Harold and Kei are two dogs that were given a fresh start by veterinarians after suffering severe trauma-inflicted injuries to their jaws.

 In October, little rescue dog Harold had a 3D-printed titanium jaw-plate inserted after suffering a life of abuse, while Kei underwent surgery in November after being shot by intruders.

Both ground-breaking operations took place at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH) in Pretoria.

Harold suffered years of abuse and neglect from his initial owner. His broken jaw went untreated, causing significant deterioration and preventing him from eating.

When he was rescued and sent for medical care, it was discovered that Harold needed an extensive bone graft and a custom plate to accommodate his remaining mandibular bone fragments.

Because his owner had not sought treatment in time, a commercially available plate would not fit Harold’s compromised jaw.

After a CT scan was done on Harold’s head at the OVAH, the images were sent to former University of Pretoria specialist prosthodontist Prof Cules van den Heever.

The professor and his team from the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein developed and 3D-printed a custom titanium plate for Harold. Saspine, a Pretoria-based company that works in the human orthopaedic environment, produced the screws needed to secure the plate.

This procedure, led by Prof Gerhard Steenkamp, a veterinary specialist in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery, and Dr Ross Elliott, a specialist veterinary small animal surgeon at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, was a first of its kind at OVAH.

Both Steenkamp and Elliott spent significant time working on the special, custom plate that helped repair Harold’s drifting jaw. “It is the team’s trailblazing and pioneering spirit that has made it possible. Several other veterinarians also committed their time and expertise to provide Harold with the best care possible,” says Dr Paul van Dam, director of OVAH.

Kei was shot in the face in October while trying to protect her owners during a home invasion and underwent a similar operation to Harold.

After being shot, Kei was stabilised at a nearby veterinary clinic, before being referred to Steenkamp for reconstructive surgery. She had a large defect in her tongue and left lower jaw where the bullet passed through.

“The jaw’s defect was approximately 2cm and the big molar tooth was destroyed. Due to this, the jaw was not stable and Kei’s jaw deviated to the left,” Steenkamp explains.

Over two months, Kei had three operations. The first surgery closed the tongue and removed the bony fragments from the remaining jaw. Due to the movement in her unsupported jaw, a small area split and Steenkamp had to re-operate to close this defect.

“We commissioned the manufacturing (3D printing) of a plate in titanium from the Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein and operated on Kei once the plate was fitted,” says Steenkamp.

Both Kei and Harold’s surgical procedures were sponsored by pet insurer Dotsure.

World Veterinary Day falls on April 30 this year. The theme, set by the World Veterinary Association, is ‘Strengthening veterinary resilience’. This is an apt topic in South Africa, where a shortage of vets places strain on those in the profession. The upside is that veterinary science is a great career choice for youngsters, who will have an excellent chance of securing employment.