Frank the goat was referred to Langford Farm Animal Practice when he developed severe lameness and his vet discovered a fracture near the top of his tibia (shin bone). This would have been tricky and very expensive to fix surgically, so the decision was made that the best option for Frank was to amputate the broken leg.
For Frank’s surgery, we worked alongside colleagues from Langford Vet Practice and from the Small Animal Referral Hospital’s Anaesthesia team. Frank was given both an epidural and general anaesthesia to manage pain during and after such a major operation. One of the biggest risks of this particular surgery is losing blood from the femoral artery, a large blood vessel running down the hind leg, which needed to be securely ligated before the leg could be removed.
After surgery, Frank recovered well from the anaesthesia and was soon able to stand and nibble on some food. He was then discharged the following day and sent home with a course of pain relief to continue his recovery. Frank was very happy to be back with his herd and is adjusting well to life on three legs!
