Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
Extracapsular repair is an old technique, but it can work, and it is the least invasive surgical technique to date. It is not recommended for large dogs, but it can be done successfully. It is, however, more vulnerable during the post-op recovery. Thank you, Luanne, for sharing Sandy’s story. Sandy’s story Sandy’s conservative management of her ACL injury had to…
Obtaining and carefully following post-surgery instructions from your veterinarian/surgeon is essential for a positive outcome. Make sure you ask for a detailed, day-by-day recovery plan. You’d be surprised how often surgeons allow dog parents to go home without them. You can see an example of a cruciate ligament (ACL/CCL surgery post-op care plan looks like here. There are some…
Is there anything you can do to prevent cruciate ligament injury in your dog? Prevention is always the best treatment for any injury or disease. For example, recovery from a CCL injury will take anywhere from four to six months out of your dog’s active life, and an unstable joint will contribute to the development of arthritis. Further reading: Talk…
What happens after surgery is as important to a successful outcome as the surgery itself. Don’t ever walk out of your surgeon’s office without detailed instructions on how to manage your dog’s post-op recovery. To make sure you never leave a veterinary hospital without the information you need, grab your FREE Veterinary Visit Checklists. Introduction The best treatment for a…
Should you accept and even insist on pain management measures after your dog’s surgery or injury? It’s a no-brainer, isn’t it? Or is it? What would be your answer? A friend’s dog became lame and was diagnosed with a partial ACL tear. Their vet recommended to wait and see, even though the friend wanted to do surgery (I don’t know…