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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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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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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C.T. Brady – Ruptured CCL

C.T. Brady is a Brittany who will be 13 on Christmas 2013. He was born with a crooked spine (his short tail is canted severely to the left; the C.T. is for “Crook Tail”) and he has very straight stifles (or rear knees) in his hind end. He’s always had a funky gait and the…

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A-Trac Dynamic Brace Experience – Mookie

All I can say is I should had seen the red flag when they said ‘No Returns or Money Back’! The A-Trac Dynamic Brace did more harm then good. Our Black Lab was in so much more pain and stressed with the brace on. When our dog would sit or lie down the brace would…

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Stair Exercises – Video

Dr. James St. Clair of TopDog Health and Rehabilitation demonstrates stair exercises for dogs with cruciate ligament injuries. Like many of the other exercises, stairs should only be incorporated when your dog is ready, i.e. using the leg fully while walking without any discomfort. Controlling your speed during this exercise is key – The slower…

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Passive Range of Motion Exercises – Video

PROM or Passive range of motion exercises are an important part of canine physical therapy following a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injury. PROM exercises are useful whether your dog has undergone surgery such as a TTA, TPLO, traditional repair, etc. or if you’ve chosen to do Conservative Management. The goal of PROMs are to increase…

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Massage Therapy for Dogs – Video

When massaging your dog following a cranial cruciate ligament (ACL or CCL) injury it is important not to just focus on the injured knee joint, but the entire body, especially when initiating the massage. Some of the benefits of canine massage include: enhancing the human-animal bond, relieving pain and decreasing swelling. Dr. James suggests a…

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Sit to Stand Exercise – Video

TopDog Health and Rehabilitation’sDr. James St. Clair show us how to master the “Sit to Stand Exercise” – which are basically squats for dogs. Dr. James suggests viewing your role in your dog’s recovery as that of a personal trainer, focusing on the form. When performed properly, this exercise can be a powerful asset to…

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