Case Study: Stella the Scottish Terrier

Posted by VSS on 25 September 2025

Stella came to Veterinary Specialist Services Jindalee after a dog fight injury left her with a non-healing wound on the side of her nose (nasal planum). This type of injury can be very challenging to manage, due to the limited skin available in the area and the importance of preserving nasal function.

One of our head Specialist Small Animal Surgeons, Dr. Abbie Tipler, performed a small advancement flap surgery to close the defect. This delicate procedure involves mobilising nearby healthy skin and carefully advancing it over the wound to achieve closure, while maintaining blood supply.

A biopsy was also taken from the contaminated wound margins, which fortunately came back showing only mild inflammation with no signs of deeper infection.

Photos: pre-surgery.

Thanks to Dr. Abbie Tipler’s expertise and Stella’s resilience, the surgery was a success. At her reassessment, Stella was healing beautifully - her wound edges are healthy, the flap is integrating well and she’s on track for a full recovery.

Did you know?

The nasal planum is a specialised, highly vascular tissue that plays an essential role in a dog’s sense of smell and thermoregulation. Due to its unique structure, wounds in this region often don’t heal with standard wound management alone. Advanced reconstructive techniques, such as local skin flap surgeries, are frequently required to achieve closure and restore function.

We’re proud of Stella for being such a star patient and grateful for the skilled hands of Dr. Abbie Tipler and the surgical team at VSS Jindalee.

Photos: post-surgery.