19 month old rescue dog Yana is back on all paws after being treated for a severe limb deformity by a vets near Wellington.

Crossbreed Yana had been walking uncomfortably and struggling to stand after arriving in the UK from Romania, before being referred to Cave Veterinary Specialists.

CT scans revealed she was suffering from a number of deformities that were affecting her mobility.

Small animal surgery specialist Anna Nutt took charge of Yana's care with Bill Oxley of Vet3D producing customised bone cutting guides to aid Anna in performing the surgery.

The guides were produced using 3D imaging from CT scan data, allowing for precise corrections to be made in the operating theatre.

Anna said: “Yana’s owners reported that she always seemed stiff when getting up, and that her left hind limb looked bowed. They also noticed that she walked unusually and tended to ‘bunny hop’ on her hind limbs.

“A CT scan of the hindlimbs revealed significant deformities of both the femur (thigh) and tibia (shin) bones, giving the ‘knock-knee’ appearance. There was also partial dislocation of the left hip, likely a consequence of the abnormal bone shapes, leading to altered weight bearing.

“We worked with Bill Oxley at Vet3D, and determined that Yana would require surgery to straighten both the femur and tibia bone. 

“We operated on Yana and performed ostectomies of both the femur and tibia. This involved removing a specific-shaped segment from each bone using the 3D printed bone cutting guides, and then stabilising the bones with metal plates.  

“The post-operative X-rays showed successful straightening of the bones and accurate positioning of the metal plates.”

After a successful surgery Yana returned home to rest and with the help of physiotherapy made a gradual return to activity. Cave vets report Yana is now making a good recovery.