UC Davis surgeons reconstruct border collie’s skull after horse kick
Bottom line
UC Davis surgeons say they successfully reconstructed a 5-year-old border collie’s skull after the dog, Tessa, was kicked in the head by a horse, causing multiple fractures of the right temporal, orbital, nasal, maxillary, and mid-face bones, along with a sunken right eye and nasal sinus hemorrhage. The multidisciplinary team, spanning emergency, dentistry and oral surgery, neurology, and ophthalmology, used three titanium miniplates and 16 screws to stabilize the fractures, and a postoperative cone beam CT confirmed reduction of the fractures and restoration of normal orbital positioning. Tessa was reportedly eating comfortably the next morning, went home after one night in the hospital, and has since returned to her herding competitions. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the case is a reminder that severe maxillofacial trauma can still have a strong functional outcome when patients are stabilized quickly, imaged with CT, and managed by a coordinated specialty team. Review literature on oral and maxillofacial trauma emphasizes that these cases are common in practice and that treatment goals go beyond fracture healing to restoring occlusion and basic function, including eating and drinking. Tessa’s case also reflects the growing use of rigid internal fixation in veterinary facial trauma, rather than relying only on more conservative approaches. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)
What to watch: Tessa is expected back at UC Davis in about three months for follow-up CT imaging to assess healing and plate position, offering a clearer view of longer-term outcomes after this type of reconstruction. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)
Key facts
- Patient
- Tessa, a 5-year-old border collie
- Cause of injury
- Kicked in the head by a horse
- Injuries
- Multiple fractures of the right temporal, orbital, nasal, maxillary, and mid-face bones
- Other findings
- Sunken right eye and nasal sinus hemorrhage
- Treatment
- Three titanium miniplates and 16 screws
- Team
- Emergency, dentistry and oral surgery, neurology, and ophthalmology
- Imaging
- Postoperative cone beam CT confirmed fracture reduction and normal orbital positioning
- Outcome
- Eating comfortably the next morning, discharged after one night, and returned to herding competitions
- Follow-up
- Repeat CT planned in about three months
A UC Davis surgical team has reconstructed the skull of a border collie named Tessa after a horse kick caused extensive facial and cranial fractures, in a case that underscores how far veterinary maxillofacial trauma care has advanced. According to UC Davis, the 5-year-old dog arrived at the veterinary teaching hospital about an hour after the accident with marked right-sided facial swelling, epistaxis, palpable fractures, and a sunken right eye. CT imaging later confirmed multiple fractures involving the right temporal, orbital, nasal, maxillary, and mid-face bones. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)
The case was presented by UC Davis as its September 28, 2026 “Case of the Month,” and it fits into a broader trend toward more aggressive, highly planned repair of complex facial trauma in dogs. A 2022 review in Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice describes maxillofacial trauma as a common presentation in veterinary medicine and notes that management priorities include assessment, diagnostics, pain control, fracture repair, restoration of occlusion, and return to function. Repair options can range from conservative measures to invasive plate-and-screw fixation, depending on fracture pattern and instability. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
In Tessa’s case, UC Davis said the surgery was led by Boaz Arzi, DVM, along with Serena Bonacini and Ingrid Tundo, after consultation with neurology and ophthalmology. The team used three titanium miniplates and 16 screws to stabilize the fractured bones. While Tessa was still under anesthesia, ophthalmology clinicians evaluated the eyes to confirm appropriate placement and function, and a postoperative cone beam CT showed successful implant positioning and restoration of normal orbital alignment. She remained stable through surgery, recovered normally from anesthesia, stayed overnight, and was eating comfortably the following morning before discharge. At a two-week recheck, her pet parent reported no signs of pain or discomfort. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)
The case also highlights the value of subspecialty coordination in facial trauma, especially when orbital structures are involved. UC Davis described the injuries as among the most extensive facial injuries its team sees, with bone displacement severe enough to alter globe position. That degree of disruption can make imaging and intraoperative reassessment especially important, since literature on maxillofacial trauma consistently points to function, alignment, and complication avoidance, not just cosmetic repair, as the core goals of treatment. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)
Industry context suggests this approach is not entirely new, but it is becoming more visible and refined. A prior dvm360 report on a Labrador treated at Tufts described similarly aggressive use of titanium plating for shattered facial bones, with the surgeon arguing that veterinary teams should move away from default conservative management when fixation is feasible. That earlier case used 10 titanium plates and emphasized stabilizing fractures along stronger facial “buttresses,” a concept borrowed from human craniofacial surgery. Taken together, the cases suggest that advanced fixation strategies are gaining traction at referral centers for select patients with severe facial trauma. (dvm360.com)
Why it matters: For general practitioners, emergency clinicians, and specialists, Tessa’s recovery is less about a dramatic one-off success and more about a practical care model: rapid triage, cross-service consultation, CT-based fracture mapping, rigid fixation when indicated, and close postoperative monitoring. Cases like this may also shape conversations with pet parents about prognosis. Even when facial trauma looks catastrophic on presentation, referral-level intervention can sometimes restore comfort, vision-related anatomy, and athletic function. That said, the availability of oral and maxillofacial expertise remains limited, and UC Davis noted that fellowship-level training sites in oral medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery are still relatively few. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)
What to watch: UC Davis expects a full recovery and plans repeat CT imaging in about three months to evaluate healing and plate positioning. For veterinary professionals, that follow-up will be worth watching because longer-term imaging and functional outcomes, including return to work or sport, are what ultimately determine how reproducible these reconstructions may be beyond major academic centers. (vetmed.ucdavis.edu)