A Cocker Spaniel from Ashton-in-Makerfield is back running, jumping and enjoying life again after undergoing not one, but two hip replacement operations.
Seven-year-old Barney had been struggling with worsening problems in his back legs, leaving him stiff, sore and reluctant to go on walks. His owner, Geoff Harris, noticed his once energetic dog slowing down and sitting down more often while out and about.
“When Barney was younger we noticed he was struggling to get off his bed and kept sitting down when on his walks,” Geoff said. “We took him to our local vets who carried out X-rays and diagnosed hip dysplasia in both hips. They said it was the worst case they had seen.”
Despite physiotherapy, Barney’s condition continued to deteriorate and he was eventually referred by Springfield Vets to orthopaedic specialists in Manchester. Scans showed just how serious the problem had become. One of Barney’s hips had completely dislocated while the other was partially dislocated, alongside early bone changes and muscle loss.
To give him the best chance of a normal, pain-free life, vets recommended a total hip replacement. Barney first had surgery on his left hip and, after months of careful rest and rehabilitation, returned six months later to have the second hip replaced.
During recovery he briefly developed an unrelated inflammatory bone condition, but it was treated with medication and quickly cleared up.
These days Barney is back to doing what he loves most, running around and enjoying his walks again, with Geoff saying the change in him has been incredible.
“We were worried about his aftercare at home, especially after seeing procedures like this on TV,” he said. “So we couldn’t believe our eyes when we went to pick him up the following day. He just walked up to us as if nothing had happened apart from his shaved leg.
“He had his second operation a few months later and now he’s running and jumping about as if he never had any problems at all. I tell people he has the best hips in the region.”
Barney’s hip replacements were carried out by orthopaedic surgeon Ben Keeley and the team at Manchester Veterinary Specialists.
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