Articles with limping

Lost Mobility in a Dog: Diagnostic Tests Are Only As Good As Their Interpretation—R.G.’s Hind End Lameness

How often do you think veterinarians misdiagnose their patients? Diagnosis is a process, and sometimes it is not easy to peel the onion. However, sometimes a bad diagnosis is just that—a bad diagnosis due to a cock-up. The most common veterinary mistakes involve: surgical mistakes drug-related mistakes diagnostic errors Both graduate vets and experienced practitioners can cock-up the diagnosis, whether…

by Jana Rade

Dog Lameness Misdiagnosis: Did Star Tear Her Cruciate Ligament?

If your dog is lame, do you think it is important to know why? What difference would it make? The list of potential causes of your dog’s lameness is long and most likely suspects depend on: how quickly it came on how long it’s lasting the breed the dog’s age the dog’s lifestyle other variables Those criteria make certain possibilities…

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

Canine Myofascial Trigger Points: Unraveling The Mystery Of Fascia and Treatment of Myofascial Trigger Points

Ah, what a tangled web they weave, those fascia bundles! Fascia is a network of connective tissue that surrounds body organs, muscles, groups of muscles, nerves, etc. It is a dense maze of collagen fibers that provide structure and support for these internal body parts. My first semester of PT training involved literally tearing through the fascia layers to get…

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

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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