Daisy is a one-year old rescue lurcher who sustained severe pelvic injuries after being hit by a car in August 2019. When multiple pelvic fractures were confirmed on initial radiographs at her local vets, she was referred to HSR where orthopaedic assessment and subsequent CT scan revealed the full extent of her injuries

Daisy had been hit on a quiet country road after escaping from her Guernsey home. She had highly comminuted fractures of the left ilium and right acetabulum, a right-sided sacroiliac separation, and multiple additional pubic and ischial fractures.

Clinical Director and orthopaedic specialist, Michael Hamilton, elected to stabilise the pelvis using an external skeletal fixator (ESF). Fixation pins were placed in each major bone segment which were connected to carbon fibre rods.

These rods were then used to manoeuvre the bones back into alignment before being connected to one another, with additional rods to provide stability. Daisy made a rapid recovery and was discharged the following week on crate rest with a detailed rehabilitation programme.

At her re-assessment 10 weeks later, Daisy was walking well on both hind limbs and radiographs showed good evidence of healing. Michael says, “Daisy’s recovery has been remarkable considering the extent of her injuries. She’s a lovely dog and the whole team at HSR are delighted to see how quickly she’s recovered”.

After the ESF frame was removed, Daisy continued to make great strides in her recovery, being able to enjoy the beach with her family only five months following her fracture repair surgery.

"I think there are very few vets in the country who could have done what Michael did. He and the team will be forever in our gratitude for what they did for us – they gave us our dog back."

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