Meet Olive!
Olive is a female neutered Whippet, who was one year and two months old at the time of her injury.
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Olive presented to the practice in December 2017 with a history of running into a tree while out
walking with another dog that day. Following an examination by the veterinary surgeon, Olive was
bright, alert but non weight bearing on the right hind. There was very little extension of the right hip
and the veterinary surgeon was suspicious of a hip dislocation. Olive was admitted for radiographs
that day which confirmed a dislocated hip with femoral head fracture.
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| A radiograph of Olives pelvis, showing that her right hip is dislocated and the femoral head is fractured |
The following day Olive underwent surgery to perform a femoral head and neck excision (FHNE) to
remove the femoral head and communitions. She was discharged later that day with post-operative
instructions of strict rest and some physiotherapy exercises for the next 10 days, with a view to start
hydrotherapy after 10 days.
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| Olive at home, recovering from her surgery. |
Olive was seen at 3 and 10 days post op by one of our registered veterinary nurses. She was making
good progress, using the limb when walking and allowing good flexion and extension of the hip.
Olive’s owners were instructed to increase her land exercise, add in some more physiotherapy
exercises and her first hydrotherapy session was booked.
At the first hydrotherapy session in January 2018 Olives muscle mass on the hind limbs was
measured.
• Right – 27cm
• Left – 30cm
This indicated that Olive had been weigh bearing more through the left leg than the right. This was
to be expected following surgery with the idea been that the more she used the affected limb the
more muscle mass would increase and once weight bearing was symmetrical through the hind limbs
muscle mass would be even.
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| Olive during one of her hydrotherapy sessions. |
Olive had hydrotherapy twice weekly for the next few weeks. She took a little time to get use to the water in the treadmill but after much encouragement from her owners and the rehabilitation team she was making slow progress. Poor extension of the right hind had been noted throughout the hydrotherapy sessions and by session 8, 14 weeks later this had not really improved.
The rehabilitation team were concerned about scar tissue or possible osteophytes with Olive still
being young.
Practice partner and veterinary surgeon Caroline Richards examined Olive and advised to book her in
for further radiographs to recheck the pelvis.
Radiographs revealed a bone spur on the femur and revision surgery was carried out to remove this.
As before Olive was sent home with post-operative instructions of rest for 1 week then short lead
walks and physiotherapy exercises following this.
Olive revisited to see orthopaedic surgeon Peter Richards 2 weeks after surgery and was making
good progress.
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| A radiograph showing the bone spur that had formed following Olives first surgery. |
She restarted her hydrotherapy sessions in April following a short break of just land
based exercises. We measured her muscle mass again following her revision surgery.
• Right – 29cm
• Left – 31cm
Since January a 2cm increase in right muscle mass had been noted, indicating that Olive was more
comfortable and more confident at using the limb. The owners continued hydrotherapy weekly to
correct the muscle deficit.
Olive is now back to off lead exercise and is leading a happy and normal life.
Olive was a lovely patient and the team at Barnsley Vet4Pets enjoyed working closely with Olive and
her owners to get her back to full fitness.
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| Olive is now enjoying a happy and normal life following her surgery and rehabilitation! |
