A 4-month-old Cavapoo, called Tosia. In some translations, this lovely little lady’s name means happiness and good fortune. She was indeed a ball of happiness, full of energy and joy and she also had the good fortune to make an excellent recovery after her surgery!
Tosia presented to us for investigations into a large bony swelling over her right shinbone (tibia in Latin). Her referring veterinary surgeon has performed some radiographs and has advised that a surgery to remove the large mass might be possible but that an amputation was also very much a realistic possibility for Tosia.
When we saw Tosia, we immediately knew we needed to save her leg! Such a joyful little dog she was, full of energy and love!
We did a CT scan of Tosia’s leg, and we took some biopsies to try and determine the type of mass that she had.
The biopsy returned as a possible osteochondroma- a benign tumor of the bone and cartilage tissue that can sometimes turn malignant. The CT scan told us that only the calf bone (fibula in Latin) was affected and that a removal was possible, albeit tricky.
Tosia underwent her surgery on the 21st of December. For the mass affecting her leg to be removed, the ligaments that hold the knee joint stable had to be reconstructed. After careful planning and excellent execution, our surgeons managed to remove the bony growth in its entirety and to reconstruct her lateral collateral ligament. She also had an augmentation with a prosthetic ligament to ensure that no complications with the stability of her joint would ensue.
The little lady made a great recovery and was home in time for Christmas!
Her histology report confirmed the suspicion of a chondroma, with the most likely cause having been a trauma she suffered earlier in her life. The removal was complete, and no further recurrence was expected!
Tosia came back a few times for a post-operative check and was doing amazingly, walking and jumping with excitement on all four legs as she should!
