Vita Referrals

13/11/2026

Normal service has resumed. Look how happy Poppy is about it!

13/11/2026

If you’re unable to reach us through our usual email due to the Microsoft outages, please contact Vita Referrals by:

📞 Phone: 01937 318101
✉️ Email: [email protected]

As West Yorkshire’s only independent specialist hospital, we can move quickly when systems let us down, so your patients’ care isn’t delayed.

10/10/2026

🐾🩺 Meet Rebel — Taking on a Challenging Fracture 🧡🖤

Meet the very handsome German Shepherd, Rebel, came to us this week after sustaining a Y-fracture of his humerus.

These fractures are considered some of the most challenging to repair in veterinary orthopaedics. The fracture extends into the elbow joint, meaning that accurate reconstruction and stable fixation are essential to give the patient the best possible chance of returning to normal function.

Before surgery, we performed a CT scan to fully assess the fracture and plan the repair. This allowed us to understand exactly how the individual fracture fragments were positioned and determine the best way to reconstruct and stabilise Rebel’s elbow.

Rebel then underwent surgery with our specialist, Rob, using multiple implants to accurately reconstruct and stabilise the fracture.

The postoperative X-rays show the result and even more importantly, the final video shows Rebel walking on his leg less than 24 hours after surgery!

There’s still plenty of healing to come, but seeing him already using the limb so well is a fantastic start.

Complex fractures require more than simply putting the pieces back together. Advanced imaging, careful planning, specialist expertise and the right equipment all play a role in achieving the best possible outcome.

Get well soon, Rebel! 🧡🖤🐾

30/09/2026

🐱🩺 Jamie’s Unusual Ankle Injury 🧡🖤

After going missing, Jamie returned home with a very unusual injury to her left ankle.
She had dislocated the talus, one of the small bones that makes up the ankle joint. This is an uncommon and challenging injury, requiring careful planning to restore the normal anatomy and stabilise the joint.

A CT scan was performed before surgery to make sure there were no additional injuries within the ankle and to allow us to carefully plan the repair. This also enabled us to determine the ideal angle for placement of the stabilising screw.

Jamie’s talus was surgically reduced and stabilised with a screw, restoring the normal position of the bone and allowing the ankle to heal.

She came back to see us this week — and we’re delighted to say that she is now pain-free and walking normally. 🐾❤️

From advanced imaging and careful surgical planning to precise orthopaedic surgery, Jamie’s case is a great example of how specialist care can make a difference when an injury is anything but straightforward.

And judging by the video… Jamie is very happy to be back on all four paws! 🐱🧡🖤
📸 Swipe to see Jamie’s X-rays before and after surgery, then watch her walking normally around our cat ward.

11/09/2026

🐾🩺 Why where your pet has surgery matters

A recently published study has highlighted an important consideration for owners when choosing where their dog has orthopaedic surgery. https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/a-2944-1667

The research looked at complications following TPLO surgery and found a higher rate of implant removal when surgery was performed in mobile settings compared with dedicated orthopaedic facilities. The authors highlight the potential importance of factors including surgical environment, equipment, staff training and postoperative care.

At Vita Referrals, orthopaedic surgery is what we do every day.

As a dedicated independent specialist hospital, we have invested heavily in our equipment, our facilities and our team, with the entire patient journey — from advanced imaging and surgical planning through to anaesthesia, surgery and postoperative care — designed around achieving the best possible outcome.

We don't just want to perform a successful operation. We want to minimise the risk of complications and give every patient the best possible chance of getting back to doing what they love.

If your dog needs orthopaedic surgery, ask your vet about referral to a dedicated specialist centre.

Sometimes, where you have surgery really does matter. 🧡🖤

11/09/2026

Fantastic to have the team from The Elms Rehab come to visit on Wednesday! Lots of exciting new developments for both them and us!

