The Ralph (Veterinary Referral Centre)

"The path to better patient flow isn't always about adding resources—it's about understanding and aligning your demand and capacity patterns."

🌟 3D PRINTING 🤝 VETERINARY CARE - A 16-hour skull... Yesterday, we shared Daisy's story (on her ninth birthday!). She had persistent jaw pain for over a year due to a bone tumour near her jaw joint. Daisy's surgery was assisted by a cutting-edge 3D printed model of her skull, created from detailed CT scans. This innovative approach allowed our surgeons to perform the procedure with precision, ensuring the tumour was successfully removed while preserving her jaw joint. 🤓 Fun Fact: This one wasn't printed in autoclavable resin, but if it was required to be used in surgery, we could have printed it so that it could have been sterilised. ⏰ Daisy's skull took 16 hours to print as it was high detail and a full skull. Swipe to see the remarkable 3D images that made a difference in Daisy's treatment journey! 🦴✨ #internalmedicine #multilobularosteochondrosarcoma #3Dprinter #3dprinting

3D PRINTING 🤝 VETERINARY CARE Daisy had been experiencing on-and-off jaw pain for quite some time after running into a post over a year ago. She found it challenging to pick up small objects, open her mouth wide, or chew on the right side of her mouth. The team at her primary care practice tried different pain relief and steroid medications, but nothing brought her complete relief. She was therefore referred to The Ralph for further investigations. Daisy was initially seen by our Internal Medicine team, who recommended a CT scan. The scan revealed a lesion close to Daisy’s temporomandibular joint, also known as the jaw joint. Fine needle aspirates confirmed that the lesion was a type of bone tumour called a multilobular osteochondrosarcoma (MLO). Although these tumours can spread to other parts of the body, the CT scan showed no visible metastases in the lungs. Surgical removal is the preferred treatment for these tumours, so Daisy was transferred to our Surgery team for the procedure. A week later, Daisy underwent surgery with the assistance of a 3D printer, which was used to create a model of her skull from the CT images 🖨️ Look out for more of Daisy's story in our next post and on our blog (link in bio!)... oh and today happens to be her 9th birthday! 🥳 🩷 https://lnkd.in/g7ZpUKJc #internalmedicine #multilobularosteochondrosarcoma #3Dprinter #3dprinting

During a routine vaccination appointment, Beatrice’s local vet noticed that she had a higher-than-normal respiratory rate and increased effort. As a result, Beatrice was admitted for further investigations, including X-rays which revealed a thoracic skeletal abnormality called pectus excavatum. This is when the ribs and sternum fail to grow normally resulting in a concave shape in the chest. Beatrice's vet referred her to our Soft Tissue Surgery team here at The Ralph for management of her pectus excavatum. Our Soft Tissue Surgeon, Eirini, examined Beatrice and decided that additional imaging was necessary to understand the extent of her condition. 🩻 A CT scan of Beatrice’s chest was performed and revealed a collapsed airway on the left side and signs of bronchopneumonia or scarring, likely due to the chest malformations, affecting the right lung fields as well. The diagnosis of pectus excavatum was also confirmed by the CT scan. Consequently, our Soft Tissue Surgery team performed surgery on Beatrice to place an external splint on her chest under general anaesthesia. This splint, made from a thermoplastic material, was secured with sutures around the chest bones and needed to remain in place for approximately 4 weeks. Additionally, a soft bandage was applied around the chest to protect the splint from self trauma. Beatrice returned to see our Soft Tissue team for some repeat X-rays. During her physical examination, Beatrice's breathing was within normal limits. Chest X-rays showed that her chest bones had developed in a normal position and her chest cavity increased in size. The splint was then removed. #independentvets #softtissuesurgery #cats #veterinary #casestudy

Lyla was brought to our Internal Medicine team at The Ralph for investigation of a high temperature, loss of appetite, and increasing pain in her abdomen and lower forelimb joints. When she arrived, Lyla was very subdued and reluctant to move. She visibly was in a lot of pain around her jaw, abdomen, and forelimbs, with swelling in her carpal joints (wrist joints). To manage her discomfort, she needed multiple types of intravenous pain relief.  🩻 Further investigations through X-rays revealed abnormalities in her lower forelimbs, consistent with a rare bone condition known as metaphyseal osteopathy. This condition is typically found in young, rapidly growing large breed puppies, and certain breeds like Weimaraners are more susceptible. It causes changes to the ends of growing bones (including, in some cases, the jaw) and is very painful for affected dogs.  🦴 Metaphyseal osteopathy can be effectively managed with anti-inflammatories and pain relief, and thankfully, Lyla responded well to starting steroids, gradually regaining her appetite and becoming more comfortable day by day. This disease may persist until a patient reaches skeletal maturity, around 12-18 months old and so Lyla will be closely monitored until that time. As you can see, she stole the hearts of everyone here at The Ralph 💙 #Metaphysealosteopathy #Internal Medicine #Weimaraners #osteopathy #orthopaedics

