A DOG rescued from Greece after being hit by a car as a feral puppy has been given a new lease of life thanks to pioneering treatment.

Rocco, a cross-breed born to a feral mother on the streets of Athens, recieved a life-changing knee replacement carried out by specialist vets at Wear Referrals Veterinary Hospital, based in Bradbury.

Only days old, Rocco was hit by a car and taken to a Greek vet practice by Christine Innes and Bruce Schlaitzer who, at the time, were living in the country.

The Northern Echo: Leading specialist Neil Burton and small animal surgery colleague Maciej Krukowski were quick to identify Rocco’s problemLeading specialist Neil Burton and small animal surgery colleague Maciej Krukowski were quick to identify Rocco’s problem

Rocco underwent an operation to mend his leg at the Greek vet practice, and went from a street dog to much-loved pet as Ms Innes and Mr Schlaitzer decided to become his owners.

But, after the family returned to Shotley Bridge, near Consett, they noticed that Rocco was once again struggling to walk on his left hind leg.

Late last year, the old injury started to impact on him dramatically, so the owners made the decision to take him for a groundbreaking knee replacement procedure carried out by Neil Burton, head of orthopaedics at Linnaeus hospital Wear.

Ms Innes said: “We had seen this type of operation on the television but never dreamed Rocco would ever receive such advanced treatment.

The Northern Echo: Rocco as a little puppy in Greece before coming to the UK with ownersRocco as a little puppy in Greece before coming to the UK with owners

“It was our local vets in Corbridge who recommended Wear Referrals as the place to go and we are so pleased with the care and treatment Rocco received there.

“It’s amazing - he has had a full knee replacement and can now finally run normally after a lifetime of problems with his left hind leg.”

Problems began very early in Rocco’s life, as his mother was a feral dog from the streets of Porto Rafti, near Athens.

The Northern Echo: Rocco has more energy than ever beforeRocco has more energy than ever before

Ms Innes said: “We were living in Greece at the time and had seen the puppies when they were born.

“One of them wasn’t doing very well, he’d been involved in an accident, so we took him to the vets.

“The x-rays showed he had badly fractured his knee and the vets inserted three steel pins in a bid to repair the damage and that was it – suddenly the puppy was ours!”

The Northern Echo: Rocco's knee was causing the pooch a great deal of painRocco's knee was causing the pooch a great deal of pain

She added: “He’s always had problems with that leg - it’s three inches shorter than his other back leg so he’s always been lop-sided and ungainly but he started becoming increasingly lame on it and we realised we needed to act.”

Leading specialist Neil Burton and small animal surgery colleague Maciej Krukowski were quick to identify Rocco’s problem and offered a potential solution.

Mr Burton said: “The original fracture, which was treated by the surgeon in Greece, healed, but the thigh bone was not aligned as it should be.

“Osteoarthritis subsequently developed in the left knee joint, likely as a combination of the original trauma, the subsequent surgery and the way the fracture had healed.

The Northern Echo: Rocco's knee post surgery after being worked on by specialistsRocco's knee post surgery after being worked on by specialists

“By the time I saw him, Rocco could only weight bear on the limb 50 per cent of the time, there was also marked muscle wastage and he was in persistent pain despite being on pain killing medication.

“The operation to perform a cementless BioMedtrix total knee replacement was successful and Rocco has been given physiotherapy and hydrotherapy here at Wear to rebuild the strength in the leg, which had been lost because of the years of discomfort due to osteoarthritis.”

Ms Innes said she can barely believe the difference in Rocco and is full of praise for the vet’s expertise and the care provided by the team at the practice.

She said: “Everybody at Wear was terrific, we couldn’t fault them in any way - the care Rocco received was fantastic.

“He’s an absolutely wonderful dog, a real character, and we’re so happy at how he has improved since the operation. He’s like a new dog.

The Northern Echo: Rocco is now happier than ever thanks to vets at Wear ReferralsRocco is now happier than ever thanks to vets at Wear Referrals

“He’s certainly come a long way in life when you consider he was born wild and feral in Athens.

“My mother summed it up when she said that Rocco was born on the streets but ended up at The Ritz!”

For more information about Wear Referrals Veterinary Hospital, visit wear-referrals.co.uk or search for Wear Referrals on Facebook.