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Labrador puppy back on feet after badly broken leg
A Labrador puppy is back to his mischievous tricks after breaking his leg so badly it took two vets, a four-hour operation and nearly two months of aftercare to get him back on his feet.
Vet Tim Garran said the injury to dog Kenzo's leg was one of the worst he had ever seen when his owner brought him into the PDSA PetAid Hospital in Gillingham, Kent.
The excitable puppy had injured himself as he ran around his owner's legs, tripping both of them up and breaking his right front leg when it became entangled in his lead.
Mr Garran said the break needed urgent treatment as puppies' bones are softer than adult dogs. An X-ray showed it had had fractured in three places and it needed to be operated on the same day if there was any chance of saving it.
The vet said that the surgery to repair the fracture was so long and complicated that he required the help of a colleague to carry it out.
He said: "In my five years as a practising vet I had never seen a break as bad as this. We started at about 2.30pm and finished at about seven in the evening.
"Firstly we had to cut the bone attached to the muscles in the leg where two parts of the elbow had split in half. These were clicked back into place and a screw and pin were used to hold them in place. Secondly, we fitted a plate to attach the broken segment of the elbow to the rest of the arm bone.
"This procedure was the most challenging I have carried out to date and it took all of our skills to make sure that we did the best that we could for Kenzo."
The nine-month-old puppy was kept at the hospital for several days before he could return to his home in Gillingham where he was kept indoors to allow his leg to heal.
His owner Marik Kowalak said: "Kenzo literally was in the dog-house for several weeks but only to give his leg the best chance of healing properly.
"It was hard to keep him indoors and not take him on walks as he's so lively and active. His sad, mournful face was very hard to resist but it was for his own good.
"This has been an extremely hard and stressful time for Kenzo and the family but we're so grateful to the PDSA for all their help and it is lovely to see Kenzo back on all paws."
PDSA provides free veterinary treatment to the sick and injured pets of owners in need. For more information about PDSA PetAid services call 0800 731 2502 or visit www.pdsa.org.uk.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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