Alfie, a four-year-old British bulldog, underwent lifesaving surgery at London Vet Specialists in Belsize Park to ensure he could once again pass his own urine.
Alfie Relieved After Urinary Blockage Removed
11 months ago 
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A dog unable to urinate now has some welcome relief after lifesaving surgery at a leading London animal hospital.
Four-year-old Alfie, a British bulldog, underwent a complex operation at Linnaeus-owned London Vet Specialists (LVS) in Belsize Park to remove bladder stones which had been acting like a concrete barrier in the tube leading from his bladder.
Alfie’s painful and life-threatening condition began a week before his surgery, after anti-inflammatory pills failed to help with his urinary difficulties.
It eventually got to the point that Alfie was unable to urinate at all and he was rushed to LVS’s fellow Linnaeus practice Village Vet Hampstead, where emergency vets attempted to insert a urinary catheter to relieve the pressure.
Unfortunately, the blockage in Alfie’s urinary tract was so severe the catheter could not pass, so the Village Vet team called upon the expertise of their referral colleagues at LVS.
Ultrasound performed by LVS diagnostic imager Dr Ana Garcia Fernandez immediately identified the cause of Alfie’s blockage.
The LVS surgical team of Dr Janet McClaran, ACVS and ECVS surgical specialist, and Dr Matija Mesko, surgical intern, guided by ECVAA specialist Dr David Neilson, then undertook the lifesaving surgery.
Matija said: “Alfie had multiple urinary stones and he was in a very serious and painful condition.
“We needed to perform three combined surgical procedures for Alfie to be able to pass his own urine.”
After the stones were removed, they were sent for analysis which uncovered that a dietary imbalance was the cause of the problem, so Alfie is now on a special diet to prevent future bladder stones from forming.
Matija added: “It’s great to know he is enjoying his new food and living pain-free with no further urinary issues.”
Alfie’s grateful owner Laura Armstrong from Hendon in north-west London said: “We first realised there was an issue when Alfie was having trouble going to the toilet and there was intermittent blood in his urine.
“I was worried about the operation and that Alfie would not make it out of surgery, however, the team at London Vet Specialists were very reassuring and placated my concerns.
“They went above and beyond to ensure Alfie’s operation was a success. Alfie has adapted to his new way of life, and his new diet, and is doing very well.”
LVS is a multidisciplinary veterinary referral facility which offers expert care in anaesthesia and analgesia, critical care, cardiology, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology and surgery.
For more information about London Vet Specialists, and the services it offers, visit https://londonvetspecialists.vet/.
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