Orthopedic Surgery

If your pet has been struggling with new or chronic pain, it could be due to orthopedic problems in their joints. Whether due to age, breed or injury, these issues can impact your dog or cat’s quality of life.

At our hospital, we offer the following orthopedic procedures:

• Cruciate Repair
• Fracture Repair
• Involved Fracture Repair
• Limb Amputation
• Cranial (Anterior) Cruciate Ligament Injury and Stabilization
• Patella Luxation Repair
• Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO)

Cruciate Repair

One of the most common injuries dogs can suffer from is a torn cranial cruciate ligament. If this ligament is torn, the shin bone will slide forward to the thigh bone. When this happens, the cartilage can become very unstable and progress to osteoarthritis.

Some common signs of a torn cranial cruciate ligament include:

• Lameness, especially after activity
• Stiffness in the hind legs
• Clicking sounds
• Increased attention to that area, such as licking or biting the knee
• Swelling of the knee joint
• Obvious pain

Because this type of injury can’t be healed with medication or rest, cruciate repair surgery is needed to treat the ligament.

Fracture Repair

As a result of trauma, a fall or even a fight, dogs and cats can suffer from bone fractures. Signs of a fracture include:

• Swelling or pain at the site
• Abnormal movement
• Holding up the injured limb
• Difficulty or unwillingness to get up or walk

Fracture repair surgery can repair the fractured bone and restore pain-free mobility to the affected area.

Involved Fracture Repair

For more involved fractures, sometimes the only solution is to amputate the limb. If your dog or cat has a non-treatable fracture, receiving a limb amputation can help ensure successful treatment. Even though your pet will need a bit of time to adjust, this surgical treatment can allow them to continue living a happy, healthy and active life.

Limb Amputation

A limb (leg) amputation may be a solution to a difficult medical condition. For some conditions, including cancers or non-treatable fractures, a pet limb amputation can be vital to successful treatment. Dogs and cats can relatively and easily accommodate the loss of one of their four legs and are even known to live wonderfully active lives. Schedule a consult with us and we can walk you through this procedure.

Cranial (Anterior) Cruciate Ligament Injury and Stabilization

One of the most common injuries to the knee of dogs is tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). As a result, the shin bone (tibia) slides forward with respect to the thigh bone (femur) causing pain and lameness. The resulting instability affects the cartilage and leads to osteoarthritis (OA).  We will help you decide if Tibial-Plateau-Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO), Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) or Extracapsular (Lateral) Suture Stabilization is best for your pet.

Patella Luxation Repair

Patellar luxation (dislocation) is a condition where the knee cap rides outside the femoral groove when the knee is flexed. The condition affects primarily small dogs, especially breeds such as Boston and Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and miniature poodles. If your pet has recurrent or persistent lameness or if other knee injuries occur secondary to the luxating patella, you may schedule a surgical consult with us to discuss if surgical repair is warranted.

Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO)

This is a surgical procedure aimed at restoring pain-free mobility to a diseased or damaged hip by surgically removing the head and neck of the femur (the long leg bone or thighbone). The most common reasons for FHO include fractures involving the hip, hip luxation/dislocation, severe arthritis of the hip and Legg-Perthes disease. After healing, a “false” joint is created and your pet should walk normally and pain free.

Please call to inquire about these services or Make An Appointment online.