Guelph researcher uses 3D printing to replace most of dog’s skull

A Guelph veterinary surgical oncologist used 3D printing to replace most of a dog’s skull.

Nine-year-old Patches received a titanium plate that replaced 70 per cent of her skull after having an operation to treat cancer.

“She had a little bump on her head and we used to call it her little unicorn. Since she’s had her surgery we call her titanium top now,” said Patches’ owner Danielle Dymeck.

A little bump on the dog’s head had been there for a couple of years before it began growing very quickly.

Surgeon Michelle Oblak said she believed it was the first surgery of its kind in North America.

The five-hour surgery was a success, and Patches has been recovering well ever since.

Patches stayed in veterinary care for two days before being returned home.

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  Patches, a nine-year-old dachshund from Willamsport, Pa., is shown before surgery for a brain tumour that eventually grew through the skull. Researchers at an Ontario university have performed what is believed to be the first major dog skull replacement using 3D-printing technology. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO