- Lumbry Park’s Specialist animal hospital team praised after saving one‑year‑old cockapoo Amber -
A young cockapoo from Hampshire is back on her paws after a devastating road traffic accident left her with life‑threatening injuries – and it’s all thanks to the incredible team at Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists in Alton.
Amber, a one‑year‑old bundle of fluff and boundless energy, was out on a routine walk when a split‑second accident left her with catastrophic trauma to her right hind leg. Her distraught owner watched in horror as Amber was rushed to her local vet, where she was stabilised before being referred urgently to Lumbry Prk for specialist care.
What the team discovered on Amber’s arrival was every dog owner’s nightmare.
Amber had suffered a comminuted tibial and fibular fracture, meaning the bones had shattered into multiple pieces. Even worse, she had a large degloving injury across her tarsus - stripping away skin and soft tissue - and several deep wounds running up the leg. The fractured bone was exposed through the wounds, making it a grade II open fracture, one of the most challenging orthopaedic injuries to manage.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Specialists at Lumbry Park sprang into action. Specialist anaesthetists ensured Amber was kept comfortable while she was transferred for imaging. Orthopaedic and soft tissue surgeons, diagnostic imaging specialists and the experienced nursing team immediately collaborated to create a step‑by‑step plan to save her leg.
Their first priority was stabilising the fracture without causing further damage to the delicate soft tissues. Using intraoperative fluoroscopy, the surgeons placed a minimally invasive external skeletal fixator, extending it across the tarsus to protect the injury while allowing the soft tissues to heal.
The following days were critical. Amber required meticulous, round‑the‑clock wound care, including intensive cleaning, dressing changes and constant monitoring. Gradually, the wound bed improved enough for surgeons to perform a full‑thickness free mesh skin graft, taken from Amber’s thoracic wall. In a huge success for the team, the graft healed beautifully, achieving near‑complete take.
With the soft tissue stabilised, attention turned to the broken bones. Surgeons repaired the tibial fracture using orthogonal plating, reinforcing healing with cancellous autograft harvested from Amber’s humerus.
Seven weeks later, the results were astonishing. Amber was walking comfortably with no sign of lameness, and X‑rays showed excellent bone healing. Today, she is happily back to her favourite activities - including chasing tennis balls.
Amber’s owner, Sarah Thompson, said: