{"id":713,"date":"2024-07-31T13:58:33","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T12:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kentdalevets.co.uk\/news\/?p=713"},"modified":"2026-02-03T16:07:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T16:07:33","slug":"vet-hails-brilliant-kentdale-team-after-pet-puppy-op","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kentdalevets.co.uk\/news\/vet-hails-brilliant-kentdale-team-after-pet-puppy-op\/","title":{"rendered":"VET HAILS \u2018BRILLIANT\u2019 KENTDALE TEAM AFTER PET PUPPY OP"},"content":{"rendered":"

A grateful vet has praised the \u201cbrilliant\u201d team here at Kentdale Referrals<\/a> after we were able to successfully complete surgery to repair her puppy\u2019s rare birth defect.<\/p>\n

Lucy and Cameron Dickinson\u2019s worst fears were confirmed when we carried out a CT scan on their young Labrador Callie, which revealed she had an uncommon condition called a persistent right aortic arch.<\/p>\n

As a vet, Lucy knew all the risks and complications of Callie\u2019s case and could barely believe the puppy she had hand-reared from day one was facing another fight to survive.<\/p>\n

Lucy, from Kirkby Stephen, explained: \u201cWe took Callie on when she was just 24 hours old after her mum and the rest of her littermates died.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hand-reared her ourselves, feeding her every couple of hours around the clock for the first few weeks of her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started weaning her onto solid food at a few months old we noticed she was regurgitating the food and unable to keep it down, which raised suspicion.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a vet myself, I was suspicious of a vascular ring anomaly because she was pretty much a textbook presentation of it, but, as it\u2019s so rare, I just thought I was being paranoid.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t really believe we would be unlucky enough to have that as the cause of the problem, seeing as she had already had such a tough start in life already!<\/p>\n

\u201cI was pretty concerned when the CT scans confirmed it all, as I knew it required major surgery, and we didn\u2019t know how good the prognosis would be afterwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cKentdale Specialist Jan reassured us, though. He explained the risks associated with the surgery and possible outcomes really well and I knew then that she was in the best hands, which really did lessen our worry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jan Beranek, Specialist in Small Animal Surgery here at Kentdale<\/a>, took charge of the challenging operation, assisted by Chris Allen, Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He described Callie\u2019s problem, saying: \u201cShe was born with the aorta leaving the heart on the right side ( normal is left), which trapped her food pipe between big vessels above the heart and the ligament spread between them.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Callie grew, this had caused a restriction around the oesophagus (food pipe) and she was struggling to eat and swallow her food.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe food just cannot get past the narrow section of the oesophagus so causes repeated regurgitation and means the puppy does not get the nutrients it needs to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo rectify this, we performed a thoracotomy (opening of the chest) to access the problematic ligament and ligate (tie) it and then remove it from around the oesophagus.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurgery took two hours and went very well with Callie going home the very next day.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the next four weeks post-surgery, she needed to have just small volumes of soft food several times a day, utilising a food bowl that encourages a slower speed when eating.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll has gone well and she has made a full recovery and is eating and drinking normally now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owner Lucy, who works for a veterinary pharmaceutical firm, added: \u201cWe\u2019re so grateful. Kentdale were brilliant from start to finish. The communication was amazing and I would certainly recommend them, 100 per cent without any hesitation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Callie<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A grateful vet has praised the \u201cbrilliant\u201d team here at Kentdale Referrals after we were able to successfully complete surgery to repair her puppy\u2019s rare birth defect. Lucy and Cameron Dickinson\u2019s worst fears were confirmed when we carried out a CT scan on their young Labrador Callie, which revealed she had an uncommon condition called… <\/p>\n

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