Anderson Abercromby Veterinary Referrals

30/08/2024

⛱️☀️30th August is National Beach Day!☀️⛱️

With warm (hopefully?!) weather and wanting to ensure our pets are comfortable, here are some top tips for enjoying a day out at the beach!

29/08/2024

We wanted to share Woody’s amazing story with our followers!

7 month old Woody was referred to Anderson Abercromby Referrals with a broken hind leg after jumping out of a stationary van!

Veterinary Surgeon, Miranda, who is an RCVS recognised specialist in small animal surgery, examined Woody and admitted him for further diagnostic images to reveal the extent of his injuries.

Radiography showed a mid-diaphyseal fracture of his left tibia and also a proximal fibula fracture. There was some bruising and poor Woody’s foot was externally rotated.

Miranda and the team proceeded to take Woody to theatre, his fracture was stabilised surgically using a 2.7mm locking compression plate and screws.
Post surgical radiography was pleasing, it showed good fracture reduction and implant placement.

Woody was discharged and on strict controlled exercise for five weeks before coming back to Anderson Abercromby to be re-assessed. Woody was very happy to be back, he was bright and excited to see everyone once again. His owner described him at home like nothing had happened! We repeated radiographs which showed the fracture to be completely healed.
Woody has now been signed off and been given full permission to do as many zoomies as he pleases…. Just no more jumping out of the van!

23/08/2024

Introducing Parker 🐱😍

Parker is a beautiful five year old kitty who was referred to Anderson Abercromby last week.

Parker had suffered a luxation of her left crurotarsal joint. This is the joint situated between the bones of the shin (tibia qnd fibula) and the metatarsal bones.

The objective with a dislocated crurotarsal joint is to re-establish joint stability and eliminate discomfort.

Pantarsal arthrosesis is a procedure where the joint is fused surgically, it is a technique used to salvage the joint.
The procedure involves debriding the articular cartilage using a surgical burr - this allows fusion of the bones.
A feline cancellous allograft was then placed between the bone spaces to promote fusion.
The joint was then stabilised and fused using a dorsal VI (veterinary instrumentation) pantarsal arthrodesis plate.

Parker will revisit us in six weeks for a re-examination and repeat radiography to assess how the bone is healing.

15/08/2024

📢 JOB OPPORTUNITY 📢

This means we are looking for ⭐️ VETERINARY NURSING ASSISTANT ⭐️ to join our Anderson Abercromby team!

Could this be you??
Hard working
Enjoy working as part of a team
Passion for animals

Previous experience desirable, but not essential as full training will be provided in house

You could be joining a small team of dedicated and highly qualified Veterinary Surgeons, Registered Veterinary Nurses and support staff who specialise in orthopaedic diagnosis and treatment.

As part of your role, you would be involved in:
Assisting the team with the day to day running of the practice
Caring, feeding, grooming and exercising our patients
Cleaning kennel room and clinical areas
Preparing and assisting in theatre
Laboratory work, including running blood screens
Restraining of patients for procedures
Cleaning and sterilising of orthopaedic surgical equipment.

This is a great opportunity for an enthusiastic individual with a passion for animal care. Anderson Abercromby is a referral orthopaedic practice which will bring a wealth of experience and interest for someone looking to broaden their horizons.
Every day is different and there are multiple opportunities to stimulate your learning and dive into a world of veterinary orthopaedics.

To get in touch, please send your CVs to: [email protected]

26/07/2024

⭐️We are looking to recruit for a REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE to join our team⭐️

Anderson Abercromby is an orthopaedic referral centre based in a beautiful rural setting in West Sussex.
We are a team of highly experienced surgeons, nurses and nursing assistants.
Together we share a goal of returning our patients back to full fitness, whilst delivering gold standard compassion and care.
If you want to be part of our team, then please get in touch with us!

We are looking for a registered nurse with a particular interest in surgical nursing.
No previous referral nursing experience required as training will be provided on site.

Please see the link below for more information about the job and how to get in touch

https://www.vetpartners.co.uk/veterinary-jobs/veterinary-nurse-jobs/72362/

14/06/2024

At Anderson Abercromby we believe in giving back to our community.

