Conservative Management Progress – Howie

So, last February, 2017, Howie suddenly was limping. We took him to our vet who, after several minutes, told us he needs TPLO surgery within 30 days or he will develop arthritis. Our first and only dog – we didn’t know – we took him to their recommended specialist (11 days later was the earliest)….

Read More

Conservative Management – Lucy the Corgi

We have a wonderful Corgi named Lucy who will be turning 2 years old the first week of December. We picked her up from a breeder with a good history. She is pretty active at home with her step-brother Corgi Charlie, but at the dog park she doesn’t like to play; shes an explorer. At…

Read More

Turmeric for Dogs

What It Is Turmeric, an herb known for its bright orange color, has long been used in its native Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries as a staple for not only cooking and clothing dye, but also as medicine. For thousands of years, Chinese medicine, for example, has incorporated herbal remedies as part of its holistic…

Read More

Conservative Management with Lupus – Kaylie

My 9-year-old 64 lb Kaylie became critically ill in June 2015 and was diagnosed with canine systemic lupus (which acts very much like human lupus) but luckily I found a wonderful internal medicine vet  who is very knowledgable in this area. Through immunosuppressive drugs–Prednisone and Imuran among them–she has been in remission since mid-summer 2015,…

Read More

Conservative Management, Weight Management and Laser Therapy – Hannah

Hannah was diagnosed with a partially torn rear leg CCL one year ago, in May 2012. Now, approaching Memorial Day Weekend 2013, marks the one year anniversary of her diagnosis, and I thought to share her story so others out there know that surgery — TPLO, Tightrope, etc.– is NOT your only option, contrary to…

Read More

Conservative Management, Traditional Repair and TPLO – Forrest Gumbo’s Story

About 3 years ago Forrest Gumbo, our approximately 3-year-old, healthy 45-pound pit bull that we adopted at 9 months old, the love of my life, was doing his usual figure 8 “zoomies” after one of our morning runs and he injured his right rear leg. He limped a little for a bit and always seemed…

Read More

Walk to Jog – Video

There are two separate aspects to jogging. First you will want to show your dog to Walk to Jog, then Jog to Run. Make sure your dog is using the injured leg 100% at a slow walk before even considering jogging. Dr. James St. Clair of TopDog Health and Rehabilitation gives us tips on how…

Read More

Slow, Controlled Leash Walking – Video

Dr. James St. Clair of TopDog Health and Rehabilitation discusses the importance of mastering controlled leash walking with your dog during their recovery from a cruciate ligament (CCL or ACL) injury. Making sure your dog maintains a reasonable amount of exercise during the recovery process helps your dog to learn to use the injured leg…

Read More

How to Measure Your Dog’s Muscle – Video

Dr. James St. Clair of TopDog Health and Rehabilitation shows a simple, informative technique of measuring hind leg muscle to help track your dog’s progress during recovery from CCL surgery or throughout Conservative Management….

Read More

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…

Read More