The People Beside the Patients 🫶🐾 Amie, Patient and Carer Liaison 🤍 A tribute to Amie and Figgi's relationship...  "I had never had a dog before my family rescued Figgi. She was a tiny pup who turned up quite unexpectedly (and somewhat uninvited!) at a time where my family was navigating a difficult change... Little did we know that she would bring us the overwhelming joy, love, and quite frankly the absolute chaos that allowed us the opportunity to heal and move forward. We lost Figgi earlier this year. She took a piece of my heart with her that day but we had 17 glorious years together and I don't think it would ever have been long enough. She changed my life, opened up my world and for that I will be forever grateful. I loved her for her whole life and I will miss her for the rest of mine." #dogs #love #team #proud #petloss

Yesterday was Celebrate Team Ralph Day 🎊🎉

🌟 VIDEO: THE BENEFITS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR OLDER CATS 🐾 We've just added our first webinar recording for carers to our website! Join our Head of Physiotherapy + Rehabilitation, Kim Sheader, as she delves into some practical exercises and massage techniques that you can do at home to enhance your cat's mobility and comfort.  Watch to the end as Kim answers our viewers most asked questions. If you still have a question after watching the recording, feel free to send them in! ✨ Don’t miss this chance to learn how to make a big difference in your ageing cat's life: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gT4Z6Ss2  #Physiotherapy #Rehabilitation #PhysiotherapyForCats 🐾

SPECIALITY VETERINARY INTERNSHIPS IN 2025! Ready to take your veterinary surgeon career to the next level in 2025? Join our passionate team at The Ralph in southeast England, the UK’s largest independent multidisciplinary specialist referral centre, where we’re offering unique internship opportunities in a variety of veterinary disciplines in 2025. You will join our large team (~260 Ralphers) in a hospital with a busy referral caseload and excellent facilities. We are currently recruiting Speciality Veterinary Interns for 2025 in the following disciplines: ~ Anaesthesia and Analgesia ~ Cardiology ~ Dentistry ~ Diagnostic Imaging ~ Emergency and Critical Care ~ Internal Medicine ~ Neurology/Neurosurgery ~ Oncology ~ Ophthalmology ~ Soft Tissue and Orthopaedic Surgery We are looking for dedicated, enthusiastic veterinary surgeons with a keen interest in these disciplines to start one-year speciality internships. Board-certified Diplomates lead almost all our clinical services. As a young, fast-growing hospital, most of our services are already approved to offer residencies. We have a growing number of specialists-in-training. There are increasing opportunities for didactic teaching and clinical research. We also support the continuation/completion of Postgraduate Qualifications. You will receive pastoral support from within your service, our Resident and Vet Intern Support Officers, and others. You will have regular check-ins and feedback opportunities. #bemoreralph: The Ralph workplace focuses on core values, culture, vision and mission. We emphasise kindness, compassion and empathy for all our communities. As an independent hospital, we have the freedom and flexibility to chart our own course. ➖➖➖ *To Apply* Please email sophie.dowdeswell@theralph.vet (PA to Shailen Jasani; Founder, CEO & Clinical Director) to apply or with any questions. Applications should include an up-to-date CV, a cover letter and which role you are applying for. PLEASE NOTE: - Start dates vary depending on the service. In some cases, we have vacancies from early 2025, in other cases from Summer 2025. We will be flexible with suitable candidates. Please get in touch with us to find out more. - You must be an MRCVS; ideally, you will already be eligible to work in the United Kingdom. Visa sponsorship is generally unavailable for these internships but may be on a case-by-case basis. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us to discuss further. - Internships last twelve months; we may extend them by mutual agreement. 📅 The formal closing date for applications is Friday, 15th November 2024. However, we will remain open for new applicants after this date until we have filled all positions. If you are ready to enhance your skills and knowledge and want to be part of an independent team delivering exceptional, compassionate, ethical veterinary care, we would love to hear from you! Visit https://theralph.vet/ for more details about The Ralph.

CONGRATULATIONS CHIARA AND MARISA 🥰 Officially Emergency + Critical Care (ECC) Specialists 🎉 Specialists are recognised experts in their field who go through rigorous education, examinations and training; it is incredibly hard work over a long period of time. Chiara and Marisa have each been pursuing their love for #ECC for around ten years and are both chuffed to have reached this milestone. And we are SO proud! ☀️ More about our newest specialists: When not in the ICU, Marisa loves spending time with her Spanish Pomeranian “Dolly” and her American cat “Pedro”, as well as her collection of houseplants 🌿 When we asked what drew Chiara to the vet sector, she said " As a child I grew up in a house with many pets and, as I became a teenager, I developed a passion for science and medicine; being a vet was, therefore, the best way to combine both passions together." For more about our wonderful team, visit theralph.vet 🐾 #team #proud #specialists #milestone