One of our highly skilled team members here at WMR knew there was no time to lose when an 11-year-old dog was admitted to us with a trapped bladder.
Chris Lancelott immediately realised the family pet was in dire danger if he didn’t undergo urgent surgery.
Chris, admitted the operation to free the bladder was challenging but said Ted the Shi Tzu has now made a full recovery.
Ted is now enjoying life again back home with owner Raechel (CORR) Hallam, in Derby.
Chris said: “Ted was suffering from a bilateral perineal hernia which had entrapped his bladder.This had led to a rapid inability to urinate which is a life-threatening scenario unless rapid action is taken.Urine is still being produced by the kidneys and is backing up all the time. This is very dangerous and can lead to renal failure besides bladder rupture.
“So, the diagnosis was straightforward, to deal with the entrapped bladder, but the treatment was more challenging. First, a routine castration was performed as dogs that remain intact have a higher risk of repair failure.
“The herniated organs were then replaced into the abdomen, albeit with some difficulty as the remaining muscles were of poor quality. Unfortunately, five weeks later the repair on the right side failed due to the poor-quality muscle.
“This was revised successfully by using the superficial gluteal muscle as a complete cover to buttress the repair. Overall, there has been an excellent outcome and once Ted is past the eight-week post-operative mark, the risk of perineal failure is much less likely.”
Ted’s owner, Raechel, says she’s relieved and very grateful that he’s come through the life-threatening ordeal safely.
Raechel said: “We have had him since he was a puppy so it was awful to see him so distressed and in such obvious pain.I had already guessed that he needed surgery and knew we had a big decision to make about emergency surgery.
“We were so worried for him, especially in view of his age and the risks of the anaesthetic, the surgery and whether we were doing the right thing for him in the long term.However, when we first attended WMR we instantly knew he was in very safe hands.
“Chris, his surgeon, has been truly amazing. He explained everything so thoroughly and compassionately and it is so obvious that they really do care about your pet. The communication from the whole team is second to none. We even had phone call updates from the nursing staff.
“When Ted ran into problems five weeks post-op, Chris saw him immediately and operated again the same day. Once again, Chris was fabulous, and we knew he would give Ted the best outcome he could.
“I would absolutely recommend WMR! They are all wonderful and such a skilled and compassionate team. We are so grateful for all they have done and would not consider any other referral centre.
“We are delighted with the outcome and so pleased to see our lovely Ted so happy again.”