Vita Referrals visit
As we receive physiotherapy referrals from Vita Referrals it was exciting to have Rob Quinn show us around their stage 2 extension to Vita. What an amazing achievement for them to be extending after only 2 years after the launch of vita referrals.
An amazing achievement from this independent referral centre. We had the opportunity to chat with Rob on the importance of physiotherapy for Dachshunds post IVDD surgery. We also chatted with him about our very special project we are working on 🤔
He like us is a little bit excited 🤫

14/08/2026

It is always great when the research confirms what we already suspect. A recent publication from Low et al confirmed no difference in recovery rates for chondrodystrophic dogs (Dachshunds & French Bulldogs) for IVDD when comparing CT and MRI.

At Vita, our fixed fee spinal surgeries have been the most affordable way to get specialist care in Yorkshire for your loved ones since the day we opened and we are still West Yorkshire’s only independent specialist referral centre!

Our hemilaminectomy package is £4500 and ventral slot package is £4950. This includes consult, CT imaging, surgery, postoperative hospitalisation and medication as well as recheck at 6-8 weeks.

05/08/2026

🎉🎂 Two Years. One Incredible Birthday Present. 🧡🖤

Today, Vita Referrals turns 2!

Over the last two years, we've had the privilege of treating thousands of patients, performing hundreds of advanced surgeries, supporting veterinary practices across Yorkshire and beyond, and everything we've achieved over the last two years has only been possible because of the trust placed in us by pet owners, referring vets, and our incredible team.

So for our second birthday, we've given ourselves the best birthday present imaginable... 🎁 More space to help even more pets.

Our new building is now complete and almost ready to welcome patients, with the last few bits of surgical equipment arriving over the next month.

The last two years have been about continuing to grow West Yorkshire’s only independent specialist hospital and we're incredibly proud of what we have achieved.

The next chapter is about helping even more pets while staying true to the principles that got us here: exceptional patient care, complete transparency, fair pricing, and always putting patients first.

Here's to the next chapter of Vita Referrals. Happy Birthday to us... and thank you for making it all possible. 🧡🖤

03/07/2026

Research alert!

Rob, our specialist surgeon has had another paper accepted in the Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery. The paper details findings and treatment of cats with stomach ulceration due to anti-inflammatory medication, which is very rare. Continuing to publish research whilst being an active surgeon is challenging but at Vita we know how important the science behind what we do every day is.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1098612X261467165?utm_source=selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=rac_awa_awab_oth_cyc-published-author-care-journey-v02&utm_content=25u1580054_b&utm_term=&m_i=ImrIkGZSscf_km7Bf31ymgC_Bj0_ynXiw4rPv8WFdAw1wXsdkLyMqsLo8BH%2BEWGG7f7u8YMful%2BW_8nF_yFPB9nYO94H2qQKwrirIi&nbd=72959699&nbd_source=slgnt&M_BT=2661570111370992&__cf_chl_f_tk=mtcG_HjK6pBjr8pKdbEz7lYBBTj7MzwwMaDsL6aT3Hw-1783095775-1.0.1.1-IH9z.iqgOOuHmz7kVi1QzXLLrzae8GwDDuW8L7L3HN8 -contributors

17/06/2026

🌍🩺 From Yorkshire to Rome 🧡🖤

We're thrilled to share that research involving our specialist surgeon, Rob Quinn, has been accepted for presentation at the World Veterinary Orthopaedic Congress in Rome this September.

Working as part of an international team alongside KTH Royal Institute of Technology and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Rob has helped evaluate a novel fracture repair technique with exciting potential for both veterinary and human medicine.

While further research and development are still underway, the results so far are extremely promising, and we're excited to continue exploring how innovations like this may benefit our patients in the future.

One of Vita's core principles is ensuring our patients have access to the very latest advances in specialist care. Being involved in the development of new techniques—not just using them—is something we're incredibly proud of.

We'll be following the project closely and look forward to sharing more in the months ahead.

🇮🇹🔬🐾