A distraught dog owner didn’t have a Scooby Doo about how her precious pet Daphne suffered a rare and serious ankle injury. 

Pauline Gallacher certainly had a mystery on her hands when her five-year-old Saluki-cross darted into a neighbour’s garden and returned lame on her right hind leg. 

The incident meant danger-prone Daphne required expert surgery at Pets’n’Vets’ Roundhouse Veterinary Hospital in Pollockshaws, Glasgow, to repair the damage. 

Owner Pauline, from Glasgow, explained: “Daphne darted through a small hole in our eight-foot hedge and into the neighbour’s garden. 

“Within the few seconds it took for my husband to run and get her she was already limping. 

“The bad news was that she had badly damaged her ankle and it transpired she would need an operation, with even the vet slightly baffled as to how she’d managed to damage herself so significantly.” 

Roundhouse clinical director Ross Allan took charge of the case and explained: “Daphne had sustained a really unusual injury to her ankle and was badly lame. 

“X-rays showed the central tarsal bone had luxated or ‘popped out’ of position. Fortunately, and somewhat surprisingly, there were no fractures or other injuries to the joint. 

“The damage had been solely to the soft tissues which stabilise the bone and play a key role in the normal anatomy and function of the joint.

“This was still a serious injury, though, and a rare one. Having the central tarsal bone out of position is like removing a critical block in the game of Jenga. 

“The ankle had collapsed, was very unstable and required surgery to stabilise it back into the correct position and allow Daphne to get back on her feet. 

“The first challenge during surgery was to restore the bone into its correct position and then stabilise it with a perfectly placed single screw. 

“This repair was then ‘protected’ by performing a partial tarsal arthrodesis using a thin plate which was securely screwed onto the outer aspect of the ankle joint.

“Surgery went well but Daphne needed to rest up for 12 weeks afterwards to allow the tissue to heal around the previously ‘popped out’ bone. 

“When she came back four months later, the x-rays showed a neat repair and very good healing of the injury so we’re all delighted.” 

Especially Pauline, who added: “It was very upsetting at the beginning and we did find it a struggle but with a lot of help from the team at Pets’n’Vets, we managed to get through it.

“We are especially grateful that Ross took the time to explain everything from start to finish and we so happy with the outcome. 

“Daphne is walking really well now. Her post-op x-rays were all great and with some more care she will hopefully be back to normal very soon.” 

Pets’n’Vets is owned by Linnaeus and has seven practices in and around Glasgow. For more information visit: https://www.petsnvets.org/ or search for Pets’n’Vets on social media. 

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