The intent of this program is not to replace a live, in-person veterinary examination or physical therapy and rehabilitation evaluation, as management of your pet’s specific injury or lameness requires a thorough hands-on examination and definitive diagnosis.  This program is intended for general education of the pet parent in the following cases:

• Following diagnosis of a cranial cruciate ligament sprain or rupture, 
• In preparation for surgery, whether:
  • Extracapsular repair, lateral suture repair, or other surgical stabilization with sutures and/or crimps,
  • TPLO (or tibial plateau leveling osteotomy surgery), or
  • TTA (or tibial tuberosity advancement surgery);
  • With or without medial meniscal surgical management, whether a release or partial meniscectomy, and/or
  • With or without joint injections, whether anesthetics or hyaluronic acid, protein rich plasma (PRP), or another cellular fluid intended to improve recovery time or reduce pain or inflammation associated with surgery.
• Following surgery and in preparation for an in-person post-operative physical therapy and rehabilitation consultation or online educational session.

If you have questions about surgery or recovery after surgery, your best resource is your pet’s veterinary surgical team.  Don’t hesitate to contact them if you’re ever concerned.  Fortunately, pets tend to recover in a fairly predictable way from cruciate surgery, so if your pet goes “off track,” it’s usually pretty obvious and your pet’s veterinary surgical team can advise you with strategies to remedy these issues rather quickly.  Remember that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” so it’s best to be more cautious than not.

Recommendations and instructions for pet patients who are not surgical candidates or who are >2 weeks post-operative following a surgical procedure should contact Amie at [email protected] for more individualized education and instruction and/or for referral to a trusted colleague in their area.