We recently supported ‘Friends of Goffs Park Dog Show’, a local event hosted by Friends of Goffs Park in Crawley on 27th May.

All the money raised at this family event was put towards the park and future fundraising events.

We donated a FOC physio voucher to be redeemed at Anderson Abercromby with our in house physiotherapist, Katie.
This was awarded to the winner of the ‘Golden Oldies’ category.

The lovely Barney, a 12 year old Bichon Frise was the proud winner of this category 😍
We look forward to seeing Barney soon when he comes in for his free of charge visit.

Congratulations Barney! 🥇🐾

29/05/2024

As we come towards the end of May, we wanted to take the time to bring the spotlight to our incredible nursing team!

May is Veterinary Awareness Month and is a time to celebrate our nursing heroes!
At Anderson Abercromby we have a valued team of 13 nurses and 3 nursing assistants.
Our nursing team work hard to ensure that they deliver the highest quality of care to our patients, they continue to further their knowledge through higher education to keep up to date with our forever advancing veterinary industry.

It takes a minimum of three years to train as a veterinary nurse, this can be achieved by either undertaking a BSc (hons) in Veterinary Nursing or by studying for an Advanced Apprenticeship/Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing.
All our nurses are registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Some of our nurses have continued their education to achieve post graduate diplomas (PGDip) and post graduate certificates (PGCert). These hard earnt qualifications gives our nurses a high calibre set of skills and knowledge to be able to deliver (and teach others to deliver) the highest level of nursing to our patients in a variety of situations.
Between the nursing team we have:
🎖️RCVS Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing (PGCertAVN)
🎖️Diploma in Feline Behaviour Management (AdvCertFB)
🎖️ISFM Certificate in Feline Nursing (ISFMCertFN)
🎖️And three Improve International ISVPS Certificate in Anaesthesia
(NCertAnaesth)

One of our lovely Nurses, Zoe, has written an article which features in ‘The Wildest’ magazine. Zoe writes about what it really takes to a Veterinary Nurse, giving an insight into the profession and what a typical day would look like for a Veterinary Nurse.
Please see the link below for Zoe’s article 😍⬇️
https://www.thewildest.co.uk/pet-lifestyle/life-as-a-veterinary-nurse

Our incredible Head Nurse, Sarah, also featured in an article with our corporate company Vet Partners where she was recognised for her ongoing commitments to Anderson Abercromby Referrals and the veterinary profession.
Sarah discusses her career journey and what it’s like working for a referral practice.
Please see the link for Vet Partners article about Sarah ⬇️🎖️
And join us in celebrating our fantastic nursing team 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

https://www.vetpartners.co.uk/news/sarahs-thriving-in-her-dream-career/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0G03zFoEtKFh1T2J4FCua3Mz1ppE7ewXWQZl90kpmWWP28STatJO_KH7g_aem_AbUeYnxELROfAN7-URA3rU19CFUAj52mKMc-4rnBaPkC4DI48MbdyNO3QQUy3WbYOxn21NeZvnukSNzF5bTzJ-e2

23/05/2024

With special thanks to Hill’s Pet Nutrition we have been able to donate several bags of dog food to K9 Rescue International for their Ukraine Animal Crisis.

What is the Ukraine Animal Crisis?
‘Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, our team has been on the ground, tirelessly working to aid the millions of animals suddenly displaced by the turmoil, offering urgent assistance by providing vital resources, essential feed, emergency veterinary care and facilitating their evacuation to safer regions as well as helping the local communities affected by the conflict.
Our dedicated team are deeply passionate about animal welfare and remain committed to working relentlessly on the frontlines of this crisis. Through our efforts, we aim to make a positive impact on the lives of these suffering traumatized animals, helping them find safety and relief amidst the chaos of war.
Our Frontline Feeding Programme is specifically dedicated to getting aid to the conflict areas of Ukraine to reach those most in need. Feed is purchased in addition to the aid that is collected and shipped out to Ukraine, for distribution where it is most needed.’

We have been working alongside Hills to provide supplies and donations to K9 Rescue and now with a big thank you to Hills we are gladly able to donate all these bags of food.

