Conservative Management Instead of TPLO – Hudson

Hudson, a Lab mix, came into my life in April 2002 as a rescue from a local shelter. He was discovered abandoned at a car wash and he has never been alone again. Hudson is just a dude who loves his Daddy and Mommy and we adore him. I would sell all my possessions and…

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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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CCL Repair Forum for Dogs

Have a question related to TPLO surgery, or want a recommendation for a veterinarian performing the Tightrope procedure in your area? Want to know what the best dog knee brace available is? Don’t be shy… Post on our NEW Dog Knee Injury Forum! In response to the high volume of comments a lot of the…

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TTA Surgery and CM – Ben’s Story

Injury Date:12/2008 Ben’s Story: Ben is a 4 year old Standard Schnauzer. We believe he suffered a partial tear in his Left CCL in December 2008. We didn’t give CM (Conservative Management) a chance until about July 2009, when he was diagnosed with a CCL tear. Prior to that, it only appeared to be a…

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Beau at Three and Four Weeks Post Op CCL Repair

We’ve started the physical therapy. Weekly half hour swimming session have Beau moving his leg very well. The stairs are also going well, though we seem to have to do it twice a day for five minutes because once a day for ten minutes is just too boring for both dog and human. He absolutely…

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Beau’s Story – Two Weeks Post Op CCL Repair

This week we have seen a big improvement in Beau’s ease in getting around. In fact, he thinks he’s superdog! He clearly isn’t feeling much pain, so we have eased off on the Tramadol, but continue to give him the Metacam and the Acepromozine for sedation. The most difficult part of the week is getting…

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Preparing Beau for CCL Repair Surgery

Preparations for Surgery To prevent further injury, we needed to keep Beau quiet. No running, no jumping and lots of rest. We were given Metacam for pain and Acepromozin as a sedative. It just about killed me to see my happy, active dog so sleepy – even though I knew it was for his own…

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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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Physical Therapy in Post CCL Repair Dogs

More and more veterinarians are starting to recommend post operative physical therapy for cranial cruciate ligament repair patients.  While opinions differ from one veterinary surgeon to another, proponents of canine PT believe that physical therapy in the post-op CCL repair dog can help bring a dog back to full function in a shorter amount of…

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CCL Injury in Both Back Legs

It is not unusual for dogs who have a cranial cruciate ligament rupture in one leg to develop one in the other leg. It is a little unusual to have two severe ruptures at the same time, but it does occur, especially in large breed dogs or overweight canines. Generally the signs of this type…

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