Three-legged dog paddles back to health

HER racing days were brought to an abrupt end.

But Pippa, the three-legged greyhound, is swimming her way back to fitness with some help from vets at the Oak Tree Veterinary Centre on Queensferry Road.

Although she will never race again, the two-year-old pooch - who had to have one hind leg amputated after a race track accident - is said to have made "fantastic" progress since starting hydrotherapy sessions at the centre in February, aimed at rebuilding her muscles and helping her balance.

The centre has is the only facility in the city to provide a hydrotherapy pool for dogs.

Most dogs undergo between eight and 12 30-minute sessions for a range of conditions, from building up strength after surgery on hips or spines, arthritis and weight loss.

Pippa is now being looked after by Lois Sinclair - who set up a small charity, Gracehounds, for rehoming greyhounds in November 2007 - after her owner gave her up following the accident at Thornton greyhound track in Fife.

Mrs Sinclair, 56, who runs the charity from her home in Lasswade, Midlothian, said: "We knew there was no way her leg could be fixed. There wasn't anything on her leg that wasn't damaged. It was amputated within two days of her arriving."

Mrs Sinclair has five greyhounds of her own, including Pippa, who she has decided to keep for herself, and three foster dogs. She felt that Pippa needed some extra rehabilitation after the accident, which caused her to lose her back right leg, and contacted the Oak Tree Veterinary Centre.

"The vets I use suggested hydrotherapy and that's when I started going to Oak Tree. "It works different muscles and helps her balance. She will probably continue to use the pool indefinitely," she said.

"It's been fantastic and has really helped her balance and stamina, and has given her an all-round boost."

Registered veterinary nurse at Oak Tree, Catriona Irvine, who lives in South Queensferry, has just started a second block of five hydrotherapy sessions with Pippa, with each weekly session lasting 30 minutes.

The 26-year-old said: "Greyhounds are very muscular dogs and when they don't get the amount of exercise that they did before, they tend to lose muscle a lot quicker than say a labrador."

Mrs Sinclair added: "Pippa has worked so hard at being really fit and agile.

"When you see her running from certain angles, you can't see that she's missing a leg because her balance is so good and she stands so beautifully.

"She's such a brave spirited wee thing."