Basics of Ligament Injury and Arthritis – Video

It is estimated that there are over 15.5 million dogs suffering from arthritis right now – many of whom are silently suffering. Arthritis is defined as inflammation in the joint, and it may be accompanied by pain, discomfort and/or stiffness. There are 5 general areas which are most succeptible to arthritic change: hips, knees, elbows,…

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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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Healing a CCL Tear Without Surgery – Jasmond Baldwin

Hello Everyone, I feel as I must give back some of the invaluable information that I have gotten here on the wonderful website I basically stumbled upon! Jasmond’s story began about 8 days ago. She has always been such a wild child. I rescued her at about 18 months almost 9 years ago; someone had…

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Conservative Management, A Non Surgical CCL Repair – Luscus

Here’s my story: Luscus, 18 month old Cane Corso, 125lbs Level 2 tear right rear CCL Occurred at beach when he slipped on a wet rock as 2 dogs jumped on his back (playing) After drawer test doctor recommended tplo surgery Reasons Conservative Management was selected: To cut the bone of a dog still growing…

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Cruciate Ligament Injury in Dogs

Help!  My dog is limping – Could it be a torn ligament? This guide is a good starting place for anyone looking for more information on dog knee problems, specifically cruciate ligament injury in dogs.  This article will give an overview of dog knee injuries covering everything from symptoms to recovery. What is a Cruciate…

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Conservative Management Success – Emma

I have a small (42 lbs) APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier) female named Emma. 2 years ago, as of this Christmas, she just stopped using one of her rear legs. As soon as we got back into town I took her to my Vet. She was put under and it was found that she had…

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Bilateral ACL Injury – Jasmine

Jasmine’s Bilateral ACL InjuryBy Jana Rade When Jasmine started limping in the summer of 2008 we didn’t think too much of it. It wasn’t the first time it happened and it wasn’t the worst either. Jasmine had injured her hind legs three times before and, each time, after an exam and x-rays, we were told…

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TPLO Ligament Surgery – Taylor

Our 3 1/2 year old yellow lab has had hind lameness after exercise for several months now. We tried rest and anti inflammatory meds for 3 weeks with no results, so finally had her examined and x-rayed. She was diagnosed with a torn CCL, with some arthritis in her affected knee. It was a very…

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Tightrope CCL Surgery Recovery

The standard rehabilitation procedure for Tightrope repair is a bit different than TTA and TPLO, due to the less invasive nature of the procedure.  When dogs return home from Tightrope repair, owners are instructed to allow their dog to utilize the leg as they wish.  For some dogs this means they will start putting weight…

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