Post Surgery Questions – Lucy

Lucy is a 6-year-old Lab/hound mix who recently had a complete tear in her left hind knee and a partial in the right. Her first surgery is scheduled in 3 days. I have had both back and neck surgeries and helping her walk has been dehabiliting for me. I have no one to help. My…

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Conservative Management – Nadine

Nadine’s (11-year-old Aussie/Border Collie, 48 lbs) rehab began about 10 weeks ago. She came back from running after something in the dark non-weight bearing on her left hind leg. My vet and I both prayed for a break, anything but an ACL injury. Yes, I get two stars as Nadine is considered to be in…

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TPLO Complications – Blu

Initially we tried conservative management with my pit/shepherd mix Blu because I did not want to put him through surgery. We had some success with that for about a year until I got another dog and he reinjured it roughhousing. We tried CM again but this time he wasn’t improving so we made the tough…

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Canine Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy comes from Greek words meaning “water healing,” and can be a great option for post-operative dogs, as well as for dogs suffering from hip dysplasia, the amputation of a limb, a spinal injury, paralysis, obesity, fractures, or arthritis. Hydrotherapy uses the properties of water — buoyancy, viscosity, resistance, and hydrostatic pressure — to enable a dog to…

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Benefits of Massage Therapy for Dogs

There are many types of non-invasive physical therapy options for dogs recovering from CCL surgery. Massage is a gentle option that can help dogs of any size in their recovery process, and can continue to be beneficial on a regular basis long after they’ve healed. Even though it looks and feels like pampering (and can…

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TTA Surgery – Meggie

No idea how Meggie, age 8, partially ruptured her cruciate ligament! Nevertheless, she did and our wonderful vet said she needed a specialist vet to do the surgery on June 24, 2015. We had some insurance and this covered her operation at West Midlands Referrals in Lichfield. She went in at 9am and was collected…

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Hot and Cold Compresses for Post-Op Dogs

Swelling, discomfort, and bruising is normal following CCL repair surgery. Hot and cold compresses are some of the best at-home remedies to help your dog heal and stay comfortable during the recovery process. Not sure whether to be using hot or cold? See our tips below for general uses, but be sure to talk to…

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TPLO or Lateral Suture (Extracapsular Repair) – Dandelion Marie

The Cruciate Injury In May of 2013, Dandelion started limping and showing signs of discomfort. I knew instantly what it was since I had another dog (Duffus) to do the same thing back in 2002. Duffus had the ACL surgery which is what they call Traditional surgery now. I didn’t want Dande to have surgery…

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Extracapsular Surgery for Dogs – Santos

Santos is a rescued/adopted 7 year old Greyhound and Dalmatian mix with diabetes diagnosed one year ago. Santos had a full tear with no meniscus damage. I attempted CM (Conservative Management) for 1.5 months with him getting worse. I decided to get the knee surgically repaired. Because of his diabetes, I brought him home the…

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Moby – Conservative Management

Moby is a 2.5 yr old, neutered lab. About 6 weeks ago, he became leg-in-the-air lame on his left hind leg after an acute injury. This was diagnosed as an acute acl tear or rupture. But in retrospect, I think he was displaying a whole set of subtle symptoms that both knees were in trouble,…

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