News
27-01-2012 | Ram has a CT Scan at Pride Veterinary Centre
We have had an unusual case this week sharing expertise between our farm animal team and our Pride Veterinary Centre small animal referral centre to perform a CT scan and reconstructive surgery on a Ram. (a real Ram at Pride Park!!)
Parker was found by his owner one afternoon in a very distressed state. His face was very swollen and covered in blood and he was struggling to breathe. He was quite a shocking sight. Earlier on in the day Parker had been a young friendly ram happily grazing in his paddock and now he was in a very dangerous predicament as his nose and mouth were so swollen making it very hard f
or him to breathe.
He was taken immediately to the Scarsdale Veterinary Group Farm Unit at Markeaton for emergency treatment by two of our farm vets Abi Jackson and Chris Parker.
On examination Parker (the ram) had multiple dog bite wounds on his nose and a big tooth mark over his eye which later was found to have fractured his skull. The dog had managed to detach the roof of Parker’s mouth exposing his nasal cavity. Sheep don’t have upper front teeth. They 
need to use the roof of their mouth to graze grass this needs to be intact for sheep to eat; this area was badly damaged in Parker. It was touch and go as to whether Parker could survive. It was decided that to give Parker the best outcome possible a CT scan of his skull and following reconstructive surgery would be necessary.
Parker has had a CT scan, by Tim Trevail our imaging specialist, at the Pride Veterinary Centre which revealed fractures to his skull and helped with planning reconstructive surgery by Damian Chase (a specialist surgeon) to his face to enable him to eat. Parker still has a long way to go but he is recovering well at present, helped with portions of Ready Brek as he can’t nibble at grass at the minute.
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