Collaborative Connected Care Helps Rescued Shar-pei

Maggie the injured Shar-pei was found wandering the streets while heavily pregnant when she came under the care of Wrinkles Rescue. With help from Keith Leonard and the team at Vets4Pets Leeds Birstall, supported by the team at VET.CT, this miraculous young dog went on to deliver five healthy pups, and is now walking normally following reconstructive surgery to repair her deformed front leg.

Thought to be about 18 months old, Maggie was suffering multiple signs of neglect. She was in poor body condition, heavily pregnant and had a severely deformed left fore limb. With support from the local team at Vets4Pets Leeds Birstall, Maggie’s veterinary care plan with nursing from the Wrinkles team helped her to recover her strength and deliver five healthy pups.

Once Maggie recovered from her pregnancy and gained sufficient strength, her deformed foreleg was imaged for surgical planning before undergoing complex reconstructive surgery. A CT scan showed a short left ulna with severe medial bowing of the radius and suspicion that a traumatic event had been a contributory factor to the angular limb deformity. Surgical correction involved an osteotomy of ulna using cutting guides and a 3D-printed jig to guide placement of the orthopaedic implants. 

Read the full VET.CT Report for Maggie's imaging HERE.

Left Forelimb CT. Findings included: Marked medial bowing of the left distal radius (dark blue arrow). Moderate to marked periosteal spur formations and new bone formation (green arrows). Marked valgus deformity of the left carpus (pink arrows). Shortening of the ulna, with distraction of the lateral styloid process (green asterisk) of the ulna from the carpus. Moderate widening of the joints between the ulna and the ulnar and accessory carpal bones (yellow arrows). Mild periosteal new bone formation on the dorsal aspect of the distal row of carpal bones (orange arrow).

Image: Vet Keith Leonard with Maggie's puppies

Keith Leonard, lead vet at the Vets4Pets practice, said, “This was a fantastic team effort to give Maggie the care she deserved. The Wrinkles team provided great care and fundraised to support her treatment. We had input from specialist vets providing radiology reports and orthopaedic surgery advice from our partners at VET.CT, and surgical aids from Vet3d. And of course, a huge thanks to our wonderful team at the surgery who gave her the best chance through the surgery and after-care period. This really is why we get out of bed in the morning, and it’s just magic to see Maggie today. She's a completely different dog from when we first met her - thriving and ready to enjoy a full, happy life. And that’s thanks to everyone who contributed to give her the care she deserves.”

Richard Artingstall, Director of Teleconsulting at VET.CT said, “This is a fantastic example of collaborative care between clients, local veterinary teams and multidisciplinary support through teleradiology and specialist advice. Our team is delighted to support complex cases through to such excellent outcomes for patients like Maggie.”

Image: Maggie post-surgery and ready for rehoming