Northumberland Referrals

30/10/2026

🧠 Veterinary Neurology at Northumberland Referrals

Our Neurology service is led by Jonathan Deacon and Jos Bongers, RCVS and EBVS® Specialists in Veterinary Neurology, providing expert assessment and treatment for neurological conditions, with referrals seen 7 days a week.

With an on-site MRI scanner and dedicated neurosurgical facilities, we offer comprehensive investigation and treatment for a wide range of neurological conditions, including: Brain, Spinal and Neuromuscular disorders.

Referring a case is straightforward. Our team is always happy to discuss a case, offer advice or help arrange a referral.

🔗 https://www.northumberlandreferrals.co.uk/

📧 [email protected]

📞 01665 463200

26/10/2026

✨ Introducing the newest member of our fantastic team!✨

Beth qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse in 2017 at a referral practice in Northumberland and has since completed her Emergency and Critical Care Certificate. She went on to become an Out of Hours Team Leader, gaining lots of experience caring for patients overnight.

Beth’s biggest passion is working night shifts and caring for hospitalised patients, especially critical care cases. She loves being able to provide patients with the extra care and attention they need when they’re at their most vulnerable, and is looking forward to working in the upcoming ICU.

Outside of work, Beth enjoys reading and baking, as well as spending time with her husband and son, usually out walking their dog, Sully, a very lively cocker spaniel who keeps them on their toes!

At home, Beth also has Gotham, a fluffy black cat who she took in 12 years ago after he and his siblings were born in a glass recycling bin!

Beth is excited for the next chapter in her career and looks forward to being part of the team! 💙

23/10/2026

🐾Meet Juno, a 6-year-old Sprocker who was referred to us with a several-week history of left thoracic limb lameness.

On examination, marked left forelimb lameness, significant muscle atrophy around the left shoulder and triceps, and a reduced left withdrawal reflex were noted.

These clinical findings, alongside largely unremarkable initial radiographs, raised concern for a peripheral nerve sheath tumour. We performed an MRI of the cervical region, brachial plexus, and elbows. No obvious cervical or brachial plexus lesion was identified; however, MRI revealed a left humeral intracondylar fissure (HIF). The fissure was stabilised with a 4.5 mm titanium transcondylar screw.

🔎 Did you notice the fissure was more clearly visible on the postoperative radiographs? This highlights how subtle changes in positioning and beam alignment can affect fissure visibility on plain radiographs.

As you can see in the video, at the 4-week postoperative check, Juno’s lameness had fully resolved. Her muscle mass was also increasing – an encouraging early outcome for Juno!

Keep up the good work, Juno! 🐾

16/10/2026

🐾 Double trouble for Kobi 🐾

Kobi presented to Northumberland Referrals with a several-week history of lameness affecting both pelvic limbs. His primary care vets had identified partial cranial drawer in both stifles, consistent with bilateral cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency.

On examination, Jonathan identified bilateral stifle effusion and discomfort during cranial tibial thrust testing. Radiographs also showed degenerative joint disease. Arthrocentesis documented bilateral mononuclear arthropathy.

Kobi underwent bilateral tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO) under the same anaesthetic. Additionally, bilateral medial arthrotomies revealed torn and folded caudal poles of the medial menisci, which were excised.
Postoperative radiographs confirmed the procedure was successful, with satisfactory osteotomy compression and implant placement.

He remained hospitalised overnight for continued postoperative analgesia.

Look at him 2 weeks after! 💚 💚

Kobi is walking comfortably and back to his sniffing duties. He takes his job very seriously. No blade of grass left unchecked! 🌿

Well done, Kobi!

07/10/2026

Charlie in the spotlight! ⭐

We’re so pleased to report that this very brave lad has continued to improve day by day since his surgery.

Charlie has been working hard with his rehabilitation and is making excellent progress. It’s been a pleasure to see his confidence and mobility returning, and we’re delighted with how well he’s doing.

Well done, Charlie - we’re all rooting for you as you continue your recovery journey.

SYNOVIAL MYXOMATOUS SPINAL TUMOUR
Interesting MR study sent to us by Jonathan Deacon, neurology specialist at Northumberland referrals, England. 10 yrs old MN English Cocker spaniel with 10 week history of progressive paraparesis (T3-L3 neurolocalisation). MRI showed a large space-occupying lesion associated with the dorsal arch of T6 and T7, in particular the right articular facets causing lysis and marked spinal cord compression with extension outside of the vertebral canal. The lesion was markedly hyperintense to spinal cord parenchyma on T2-weighted images, hypointense on T1-weighted images, and there was strong peripheral contrast enhancement. The mass was removed through a T6-T7 dorsal laminectomy and facetectomy. Histopathology of the mass was consistent with a synovial myxomatous tumour. Spinal synovial myxomatous tumour are one of the tumour of the synovium of the spinal articular facet joints. They contain mucinous matrix and are poorly vascularised. They often appear as lobulated mass associated with articular process joint causing distortion/lysis. They typically invades adjacent muscles and vertebral canal. They are markedly T2W-weighted hyperintense similar to CSF and it is common to have central non-enhancing areas, corresponding to pocket of mucinous substance as seen in this case. 3 weeks after surgery this dog was reported to be almost back to normal.
Laurent Garosi
Simon Platt

05/10/2026

Meet Shadow, a stunning 10-month-old Siberian Husky who was referred to us following a road traffic accident.

