Pablo's bone transplant - Fitzpatrick Referrals

Gorgeous Italian Water Dog, Pablo, is offered the option of a bone transplant to save his broken foot, as an alternative to amputation.

Having fractured his foot in an ill-fated attempt to jump a garden gate and following a failed first surgery, the bones have died, and Pablo’s foot is seemingly beyond repair. However, over many years, Professor Noel Fitzpatrick has developed a new technique which he offers to Pablo and his mum, Jackie.

Noel could transplant whole vertebrae bones from Pablo’s tail into his foot, replacing the dead and decaying metatarsal bones. Integration of the transplanted vertebrae is achieved using a technique Noel pioneered called ‘distraction-compression osteointegration’. Partly inspired by the adamantium claws of Noel’s comic book hero, Wolverine, the technique utilises internally threaded ‘Wolverine pegs’ to hold the bones together. Then an external frame employs varying degrees of pressure to pump blood through the bones for a few weeks until the vertebrae have transformed into toes.

Although Noel has performed similar procedures in the past, he remains the only surgeon in the world who offers this technique and scepticism abounds. But ultimately, Pablo’s biology will dictate success or failure. Apart from amputation, the outlook for the foot is grave, and ultimately, Jackie must decide what she feels is best for the former Crufts competitor.

Watch as Noel uses his 35 years of experience and ingenuity to offer an innovative bone transplant that could give Pablo the chance to keep all four limbs.

Whilst most dogs like Pablo would likely cope on three legs, can this procedure, which is deemed to be impossible by most of the veterinary world, allow him to achieve a full quality of life on four legs again?