Vet thrilled by ‘magic’ Maggie’s recovery

A West Yorkshire vet has hailed the “magic” transformation of an injured and heavily pregnant stray dog brought to his practice by a rescue organisation.

Specialist clinicians believe a past trauma may have contributed to the front leg deformity the Shar Pei, named Maggie, was suffering with when she was found by the charity Wrinkles Rescue.

But, having first recovered from delivering five healthy puppies, she is now walking normally following reconstruction surgery at the Vets4Pets practice in Birstall, near Leeds.

Clinicians there worked with VetCT specialists, whose imaging report suggested an “old traumatic event” may have contributed to an angular limb deformity on the left side.

Scans also revealed a severe medial bowing of the left radius which the report suggested could be linked to “chronic trauma”.

‘Just magic’

Lead vet Keith Leonard said: “This really is why we get out of bed in the morning, and it’s just magic to see Maggie today.

“She’s a completely different dog from when we first met her – thriving and ready to enjoy a full, happy life. And that’s thanks to everyone who contributed to give her the care she deserves.”

Maggie had been suffering multiple signs of neglect and was cared for throughout her pregnancy by both the Birstall practice and Wrinkles volunteers who rescue shar peis from across the UK.

Team effort

The charity is now running an online fund-raiser to enable it to continue its work and Dr Leonard praised the “fantastic team effort” to ensure Maggie received the care she needed.

Richard Artingstall, VetCT’s head of teleconsulting, added: “This is a fantastic example of collaborative care between clients, local veterinary teams and multidisciplinary support through teleradiology and specialist advice.

“Our team is delighted to support complex cases through to such excellent outcomes for patients like Maggie.”