If you want to know more about K9 Rescue or if you are interested in finding out more about ways you can help then see the link below.
k9-rescue.org/ukraine-war-aid/

16/05/2024

This handsome young man is Cosmo and he is a 1year old Siamese cat.
He was referred to us at Anderson Abercromby Referrals with a left femoral fracture.

Cosmo underwent surgery and the fracture was stabilised with an intramedullary 2.0mm pin and a 2.4mm locking compression plate (LCP) using star drive screw heads.
Two cerclage wires were used to stabilise a fissure present on the proximal fragment.

The fracture came together well and post-op radiographs showed good alignment.

Lovely Cosmo was then discharged from the practice with pain relief and instructions to be well rested until he comes back for his review in 6-8weeks time.

10/05/2024

Please share and support this amazing charity. We have worked with Wildlife Aid over the years, in particular our dear Angus worked with Simon in helping injured wildlife with broken wings and bones. Simon has devoted his life to helping these beautiful animals that cannot help themselves. Sadly, Simon has been given a terminal diagnosis and he now asks for your support to continue his legacy and protect the generations of wildlife to come.

01/05/2024

The lovely Koby was referred to Anderson Abercromby last week, for a bilateral hind limb lameness.

Koby, is a 1 year old American Bulldog. He is such a lovely boy, with a really sweet and gentle nature.
Unfortunately Koby was lame on both his hind limbs, due to cranial cruciate ligament disease.

This cranial cruciate ligament is an important ligament for stabilising the stifle (knee) joint. This is the equivalent to the anterior cruciate ligament or ACL in humans (think footballer injuries!😉)
This ligament attaches to both the femur and tibia and it prevents the tibia from moving forward, relative to the femur and limits overextension of the joint.
Cranial cruciate disease is dogs is the rupture (fully or partial) of this ligament. This can be due to gradual degeneration of the ligament, or in some cases acute rupture due to trauma, such as an accident.
Development of cruciate disease will lead to inflammation of the joint, which causes discomfort, which is why we often see these patients present with varying degrees of lameness.

Koby was seen by veterinary surgeon and ECVS Specialist, Cesar Gomes. He examined Koby and admitted him for radiographic imaging.
When assessing radiographic images, osteoarthritis has characteristic appearances, such as; articular surface irregularities, joint space narrowing and the formation of osteophytes.
The radiographs of Koby’s stifle joints showed signs of osteoarthritis and increased joint effusion. The increase in joint fluid is likely due to the inflammation within the joint. In some cases, the veterinary surgeon will take a sample of this fluid to analyse microscopically to rule out any other potential conditions such as a septic (infected) joint or immune mediated poly arthritis.

Koby, underwent surgery the following day for bilateral tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) procedure. This confirmed partial rupture (50%) of the cranial cruciate ligament. Surgery went as planned using 3.5mm Arthrex broad TPLO plates and screws.

Koby is pictured here having TLC and ice packing of his surgical sites post op. However, Koby seemed more interested in having a cuddle and looking to see what was going on in the kennel area 🥰😂

24/04/2024

⭐️The 22nd - 26th April is VETERINARY RECEPTIONIST WEEK ⭐️

This is a week where can celebrate our wonderful reception team for all the hard work they do 🤩

Please join us in saying thank you 👏🏼👏🏼

19/04/2024

This handsome boy is Albert 💙

Albert is a 1year and 9month old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, who loves his food and a good tickle ☺️
He was presenting with an uneven hindlimb gait and his owner was concerned he was uncomfortable.

On examination with his first opinion practice they found him to also be reluctant to extend his elbows.
Albert was then referred to us at Anderson Abercromby Referrals where he was examined by Veterinary Surgeon and ECVS Specialist, Cesar Gomes.

Cesar examined Albert and observed him at exercise, he found him to be 1/5 lame on the right forelimb with discomfort on manipulation of both elbow joints. He also presented with a stiff gait of his hind limbs and 1/5 lameness of the right hind. There was also restriction on extension of the right hip joint.

Albert was admitted for further imaging and a CT was performed with our on site CT scanner.
The scans showed mild signs of elbow dysplasia (abnormal development of the elbow joint) effecting both elbows.
The hip joints were normal, but the right stifle (knee joint) showed mild effusion (fluid accumulation in the joint space) and instability of the joint.

