19/04/2026
💕🌟 Bo’s Story 🌟💕
At 12 years young, Bo is truly one of the bravest dogs we know.
Over the years, she’s been through a lot, including a hip replacement, cancer treatment and surgery for a cruciate ligament injury. But recently, she faced her biggest challenge yet - a shoulder dislocation that left her in significant pain and unable to use her leg. 😢
We initially performed a minimally invasive procedure to stabilise her shoulder using arthroscopy (keyhole surgery) and a toggle. Despite a strong start, the repair unfortunately failed—not once, but twice—due to severe ligament damage.
At this point, we were faced with some very difficult decisions:
• Was it fair to put her through another major surgery?
• Could she safely undergo another anaesthetic at her age?
• Could she cope without surgery—or even with amputation?
Sadly, none of the alternatives were viable. Bo was in pain, and her quality of life was affected.
So, together with her incredibly dedicated owners, we made the decision to give her one final chance: a shoulder arthrodesis—a complex salvage procedure that involves permanently fusing the joint.
However, in order to give her the best chance, we decided to obtain custom made guides and bone models using CT and 3D printing to help pre-contour the implants prior to surgery - this would give us 'perfect-fit' implants and give Bo the best chance to be pain-free again.
This was a true team effort. Using advanced CT imaging with the help of Cambridge Radiology Referrals, custom 3D planning and 3D printed patient-specific surgical guides from Vet3D we were able to carefully plan and perform this highly specialised procedure with the help of the amazing team .
And the result? 💫
Bo is recovering beautifully and is already back to her happy (and slightly demanding! 😂) self.
What makes her story even more special is her spirit. Despite everything she’s been through, she still walks into the practice with a wagging tail, demanding treats from her people! 🤣
An incredible dog, with an equally incredible family. This was a first for the team at Max and Min and we hope to be able to use these new and innovative techniques to help other patients in the future. 🫶
