Articles with CCL injuries

CCL Surgery Post-Op Care: Example Plan for Your Dog’s Recovery after Cruciate Ligament Surgery

What happens after surgery is as important to a successful outcome as the surgery itself. Don’t ever allow the surgeon let you walk out of the hospital without detailed instructions on how to manage your dog’s post-op recovery. The stakes are high—the situation is stressful. You can anchor yourself with our FREE Veterinary Visit Checklists. Too often, dog parents are…

by Jana Rade

Canine Extracapsular Repair: Sandy’s Extracapsular Repair

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…

by Jana Rade

Canine TPLO Post-Op: Coco’s Diary

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…

by Jana Rade

Preventing ACL/CCL Injuries In Dogs: What Can I Do to Prevent My Dog from Busting Their Knee Ligament?

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…

by Jana Rade

Assessing Lameness in Dogs: Measuring Leg Circumference—Cookie’s PRP Treatment for Partial Cruciate (CCL/ACL) Tear and Leg Circumference

Muscle mass measurements are a useful tool to evaluate the use of limbs. The following methods can estimate muscle mass: limb circumference measurements ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) Measuring leg circumference is an option that is readily available and affordable. Further information: Assessing and Measuring Rehabilitation Outcomes Jasmine’s vet always said that…

by Jana Rade

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of America, and an award-winning author in my spare time. 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 into 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 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 use 20 years of hard-earned experience to save others from the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way, as I did.

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