Shadow was quickly assessed and stabilised by her primary care practice, where she was found to be non-weight-bearing lame on her right thoracic limb. She received pain relief and intravenous fluids, had a point-of-care ultrasound performed, and a support dressing was placed before being referred to us with a strong suspicion of a right radius and ulna fracture.

Radiographs confirmed the fracture, and after assessing Shadow and her imaging, we stabilised the radius using a contoured 3.5 mm locking compression plate. The ulna is expected to heal naturally through callus formation.

And look at her now! 😍

Just two weeks later, Shadow is walking comfortably and already back to her usual happy self 🐶

We’re incredibly proud of Shadow and her recovery, and of the teamwork involved in getting her from a serious road traffic accident to this point so quickly.

Cases like Shadow’s are a great example of the importance of prompt stabilisation, seamless referral and careful orthopaedic planning 🧡

Well done, Shadow! 🐾

01/10/2026

*Only via referral*

Fixed IVVD surgery packages:
£5000 hemi-laminectomy surgery
£5500 ventral decompressive surgery

22/09/2026

Charlie’s remarkable journey 🐾🧡

Meet Charlie, an 8-year-old Cocker Spaniel who was referred to us with a 3 week history of severe hindlimb weakness and difficulty walking.

An MRI scan revealed a large, fluid-filled mass around the spinal cord at T6–T7 (the sixth and seventh thoracic vertebrae in Charlie’s spine), causing significant spinal cord compression.

Charlie underwent surgery to remove the mass and relieve pressure on his spinal cord. This involved removing the dorsal portions of the T6 and T7 vertebrae, along with part of the right side of T7.

Histopathology identified a myxomatous tumour with benign features, supporting a diagnosis of myxoma, a rare type of tumour.

We’re delighted with Charlie’s recovery so far. He’s getting stronger by the day, and his progress has been incredible to watch! 🥰

❤️ Keep going, Charlie!

18/09/2026

At Northumberland Referrals, we can also help with complex soft tissue cases 🐾

Keep reading for an interesting case — and a very satisfying video! 👀

Tabitha, a 3-year-old cat, was referred to us with a three-month history of persistent right ear discharge, despite antibiotic treatment. During otoscopic examination, a mass was identified within the ear canal. 🐈

MRI confirmed a large, contrast-enhancing mass involving the right vertical and horizontal ear canals (blue arrows) and extending into the right tympanic bulla. Also it was noticed thickened epithelium in the right caudomedial chamber (red arrows).

Tabitha underwent a ventral bulla osteotomy, a surgical procedure that allows access to the middle ear. The mass was successfully removed along with the thickened epithelium. Histopathology confirmed it to be an inflammatory aural polyp🔬

Feline inflammatory aural polyps are benign, non-cancerous masses that usually originate within the middle ear or Eustachian tube. Depending on the direction in which they grow, they can cause significant ear or upper airway disease. Chronic inflammation, potentially associated with viral infection, has been proposed as one possible contributing factor. 🦠

When a polyp extends from the middle ear into the external ear canal, affected cats may develop signs such as persistent ear discharge or Horner’s syndrome.

If it grows through the Eustachian tube into the nasopharynx, signs can include stertor, nasal discharge, dysphagia and, in more severe cases, upper airway obstruction.

If not treated, as the polyps grow within the confined space of the middle ear, they can also lead to more serious complications, including peripheral vestibular signs such as a head tilt, nystagmus and loss of balance. ⚠️

Secondary infections can also develop within the middle ear. In rare, severe cases, bacterial meningitis can occur if the infection spreads to the central nervous system. This makes early diagnosis and appropriate treatment particularly important. 🧠

Thankfully, Tabitha made a fantastic recovery following surgery! 💚 🐱

16/09/2026

Parsnip’s running injury 🐾🐾

The beautiful Parsnip came to see Jonathon in July after developing an acute-onset lameness in her right forelimb while out running.

🩻 X-rays showed a comminuted fracture of one of the bones in her third digit, with no other obvious injuries. Digits 3 and 4 are particularly important in dogs, as they carry much more of the weight than the outer digits.

Whilst these fractures don’t always require surgery, Parsnip had unfortunately already lost another toe on this foot, so surgery was recommended to give her the best chance of maintaining a comfortable, functional foot.

🪛💉 Surgery was fiddly due to the small size of the bone and the fragmented nature of the fracture. A buttress plate was carefully applied to realign and stabilise the bone, and a bone graft was taken from near her shoulder to help encourage healing of the fracture.

Parsnip then needed weekly bandage changes while everything healed. Six weeks after surgery, she is walking well and, best of all, is completely free from lameness! 🥰🐾

Go Parsnip!! 🎉