occur. In Willow’s case she required surgery to correct the problem. This involved ligating (tying off) the ductus arteriosus with suture material, thus routing all of the blood flow through the lungs. Once closed, the heart is returned to normal function, and generally an excellent prognosis can be offered. Willow’s surgery went really well and her owner reports that she is living a happy and healthy life almost one year on. Southpaws specialist surgeons have years of training and expertise in soft tissue surgery and have performed thousands of successful operations on dogs and cats and puppies and kittens. Soft tissue surgery can include surgery in the gastrointestinal, respiratory and genitourinary systems and includes surgical oncology in treating cancer.

2021-07-17T03:13:50+10:00

Tina

Tina the beautiful British Bulldog came to see us a year and a half after she had surgery to correct Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome. BAS is common amongst short faced breeds such as bulldogs and pugs. Tina’s surgery included alarplasty (reshaping of the nostrils) resection of elongated soft palate and resection of her everted laryngeal saccules. At 1.5 years of age she was very happy and pleased to be “only visiting”. Southpaws specialist surgeons have years of training and expertise in soft tissue surgery and have performed thousands of successful operations on dogs and cats and puppies and kittens. Soft tissue surgery can include surgery in the gastrointestinal, respiratory and genitourinary systems and includes surgical oncology in treating cancer.

2021-07-17T03:15:56+10:00

Krispy

Krispy is a very handsome 11 year old male Standard Poodle who visited Southpaws due to blood in his urine and quite a few stones in his bladder. On top of this, he also had a nodule on his spleen. Krispy not only underwent a bladder stone removal via a cystotomy (surgical incision into the bladder) but he also had a splenectomy (spleen removal) and he had a gastropexy. The gastropexy was performed to prevent the life threatening issue of GDV (gastric dilation and volvulus (rotation of the stomach)). Krispy was sent home after surgery and is doing really well.

2019-05-08T14:12:40+10:00

Kaido

This is Kaido a lovely Akita pup –  her soft palate was deformed from birth. She visited Southpaws to get some help and our specialist surgeons performed a repair to help separate the nasal cavity from the pharynx. A split-thickness hinged flap and bilateral pharyngeal mucosal rotation flaps were made to construct a new soft palate. Southpaws specialist surgeons have years of training and expertise in soft tissue surgery and have performed thousands of successful operations on dogs and cats and puppies and kittens. Soft tissue surgery can include surgery in the gastrointestinal, respiratory and genitourinary systems and includes surgical oncology in treating cancer.

2019-03-16T15:20:32+11:00

Cuba

This little darling is Cuba, a very sweet 8 year old pug who presented to Southpaws due to acute pain in the hindlimbs. She was not able to walk and could not support herself. She had a CT of her spine and myelogram to be performed, as well as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample sent off for analysis. The CT/myelogram did not show any obvious area of compression of the lumbar spinal cord, but the CSF results revealed meningitis was treated with steroids and she is responding well. Our internal medicine department at Southpaws treats a wide range of conditions affecting the endocrine (hormonal), gastrointestinal, neuromuscular, respiratory and urogenital systems. Our team can contribute greatly to treatment of all types of cancer with options for chemotherapy, molecular-targetted pharmacologic agents, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy.

2019-03-12T21:42:33+11:00

Summer

This is the adorable Summer, a 7 month old Golden Retriever whose parents found a chewed up remote missing a AA battery at home. She was taken to emergency where x-rays revealed the battery was still in the stomach. Vomiting was induced but unsuccessful so Summer came to Southpaws for removal of the foreign body. As you can see on the attached Xrays the offending object is very clear. Thankfully Surgical Intern Dr. Jeff Buckland was able to remove the battery via endoscope and exploratory surgery was not needed. An endoscope is a probe with a camera and light mounted on the tip, which can be fitted with various accessories such as a grabber claw. The surgeon guides the probe into the patient’s oesophagus until it reaches the stomach. Using the camera and light as a guide, in this case the battery was successfully removed. Summer was a super good girl in hospital and went home happily with mum and dad. Southpaws hospital includes many advanced imaging capabilities including CT, Ultrasound, digital Xrays and fluoroscopy (moving picture Xrays during surgery).

2019-04-30T10:48:53+10:00

Ned

Ned is a 2 year old British Shorthair who presented to Southpaws with a shuffling gait and displayed extreme pain on hip manipulation. A Femoral Head Ostectomy was recommended. When a hip becomes damaged or diseased the freedom of movement of the joint becomes restricted. If the head of the femur does not fit properly into the hip, movement is restricted and chronic pain and inflammation are common. An Femoral Head Ostectomy restores mobility to the hip by removing the head and ball of femur where it meets the hip. This leaves the socket of the hip empty with just the muscles of the leg holding the leg in place. Over time scar tissue forms between the hip socket and the femur to provide what is known as a false joint. The false joint cushions the relationship between the femur and the hip and leaves the patient pain free and with a very high quality of life.

2019-04-30T10:48:23+10:00

Issi

Issi is a 7 month old Siamese who presented to Southpaws having come off second best in an encounter with a tree. Xrays revealed fractures to Issi’s left femur and traumatic ligament instability around the tarsal joint. Issi underwent left femoral neck and left trochanteric avulsion fracture repair with a headless compression screw, pins and a tension band. The surgeries were split into two shorter anaesthetics for Issi’s comfort and he also underwent a partial tarsal fusion for the traumatic ligament instability. With plenty of rest and confinement at home Issi should make a full recovery.

2019-04-30T10:47:54+10:00

Ada

Ada is a 3 year old Rottweiler who presented to Southpaws limping on her right hind leg. Ada had previously had a Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy on her left leg and unfortunately the same problem was suspected in this case. X-rays and arthroscopy (key hole exploration of the joint) confirmed that Ada had ruptured her cranial cruciate ligament. A TPLO was performed to repair Ada’s knee. A TPLO involves cutting the top of the tibia and rotating that piece to provide a more horizontal and stable platform. A TPLO plate is then screwed into place to lock the rotated tibial head back into its new position. TPLO’s offer a very high success rate and long term outlook for active dogs.