Dog owners from Morpeth grateful to vets who helped save the life of their labrador after his 30ft cliff fall

Billy suffered a neck fracture after losing his bearings and falling while enjoying a walk with his owners Charlotte Robinson and Richard Mitchell during a trip to Hawick.

After racing the beloved family pet to local vets, the four-year-old Labrador was quickly referred to the neurology and neurosurgery team at Linnaeus-owned specialist-led small animal hospital Wear Referrals in Bradbury, County Durham, which specialises in providing expert multidisciplinary care.

The team at Wear discussed various treatment options with Billy’s owners and it was agreed he could be treated with medical management – including hydrotherapy, strict cage rest and controlled exercise for six to eight weeks, instead of undergoing a potentially difficult surgery.

Richard and Charlotte said: “We were terrified as Billy had essentially broken his neck. However, we were reassured that not all neck injuries need surgery, which gave us hope.

“He had about three months of cage rest, physio and hydrotherapy, but is now a normal dog again. He has wobbly moments, but doesn’t care when he’s running at what looks like 90mph!”

Charlotte, herself a veterinary nurse, was so impressed by the level of care Billy received that she applied to work at Wear and starts soon.

She added: “Wear were so efficient and timely with Billy’s diagnosis. I thought, wow, I’d love to be part of their team.”

Billy, who was assessed by Wear’s veterinary hydrotherapist Lynne Burdis, used a state-of-the-art underwater treadmill as part of his recovery.

Lynne said: “Using an underwater treadmill enabled us to work alongside Billy to ensure he was balanced naturally and fully supported throughout his sessions.

“Applying the buoyancy effect of the water and altering the water and incline levels also meant we could adapt the equipment to Billy’s requirements and encourage a better walking pattern.

“Billy has consistently improved and is now able to walk unassisted, although he is still uncoordinated. It is a long journey ahead but we are pleased to see that he is going in the right direction.”