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408 Great North Road
Grey Lynn
Auckland
Ph: 361 3500
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At VetCare we continue to treat your pets as we do our own, an extended part of the family. We provide complete, holistic health care giving them the highest quality and longevity of life. We successfully treat problems as diverse as compound fractures to separation anxiety, and tooth extractions to pancreatitis.
Our vet clinic has an extensively equipped sterile surgery theater, the latest in x-ray imaging, dentistry equipment, and modern, safe anesthetic capabilities. We have an in-house laboratory to help us diagnosis internal disease and to screen animals before anesthetics. Our sumptuous cattery features a large sunlit communal area with cat jungle gyms, igloos, a water fountain and air conditioning.
All our furry patients receive personal attention and care from our dedicated, highly experienced veterinarian and vet nursing team. If you wish to ensure the best quality health care and advice for your pets, please come and visit VetCare Grey Lynn for yourselves.
Dr Alex Melrose & Associates. BVSc. MRCVS.
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Whitefoot: Breaking News on Campbell Live
Last Friday night a 4 month old kitten, Whitefoot, was featured on Campbell Live. Abandoned and broken he was left at VetCare Animal Hospital, Grey Lynn, Auckland where our dedicated team nursed him while trying to contact the owner. He sat for a week fighting infection and malnutrition, unable to stand unaided. His injuries were so severe we thought he may not live.
After 7 days we could adopt him. Radiographs were taken to investigate the full extent of his injuries. Despite his bright demeanour his injuries were horrific. A fax was written detailing his story in the hope that an article or television spot may create some interest in this little fighter. By this stage his adorable nature and endearing purr could soften even the coolest heart. The public response was phenomenal.
Choosing a New Home
Post operatively Whitefoot is going to need ongoing care. We have had dozens of offers of a new home for Whitefoot as his spirited feline nature and fierce determination to stay alive was broadcast across the nation. He will need to be cage-rested for over a month while his injuries heal. Post operative radiographs will be taken at 4 weeks to assess the effectiveness of the fracture repair. He will then receive weekly physiotherapy sessions to assist his right foreleg to start moving again. Due to the intensity and necessity of post operative care Whitefoot will need to stay close to VetCare Animal Hosptital to enable a full recuperation. We will keep his fans updated regarding his progress and new home.
Whitefoot Thanks His Fans
In this current time of worldwide recession and hardship we were amazed by the compassionate generosity that flooded in from the entire nation. We have received donations from $10 to $1000’s from across the country. Animal lovers everywhere united to pledge their support, best wishes and love to an animal that was suffering the injustice of poor ownership. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for helping us save one life.
As veterinarians we can’t save everything. We work in an industry that deals with stress, trauma, and tears every day. After years as a veterinarian euthanasia doesn’t get any easier. Good vets and vet nurses have passion for their work and empathy for the animals under their care. We can’t save them all but saving one dynamic individual with a will to live makes our jobs worthwhile.
How did he sustain his injuries?
This question has been the one most asked. Unfortunately we can only speculate with such a sketchy history. He received enough physical trauma to fracture several ribs, break both hind legs, his pelvis and his front right elbow. Whether it was ignorance, mishap or abuse; to us it is irrelevant. The big question was – are his injuries fixable?
Why did he need Specialist care?
With severe multi-trauma in such a small, young patient and aged injuries the need to reduce and fixate all three fractured legs for an ultimate recovery was necessary. The surgery was going to be long and difficult.
VetCare is well equipped for a comprehensive range of orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery, however to maximize chances of success we readily accepted the assistance of Veterinary Specialist Group (surgery@vsg.co.nz) small animal surgeon Mike King. With over 11 years of training to become a U.S Board Certified small animal surgeon Mike was Whitefoot’s best chance of walking again.
Why does it cost so much?
Whitefoot’s surgical procedure took over 3 hours. Whitefoot was under general anaesthetic for 5 hours and will be monitored closely overnight for signs of shock, infection, hypothermia and ensure he receives complete pain control. Surgeon Mike King was assisted by a surgical intern, an anaesthetist and a surgical nurse in a state of the art surgical suite. The surgical equipment necessary to fix the multiple fractures runs into tens of thousands. Whitefoot was only one of a line-up of pets in for surgery at VSG that day. With no funding from the NZ Health Dollar the cost of surgery on animals is similar to that on humans with the owner or pet insurance company being required to pay. High quality veterinary care and expertise comes at a cost.
The surgery
The right elbow was the first fracture to be repaired. There was a massive amount of tissue reaction surrounding the bony fragment of the olecranon with joint fluid leaking out under the skin.
The triceps muscle attached to this fragment exerts a powerful upward pull displacing the fragment and making it difficult to reduce. A tiny pin must be placed perfectly to reduce the fracture, tension wires are then used to exert downwards pull on the fracture site, opposing the upward pull of the triceps muscle.
The first fracture was repaired with great success. One surgery down - two more to go.
The second approach was to the right hip where the ball of the femur had sheared off remaining in the hip joint.
Due to vascular damage to the bone fragment a salvage procedure called a femoral head ostectomy removed the small ball leaving the femur surrounded by muscle to form a false joint. In a young cat this is an effective procedure providing a fully functional limb. It did, however, make it even more important that the right hip be repaired so that Whitefoot had at least three good legs.
The left hip was the most difficult fracture to fixate. The pressure was on.
After three hours of surgery veterinary surgeon Mike King managed to stabilize the final fracture with several pins and wires. Whitefoot has been given the best chance possible of walking well on all four limbs again.
The rib and left sacroiliac and pelvic fracture were left to heal naturally as there was little displacement of the bone with no long term complications expected.
Whitefoot was recovering well and will have round the clock veterinary care overnight. We expect him to be back at our clinic tomorrow for ongoing post operative pain management.
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Hi, You've been added to our VetCare site hits map.
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We are located half way between the Grey Lynn shops and Bond street. We have parking to the side of the building or down Hadlow Terrace. |
Please use the link below to email our team here with any animal health questions you may have, or for further information about our animal hospital; Dr Alex Melrose BVSC,MRCVS, Dr Steve Mirams BVSc, Vanessa Townsend-Paley VN, Michelle Kilkolly VN, Rebecca Abel VN, Chris Hu VN.
You will also find a full ORIENTATION to this website and a clinic LOCATION MAP in the following section; "ABOUT".
Link: CLINIC EMAIL LINK |
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