Trooper

Discovered by strangers on the side of the road, Trooper, a mixed-breed puppy, was most likely hit by a car. He had suffered multiple abrasions, five fractures within his hindquarters, and even a broken tail! In repairing all of his fractures, our orthopedic surgeons performed an FHO (femoral head osteotomy) on his right leg. Trooper also had an inguinal hernia that had to be repaired as well. Now safely at home with his "guardian angel" owners, Trooper continues to heal and comes in regularly to see us for his recheck appointments. We are all glad he is doing so well!

ZZZip

ZZZip, a 5-year old golden retriever who loves agility competitions, had started to develop some blood in his stool. Here at UVS, we performed a colonoscopy, a procedure where cameras are passed through the intestine, which revealed a tumor in his colon. Zzzip had planned on competing in a national agility competition; however, that had to be postponed so we could try to cure his disease. The tumor was biopsied and fortunately was found to be benign. Even though the tumor was in a difficult part of his colon to reach, we were able to remove it surgically. Zzzip recovered well and can now get back in the agility ring for many more years of competing.

“I just want to tell all the folks at UVS in Greenville and Asheville how thankful I am for the care you gave Zzzip. Now he can get back to doing what he enjoys doing the most…..Agility!!!!!” - Linda Tull.

Belle

Belle had been running in the field with her companions when she suddenly started limping on her right hind leg. Unfortunately, she had torn her cranial cruciate ligament.  This is a relatively common injury in dogs and in people. In humans, it is often referred to as an ACL injury. Using a recently developed surgery technique called tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), we were able to correct the abnormality that caused her cruciate ligament to tear. As in many cases, just as Belle was recovering from surgery on her right knee, she tore the same ligament in her left knee. She had surgery on her left knee in January, and although it has been a long winter for Belle and her family, she is now back to running in the fields again with her playmates.

Kroc

While aiding in the pursuit and capture of a suspect, Kroc, a Greenville County Sheriff’s K-9 deputy, was severely injured when stabbed through his chest and abdomen. In need of immediate medical attention, Kroc was rushed to UVS by his partner, Officer Tim Fuller, and other members of the Sheriff's department. He underwent two-and-half hours of emergency surgery to control bleeding, repair tears to his lung, liver, diaphragm, and rib, and to remove his gall bladder. With his handler continuously by his side, Kroc made a remarkable recovery over the next few days and was discharged from the hospital. All of us at UVS are extremely proud of Kroc for how he handled this whole ordeal. We were delighted to hear that he received an award for valor from the Sheriff's department. We are also very proud of all the dogs and officers of the K-9 Unit and would like to say thanks to them for all the work they do for all of us every day here in Greenville. For more on this success story and an interview featurng Kroc's experience at UVS, click here.

Mikey

In April of last year, I came to UVS as an emergency because I was unable to urinate on my own. Tiny crystals were blocking my urethra, making it impossible for me to relieve myself. In order to fix the problem, I had to have PU surgery. (The doctor calls this a Perineal Urethrosotomy.) Before my surgery, I was in a lot of pain and strained whenever I tried to urinate. Now I feel so much better and have no trouble going to the bathroom like I should. I'm drinking more water and eating more too. Now that my stitches are out, and I no longer have to wear a cone around my head, I'm back to ruling the house. Thank you for making my life a lot better! – “Mikey” Coleman