Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy (TPLO) surgery is a very popular and effective procedure for treating cranial cruciate ligament injuries in dogs. At Bridge Referrals, it plays a significant role in helping pets regain mobility and comfort. Sula's story Sula presented to our orthopaedic department with a history of right hind limb lameness. Examination and radiographs confirmed that Sula had completely ruptured her right cranial cruciate ligament, this is a very common injury in dogs. TPLO was performed and this involved cutting the top of the tibia, rotating the bone to reduce the tibial plateau angle and securing the two parts…

Bridge Referrals Veterinary Centre is pleased to announce the team has successfully performed a second craniectomy surgery. This is a rare and highly specialised procedure that showcases commitment and ability to provide advanced care for pets in need. In this case a craniectomy was performed after Meningioma was presented to the clinical team in a cat.  Meningioma is the most common primary brain tumour in cats and develops slowly from the layers which surround the brain. They are typically benign, but due to the skull, this growth puts pressure on the brain which results in slow, progressive clinical signs including…

On the 31st of October 2024, Bridge Referrals celebrated the second anniversary of their multidisciplinary veterinary referrals centre in Boldon Colliery. Bridge Referrals is privately owned and operated. From the beginning the objective was to build a modern veterinary referrals facility that would significantly enhance patient care and overall patient experience.  Emma, Jack, Alison, Darren and Sarah, the Bridge Referrals directors After investing £3.6 million over a 24 month period, the completion of this ultra modern referral centre in June 2024 greatly increased the availability of high quality care for pets in the North East of England. The team has…

Bridge Referrals are delighted to announce that Harry Swales, a European Specialist in Veterinary Internal Medicine, has joined the team!    Harry has worked with Darren Long and the other directors previously over the years and he is a very welcome addition to the expanding team, bringing with him a wealth of experience and additional innovation to Bridge Referrals. Harry is an EBVS® European specialist in Veterinary Internal Medicine and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Medicine.  EBVS® European specialist in Veterinary Internal Medicine and RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Medicine Harry graduated from the University of Liverpool in…

In our last blog we looked at the basic structure of the conduction system in the heart, how that created the ECG we look at and the basic structure of our ECG - the P-QRS-T complexes. This time, we are going to have a look at some normal ECGs and then some common abnormal ones. We will also touch a little on treatments for them. Just to recap before we go on, the 8 steps to consider when reading your ECG's. By applying these every time you look at an ECG, it will make interpretation easier. What is the rate…