It is suspected that Albert is starting early cruciate disease and therefore if clinical signs deteriorate he may benefit from a TPLO (tibial plateau levelling osteotomy) procedure to address the instability.

It was agreed with the owner that conservative management will be started initially for both conditions and Albert will be re-assessed in 6 weeks to see if this is successful. If not successful then Albert will be considered a surgical candidate.

Conservative management involves good weight management, controlled lead exercise, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, joint supplements and medication as needed.

Albert was dispensed a course of anti-inflammatory medications and we will re-assess again in a few weeks, or sooner if deterioration is noticed.

Thank you Maltman Cosham Veterinary Clinic for Albert’s referral

16/04/2024

A total hip replacement (THR), is a major procedure in which the main components of the hip are replaced with prosthetics. This procedure alleviates pain from a dysplastic hip joint and allows the joint to return to normal function.

Who are suitable candidates for THR?

Although typically a THR is performed in large dogs, THR can be also be carried out in dogs of all sizes and even cats!
This procedure is carried out most commonly for patients with hip dysplasia but also hip luxations, pelvic fractures and osteoarthritis of the hip joint.
When consistent discomfort and unsatisfactory conservative management, such as weight loss, medicine and adjunctive therapies were unsuccessful then there a total hip replacement is recommended.

Clinical signs of hip dysplasia may include:
🦴Exercise intolerance
🦴Pain/stiffness when rising
🦴Difficulty climbing stairs
🦴Reluctance to jump or play
🦴Muscle atrophy (wastage) over the pelvic limb

How is a patient assessed for THR?
A referral to Anderson Abercromby Veterinary Referrals can be made by your primary vet.
Your pet will undo an orthopaedic examination by one of our consultants and then will be admitted for further investigations. This involves undergoing a general anaesthetic to obtain radiographs which can be used to assess hip conformation, surgical planning can then be started and measurements are taken for prosthesis.

What is involved?
A total hip replacement involves removing the diseased or damaged components of the pelvis joint and replacing them with prosthetics.
The femoral head ‘ball’ is removed using cutting instruments and replaced with an implant. Then the ‘socket’ or acetabulum is resurfaced and a ‘cup’ implant is placed to allow a new ball and socket joint.
The new implants are then reduced and the stability of the pelvis is checked before suturing the wound closed.
The operation is a challenging procedure and is undertaken by a team of orthopaedic surgeons and there is a vast amount of preparation for these procedures.
Radiographs are taken post operatively to evaluate the positioning of the artificial implants.

What can I expect post-operatively?
Patients are often hospitalised for a few days post surgery to allow us to administer analgesia (pain relief), nursing support and rehabilitation. Patients will be given a tailored exercise plan which will involve reduced exercise to allow healing of the joint capsule and surrounding muscles to heal.
When a patient is discharged from the practice, after care will be explained including exercise restrictions and amendments to normal routines, post operative medication and wound care.
Recovery time is 12 weeks, with a 6 week review after the procedure.

05/04/2024

Following on from our post celebrating International Women’s Day and featuring our head nurse, Sarah.

Sarah’s sister is taking part in London’s half marathon to raise money for the charity Breast Cancer Now and this is her story

‘On 7th April 2024, I will be participating in the London Landmarks Half Marathon to support Breast Cancer Now. As someone who has previously ticked the box of completing a half marathon, I hadn't planned on tackling another! However, I have been inspired to do so because of my personal connection to this cause.
My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer 18 months ago and has shown incredible strength throughout her treatment. It is thanks to organisations like Breast Cancer Now that advancements in treatment and care are possible. I want to do everything I can to support their mission.
Training for this half marathon hasn't been easy! There have been countless hours of preparation and miles to cover, but it pales in comparison to the challenges faced by individuals like my sister. Their resilience motivates me every step of the way.’

Any donations will be greatly received!
If you wish to donate to this charity that means a lot to us as a practice, then please support Annette by clicking the link below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

https://www.justgiving.com/page/annette-bateman-1710706328351?utm_campaign=lc_frp_share_transaction_fundraiser_page_launched&utm_content=71ef5811-aac7-4140-a472-ebac87ea43cf&utm_medium=email&utm_source=postoffice&utm_term=1710707397545

Help Annette Bateman raise money to support Breast Cancer Now

22/03/2024

Say ‘hello’ to Ziggy 👋🏼

Ziggy is a 9year 8month old Lurcher who was referred to us with a swelling on his left carpal (wrist) joint and varus deviation of the pes.
On examination, there was discomfort and instability when the wrist was manipulated.

Ziggy was seen by veterinary surgeon, Cesar Gomes, who admitted Ziggy for further diagnostics.
Radiography was undertaken, showing no bony changes. A sample of joint fluid was taken from the swollen carpus (wrist) and examined microscopically, which showed inflammatory joint fluid which fitted with the present instability.

Ziggy underwent an anaesthetic and went to surgery, where Cesar performed a pancarpal arthrodesis (PCA) of the left carpal joint to stabilise the joint.
Pancarpal arthodesis involves removal of articular cartilage prior to placement of cancellous bone graft from the humerus and finally fusion of forelimb and the paw using a plate and screws.
This procedure restores acceptable limb function and alleviation of discomfort.
A 2.7/3.5 plate from was used with star drive screw heads.

Post operatively a dressing was placed to support the limb and reduce any swelling.
Ziggy was then discharged a couple of days later with a tailored exercise plan and some pain relief medication.

We will see this lovely boy back in 6-8weeks for a re-check to see how he is progressing 😊🐾

19/03/2024

⭐️We are looking to recruit for a REGISTERED VETERINARY NURSE to join our team⭐️

Anderson Abercromby is an orthopaedic referral centre based in a beautiful rural setting in West Sussex.
We are a team of highly experienced surgeons, nurses and nursing assistants.
Together we share a goal of returning our patients back to full fitness, whilst delivering gold standard compassion and care.
If you want to be part of our team, then please get in touch with us!

We are looking for a registered nurse with a particular interest in surgical nursing.
No previous referral nursing experience required as training will be provided on site.

If you are interested in the position, or would like to know more about the role, please get in touch by emailing our Head Nurse, Sarah on [email protected]

15/03/2024

What really goes on behind the scenes at Anderson Abercromby?🔍🐶

Our ethos is to provide gold standard analgesia (pain relief) to all our patients.

When our patients undergo anaesthesia for a procedure we strive to administer what is known as ‘multimodal analgesia’
This is using more than one class of analgesia to target different pain receptors along the pain pathway and therefore optimising preoperative pain control.

Pictured is one of our patients receiving a nerve block using an ultrasound guided technique. This procedure uses local anaesthetic to desensitise the limb.
This has a duration of action for up to 8-10hours, providing pain relief well into the post operative period.
Performing a nerve block also allows us to decrease the dosage of anaesthetic allow more stable cardiovascular performance under anaesthesia and reducing the probability of side effects.

12/03/2024

This little sweetheart is Fletcher and he was referred to Anderson Abercromby for a left hind lameness.

Fletcher is an 11year old Cavapoo, he was referred to see Veterinary Surgeon, Alastair Mather.
Fletcher’s owners reported that he had been showing signs of lameness on his left hind limb.

Alastair’s orthopaedic examination revealed moderate reduced muscle mass on Fletcher’s left hind limb, and discomfort on full extension of his left stifle (knee)

Fletcher was sedated for radiographs for surgical planning purposes which revealed left stifle effusion and mild degenerative joint disease

Fletcher was taken to surgery on the 23rd of February 2024 for a left tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) procedure to be performed. Medial arthrotomy of the left stifle revealed a complete tear of the cranial cruciate ligament. The medial meniscus was inspected and a torn meniscotibial ligament was found. A medial meniscectomy of the caudal pole was then performed. A TPLO was performed and stabilised with a 2.4mm Arthrex locking plate and a combination of locking and non-locking screws.

Fletcher then stayed overnight for further analgesia (pain relief) and care.
He was a super star patient to take care of start to finish, he loved his cuddles and all the TLC from the AA team 😍

08/03/2024

⭐️Friday 8th March is International Women’s Day⭐️

This day is to recognise and celebrate the many inspiring women who make a difference every day!

We wanted to use this day to proudly introduce you to our in house wonder woman and Head Nurse, Sarah Bateman.

