Golden Retriever Lexi is a lovable soul who captured many hearts during her time in мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±â€™s care. Brought in as her previous owners were moving and unable to take her with them, her sweet, docile nature quickly made her a firm favourite amongst мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± staff.
Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that, despite her excellent temperament, she wouldn’t be able to go to a new home any time soon. мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±â€™s expert veterinary team noticed that she was walking with a limp in her left hind leg. Although she didn’t seem to be suffering or in any pain, she was unable to properly extend her leg. After a couple of walks with the team, her limp had started to deteriorate.
Lexi had injured her back leg jumping over a fence in her previous home, and not having received the level of medical attention and care required after the incident, the injury hadn’t been able to heal properly.
An X-ray revealed that Lexi had dislocated her hip. While being ‘popped in’ whilst resting, her hip was consistently ‘popping out’ every time she went for a walk. Medical intervention was needed.
мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± vets consulted with a Royal Veterinary College (RVC) expert and the decision was made to replace Lexi’s hip entirely.
Lexi was transferred to RVC to undergo her surgery and begin her long recovery. Despite being a young dog who was otherwise healthy, her care team had to be careful not to overdo it during her recovery to ensure she did not have any major complications. This meant she was only allowed to go on short walks.
Fortunately, post-operation, the early signs were extremely positive. Lexi was always very enthusiastic about going on her walks, and thanks to her brand-new hip, she looked very comfortable when walking on her leg. мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±â€™s specialist on-site physiotherapy team played a crucial role in this stage of her recovery, regularly massaging the limb and working to strengthen her left hind leg through weight shifting exercises.
Lexi’s progress was confirmed by the team who had performed her surgery, when her post-operation check-up showed that her new implants were stable and in the correct position.
After making such great progress, мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± vets gave her the all-clear to spend the final stages of recovery in the comfort of a foster home. Lexi went off to spend a very happy final couple of weeks with a member of staff.
As Lexi’s condition would require continual management and regular informal vet visits, our Animal Partnerships team reached out to Southern Golden Retriever Rescue, who were able to match her up with a perfect, experienced family.
Just over 100 days and many hours of love, dedication and care later, she left мÓÆÂÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½± to start her new life and she has gone from strength to strength.