Orthopedics

Meredith Kapler, DVM North Carolina State University David Dycus, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS (Small Animal) Veterinary Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Group, Annapolis Junction, Maryland Fractures occur commonly in both dogs and cats. While typically fractures occur after a traumatic incident, such as being hit by a car or falling from a height, some fractures occur …

Caleb Hudson, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS Patellar luxation is a relatively uncommon cause of hindlimb lameness in cats. Many clinically normal cats have mild femoropatellar joint laxity, and during orthopedic examination patellar subluxation or even low-grade luxation can often be induced.1 It is important to differentiate these clinically insignificant cases of patellar laxity from cases in …

Duane A. Robinson, DVM, PhD Complications can occur during the recovery period following an orthopedic procedure. The author discusses bone healing; delayed unions, nonunions, and malunions; osteomyelitis and infection; bone implant construct failures; and fracture disease in this comprehensive article. Orthopedic procedures, whether performed on an elective or urgent/emergent basis, are common in small animal …

Part 2 of a comprehensive look at managing chronic pain in dogs and cats. Here, an in-depth look at managing osteoarthritis.

James K. Roush, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS, Kansas State University This is the second article in a 2-part series on canine cranial cruciate rupture. The first article—Canine Cranial Cruciate Disease: Updating Our Knowledge about Pathogenesis and Diagnosis—was published in the July/August 2013 issue of Today’s Veterinary Practice. Canine cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CrCLR) has long …

The following statistics were extracted from data collected from the medical records of nearly 2.2 million dogs and 460,000 cats cared for in more than 800 Banfield Pet Hospitals (banfield.com) in 2012. Note that diagnosis was made based on the attending clinician’s judgment. INFECTIOUS RESPIRATORY DISEASE…BY THE NUMBERS Of all pets presented to Banfield Pet …

Part 1 of a comprehensive look at managing chronic pain in dogs and cats. Here, an overview of osteoarthritis, including a treatment plan.

James K. Roush, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS Cranial cruciate ligament rupture is not only the most common cause of hindlimb lameness in dogs, it is also the most common misdiagnosed or overlooked cause of canine lameness. This article addresses pathogenesis and diagnosis in a handy question and answer format; a future article will discuss the …

Ashkan Hakhamian, DVM, and Alan J. Schulman, DVM, Diplomate ACVS Over the last few years, a variety of adjunct therapies have become more common in veterinary medicine. The drive for these treatments stems from: Medical professionals seeking more advanced therapies for their patients Pet owners seeking additional therapies for classically “single treatment” diseases or conditions. …