City Vet performs complex Canine Skull Surgery

By S. Kenneth Shishir

Max, a six-year-and-11-month-old male Siberian Husky, is recovering after undergoing complex surgery for multiple fractures to his skull and right shoulder blade sustained in a road accident. Max belongs to Ramya and Mangesh, residents of Ittigegud.

In the early hours of Oct. 6, Mangesh was taking Max for a walk when he briefly dropped the leash to offer prayers at a temple. Max suddenly ran onto the road and was hit by a speeding bus, suffering severe injuries and profuse bleeding.

At about 6 am, Max was rushed to Leela Vet, a multi-speciality veterinary hospital in Ramakrishnanagar, run by Dr. Madan Kompal.

With the assistance of Dr. Rahil Kittur, X-rays and scans were conducted. They revealed internal bleeding in the chest cavity, along with pneumothorax and haemothorax — conditions in which air and blood accumulate in the space between the lungs and chest wall, putting pressure on the lungs and making breathing difficult.

The veterinary team immediately relieved the pressure in Max’s chest by inserting an intercostal drain, a tube placed between the ribs to remove the accumulated air and blood. This helped stabilise his breathing, following which he was kept under observation.

“Max was brought to us in a critical condition. He had severe breathing difficulty, bleeding from the nose and multiple injuries to his skull, chest and abdomen. Our immediate priority was to stabilise his breathing,” Dr. Madan said.

A CT scan revealed depressed fractures on both sides of the frontal skull, with multiple bone fragments displaced into the right frontal sinus. It also showed a fracture of the right shoulder blade, suspected lung bruising and bleeding in the abdominal cavity, he said.

Once Max was sufficiently stable, the team operated on him on Oct. 11 to reconstruct and stabilise the fractured skull. The procedure involved seven titanium plates, 31 titanium screws and a skull reconstruction mesh to support the damaged bone. The surgery lasted over three hours.

“For about five days, Max was unable to hold his head upright. Immediately after surgery, he could lift and hold his head straight. Within 24 hours, he was walking well and was alert,” Dr. Madan said.

“We got the right veterinarian at the right time. Within 24 hours of the surgery, Max was back on his feet,” Ramya said.

Max has since completed nearly 10 days of follow-up care, with his recovery closely monitored.

“We aim to give animals the best possible chance of regaining mobility and quality of life. Seeing a dog walk again after being unable to stand is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work,” Dr. Madan said.