Toby is able to walk again after complex brain surgery at NWVS.
Cat Unable To Walk Back On Feet After Complex Brain Surgery
6 months ago 
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A much-loved Bengal cat from Manchester can now walk again after intricate brain surgery at a leading Cheshire animal hospital.
The complex operation on six-year-old Toby to remove an incredibly large tumour was performed at Linnaeus-owned Northwest Veterinary Specialists in Runcorn.
The speed of his recovery has amazed and delighted his owner Rachel Lee and vets alike. Just four days after the operation, Toby was able to walk and see again, and only four weeks later he was almost neurologically normal.
Rory Fentem, neurology clinician at NVWS, who led the successful operation on Toby, said: “When Toby arrived he was already very unwell. He was unable to walk, was only partially visual and had very high pressure inside his skull causing his brain to swell and dangerously shift, called herniation.
“The mass, a type of brain tumour arising from the lining of the brain, was also incredibly large and in a difficult location to access making surgical removal more difficult.
“The surgery, called a transfrontal craniectomy, lasted two and a half hours and involved removing the tumour piece by piece from the centre outwards to reduce any damage to the nearby brain tissue.”
Toby’s road to recovery was also made possible by a multi-disciplinary approach at NWVS including neurology, diagnostic imaging, anaesthesia, theatre staff and high-dependency unit staff.
Grateful owner Rachel, from Whitefield, said: “The tumour had apparently been growing slowly for a long time which enabled Toby’s brain to accommodate the growth.
“It was extremely worrying, given just how poorly Toby was. Although it was a very stressful time, in a way it was also somewhat reassuring to know there was a cause rather than it being a mystery illness.
“Rory and the team did an amazing job in caring for Toby. Rory kept us fully informed and made sure to explain the processes and our options very clearly. We would regularly receive phone calls to update us on Toby’s progress whilst staying at NWVS.
“Toby, who now has the affectionate nickname of 'Titanium Tobes' due to the plate on his skull, is settling back into the home really well and is back to having all the cuddles, chin tickles and belly rubs. We were unsure how he would be after having brain surgery but he is back to his old self, just a slight wobble from time to time.”
NWVS is one of the UK’s leading specialist-led animal hospitals. It offers care in anaesthesia and analgesia, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, orthopaedics and soft tissue surgery.
For more information on Northwest Veterinary Specialists, visit www.nwspecialists.com or search for Northwest Veterinary Specialists on social media.
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