Dini presented to us on 24th August. He had been found after he’d been missing for some time and appeared to have either been hit by a car or possibly sustained a gunshot wound. 

Dini was breathing rapidly, unable to stand on his right front leg and had a nasty open wound on the same leg. With a closer look to that right front leg it appeared crumbled and to not have normal function upon palpation with multiple piece fractures. 

After taking radiographs of Dini it was clear gunshot pellets have caused a multi-fragment fracture of the right mid shaft humerous. It was clear that Dini needed to have surgery to amputate the leg. This had actually been the second time in his life that Dini had suffered gunshot wounds!

Dini was given pain relief, placed on IV fluids and we helped to raise his body temperature with heat pads and warmed saline bags to allow him to become stable for surgery the next day.  

The next day Dini was assessed and cleared for surgery. Dr Graeme Collins (our regular locum and orthopaedic wizard) carried out the forelimb amputation of the right front leg at the level of the shoulder point. Dr Collins debrided the damaged muscle and sutured the skin closed. 

Dini recovered really well! The day after the surgery the wound looked great and Dini was comfortable so we sent him home to rest and recover. 

10 Days post-surgery Dini returned to STVH for a recheck and suture removal. The wound had healed great and Dini was adapting quickly to the amputation.