Sarah has been part of the practice since 2012 and she is an integral part of our team.
Sarah is always one to be busy, whether it’s assisting the surgeons in theatre, managing a difficult anaesthetic or being the first the to grab the hoover and mop at the end of the shift, Sarah is always on hand.
Even more importantly, Sarah really showed her leadership skills when she supported the team through some of its most challenging times, including lockdown and the tragic loss of our founder Angus Anderson.

In 2022, Sarah was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. For the last 18months Sarah has received chemotherapy treatment, radiotherapy and undergone surgery. She has not missed a day of work. She still continues to come in every day and work hard, but she also has an amazing outlook on life and positive attitude to wellbeing. She seldom looks on the negative side and really appreciates the gift of life and what it brings for her each day.
She is an absolute credit to the veterinary industry, she is a leader to our Anderson Abercromby team and she is a beacon of inspiration to all women.

06/03/2024

This lovely boy, is ‘Bodhi’ 😍

Bodhi is a 10 month old border collie, he was referred to Anderson Abercromby Referrals due to becoming lame on his right forelimb.

Bodhi was examined by Veterinary Surgeon and Advanced Practitioner, Federico.
Bodhi had developed atrophy (muscle wastage) and there was discomfort on flexion of his right scapulohumeral joint (shoulder joint)
Bodhi was admitted for computed tomography (CT) to aid in the diagnosis of Bohdi’s onset of lameness.

CT images showed osteochronditis dissecans (OCD) of the shoulder with an OCD lesion of the right humeral head.

Shoulder OCD , is otherwise known as shoulder dysplasia.
This is a developmental condition, which results in abnormal cartilage development. In this case, the abnormal cartilage which is lining the surfaces of the bones in the shoulder joint creates discomfort and leads to lameness and subsequent osteoarthritis.
The abnormal cartilage can lead to the formation of small pieces of cartilage that ‘snap’ off and float around within the joint.
It is then that we consider surgical intervention to prevent any permanent damage to the joint, whilst relieving the discomfort and allow the joint to return to normal function.

Federico was assisted by our team in taking Bohdi to surgery, a modified Chelli craniolateral approach to the right shoulder was performed and the elevated cartilage flap was removed.

Bodhi stayed overnight where he received further care and pain relief by our 24hour team.
We are pleased with his initial recovery and he has been discharged with a rehabilitation plan which will be reviewed with his progress in five weeks time.

01/03/2024

To all our lovely clients,

We have made some changes to our prices for our in house physiotherapy referral service.

There are now three bands of pricing, depending on whether you are an existing client, with a patient who has been referred to us for a clinical exam, investigative procedures and/or orthopaedic surgery.
Or being referred as a new client, just for physiotherapy.

* Initial appointment to new referrals (external) that are referred to AAVR for physiotherapy = £100.00
* Initial appointment (clients already seen by AAVR) = £70.00 (This will be used for our client’s pre/post operatively)
* Reduced follow up appointments = £48.00

VETERINARY PHYSIOTHERAPY is a science and evidence-based industry which specialises in the assessment and treatment of a wide range of muscle, ligament, tendon, joint, orthopaedic, and neurological conditions. ��The aim of physiotherapy is to restore movement and function, reduce pain following illness, injury or surgery, improving performance and maintaining wellbeing. We aim to help with the overall welfare of all patients, to ensure they have the best quality of life and receive gold standard care in rehabilitation and pre-habilitation to reduce the risk of injury or further damage, also helping to speed up the recovery process post operatively. Encompassing all aspects of rehabilitation to ensure your animals welfare is top priority.
Referrals for both pre and post operative cases, conservative management cases and general maintenance cases are welcome. Initial consultation includes a full run down of clinical history, static, dynamic assessment, range of motion and palpation to identify areas of tension, pain, restriction and muscular asymmetries followed by a treatment programme according to the findings on assessment.��Electrotherapies such as LASER, PEMFT and thermo/cryotherapy are used alongside manual therapy and remedial exercises, a full report and home exercise programme is generated alongside regular updates to all involved within the client's case. Regular follow up appointments are recommended to check on progress and to identify any changes. This can be at the practice or online/telephone consultation.
Katie Russell holds a level 7 integrated master's degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy from Writtle University and is also a member of RAMP and NAVP.