Table 1 Case Summaries of ten working dogs, treated using unilateral pancarpal arthrodesis (PCA) at a UK referral hospital
Case | Signalment | Time from surgery to follow-up, euthanasia or rehoming (Years) | Cause of injury | Diagnosis | Plate size | Intraop complications? | Post-operative complications | Type of work/farming | Post-operative use of dog | Q5 - How do you rate the level of post-operative lameness after healing had occurred? | Q8 - Did the result of the surgery meet your expectations? | Q9 - Overall, how would you rate your level of satisfaction? | Q10 - In retrospect, was the financial investment worthwhile? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2.5 year old Border Collie, 15kg | 1 | Unseen injury while working | Hyper-extension + collateral ligament injury | 3.5/2.7 | None | None | Sheep herding and trialling | Can perform normal duties | Normal gait, no lameness - YES | Yes | Very satisfied | YES |
2 | 2.5 year-old Border Collie, 14kg | 1.2 | Ran over by ATV | Hyper-extension and collateraal ligament injury | 3.5/2.7 | None | Discharging sinus over cranial incision, cleared up with antibtiotics | Herding - Was on fell farm, needed to rehome to lowland farm as couldn’t work on fells | Can perform few duties, very limited usefulness (new owner was happy with use of the dog on lowland farm) | Intermittent non-weight-bearing | No - rehomed to a lowland farm | Disappointed | No |
3 | 8 yeaer-old Border Collie, 23.8kg | 5 | Fell down a bank | Medial collateral ligament rupture | 3.5/2.7 | None | None | Man trailing | Can perform normal duties | Normal gait, no lameness - YES | yes | Very satisfied | Yes |
4 | 1.25 year-old Border Collie, 17.4kg | 3.3 | Run over by ATV | Medial collateral ligament rupture | 3.5/2.7 | None | None | Herding and trialling - had to move to lowland farm | Allowances made Can perform normal duties - on lowland farm, couldn’t on fells | Normal gait, no lameness - YES | Yes | Very satisfied | Yes |
5 | 7 year-old Border Collie, 18kg | 3.6 | Fell off ATV | Carpal luxation | 3.5/2.7 | None | None | Herding: Sheep and cattle, lowland farm | Can perform normal duties | Normal gait, no lameness - YES | Yes | Very satisfied | Yes |
6 | 3 year-old Border Collie, 14kg | 3 | Fell off ATV | Hyper-extension + collateral ligament injury | 3.5/2.7 | Metacarpal fracture on screw tightening | None | Herding sheep dog | Can perform most duties, but allowances have to be made – especially on the fell, fine on flat fields, just need to rest her a bit | Unaffected – only see lameness after hard work | yes | Very satisfied | Yes |
7 | 11 year-old Border Collie, 13,6kg | 3 | Injury while working | Hyper-extension | 3.5/2.7 | Metacarpal fracture on screw tightening | None | Fell running | Can perform normal duties - YES | Normal gait, no lameness - YES | Yes | Very satisfied | yes |
8 | 10 year-old Border Collie, 21.9kg | 4.6 | Jumped of ATV | Hyper-extension injury | 3.5/2.7 | None | None | Herding - lowland | Can perform normal duties - YES | Normal gait, no lameness - YES | Yes | Very satisfied | yes |
9 | 2.2 year-old Border Collie, 23.5kg | 5 | Radial nerve injury after dressing related injury after previous fracture repair | Radial nerve injury and loss of function | 3.5/2.7 applied medially due to previous cranial plating on radius | None | None | Fell running | Can perform most duties, but allowances have to be made – reduced from 20–30 mile runs to 10 mile runs | Unaffected – only see lameness after hard work | Yes | Satisfied | Yes |
10 | 4 year-old German Shepherd Dog, 35kg | 2.9 | Fell down rabbit hole chasing pheasant | Hyper-extension injury | 4.5/3.5 | None | Recurrent infections needs long courses of antibiotics | Herding - lowland sheep farming | Can perform most duties, but allowances have to be made | Constant gait abnormality, mild, intermittent lameness | Yes - as was warned infection and possible implant issues were a possible complication, this kept the outcome within expectations | Satisfied | Yes |