Finn is back on his paws after first hip replacement on-island
LIFE-CHANGING canine hip replacement surgery has been undertaken in Guernsey for the first time.
Finn the Border collie, a breed known for being energetic, spent two years on strong pain medication, but was still unable to walk for longer than 10 minutes and struggled to put weight on his back legs.
His owners, physiotherapist Tobar MacPhail and game artist Hayley Davis, said it was upsetting to see their beloved pet unable to play or socialise with other dogs.
Even with the medication that Finn was on, and weekly physiotherapy, his quality of life was still poor.
‘He’s an active dog, he loves to play, so when he couldn’t do that it was really sad to see,’ said Mr MacPhail.
They heard that Vets4Pets veterinary surgeon Dr Les Blerk was trained in canine hip replacements, but he had never undertaken the surgery on his own, or on-island.
It took two years of training, which included a week in Las Vegas and time spent in Canada, before he was able and qualified to lead the surgery, with assistance from student veterinary nurse Chloe Gilman.
Finn was going stir crazy from spending so much time at home, as he was used to going on walks for about an hour each day.
‘He still wanted to play – he would always push through the pain,’ said Miss Davis.
Before the surgery, Finn’s hip area was functioning bone-on-bone, with no cartilage there to protect them.
After his operation five weeks ago, Finn is now on the road to recovery, but for the first few days he was limited in how much he was allowed to move.
‘For the first few days he couldn’t stand on his own and we were using a hip harness for him to go to the bathroom, and we were having to hold food up to him so he could eat. We had to sleep next to him because we couldn’t let him stand up,’ said Miss Davis.
But by day five, he was taking his first post-op steps.
‘By day six, he was bimbling around the garden and now we are back to two 30-minute walks a day.’
In six months' time, Finn should be completely off his pain medication.
‘He loves moving and playing, he is so active. He is incredibly different now, it has been life-changing and we know the rest of his life is going to be really good,’ said Mr MacPhail.
A lack of post-op provision in Guernsey before now meant that most dogs would be sent to the UK for hip replacements, but Dr Blerk assured that the surgery can take place in the island from now on, if the dog is a suitable candidate.
‘We are very selective in our cases. A dog needs to be able to handle post-op care, but there shouldn’t be a dog we can’t help.’
He said it was one of the most challenging surgeries he has ever completed.
‘It’s not only about the procedure, you have to choose the implant, think about sizing and what to do if things don’t go to plan.’
