Joint issues

Surviving The Post-Op: After Your Dog’s ACL/CCL Surgery

How to make it through your dog’s surgery recovery —tips for surviving the post-op time. You’re probably all worried; I was too. Let me start with the good news. Based on my experience with Jasmine’s bi-lateral ACL surgeries, I truly believe that the post-op recovery is actually going to be much easier for your dog than it will be for…

by Jana Rade

TightRope® CCL Fixation System: Dorie’s Knee Surgery

The TightRope surgery was developed as an upgrade to the lateral suture stabilization (LSS) for cruciate injuries in dogs. Is it a better technique with better results? Both techniques have their risks to reward ratio. While stronger than surgical suture, the perception is that the patented braided TightRope material is the main reason for potential complications. It has, however, worked…

by Jana Rade

Physical Therapy for Hip Dysplasia: Tips and Techniques

Can physical therapy help your dog with hip dysplasia? What is hip dysplasia? Lots of people think hip dysplasia is a tight, sore, arthritic hip. However, it is really a hip that is too loose and lacks stability. The hip consists of a ball-and-socket joint formed by the head of the femur (ball) and the acetabulum of the pelvis (socket)…

by Susan E. Davis PT

Front Leg Lameness in a Rottweiler: Cookie’s Sore Front Legs

Hind leg lameness has been my biggest fear. Yet, a sore front leg can be way more complicated. The most common causes of hind limb lameness in dogs include: cruciate ligament injuries hip dysplasia arthritis (often secondary to one of the above) Front leg lameness can have various causes, the most common ones being elbow dysplasia and shoulder injuries. Neck…

by Jana Rade

Hip Dysplasia in Puppies: Top 10 Prevention and Management Recommendations

Here’s an interesting fact: all (or nearly all) puppies are born with normal hips. So how does hip dysplasia in puppies develop? Hip dysplasia timeline Radiographs taken of their hips appear normal for the first few weeks of life. Puppies with hip dysplasia will start showing changes in the shape and congruity of the hip joint as early as 2…

by Susan E. Davis PT

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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