YES!! We always prefer your dog stay on their pain meds for their assessment (even though some vets will recommend they be held). We can still do a thorough assessment and treatment with your dog having pain relief pre-appointment. The goal is to make your dog as comfortable as possible at all times.

No! The marketers of the underwater treadmill (UWT) have done a fabulous job and it's great for challenging the cardiovascular system and for supporting limbs that can't take full weight but it falls short of what a full program can do. Underwater treadmill does not provide progressive overload (i.e. increasing challenging to the leg). Many dogs who are favouring their leg on land who participate in hydrotherapy still favour their leg after. The underwater treadmill does not address proper use of a leg (e.g. regaining full knee and ankle bend, proper sitting mechanics, etc). And the UWT is not something that most owners can access more than once or twice a week which is a far from optimal dose when it comes to rehabilitation.

Yes. Unfortunately this is true. Roughly 50% of dogs will go on to rupture the ligament on the other side within 1-2 years of the initial injury. Have a labrador retriever? Research shoes that there is no time delay in this breed and a tear of the other CCL can happen at any time. What we don't have concrete research on is how many dogs go on to injury the other knee when they've had appropriate physiotherapy. Anecdotally, at Pawsitively Fit we see fewer tears on the other side when a rehab program has been followed.

We hear this one all the time! There is a huge difference between the surgical site being healed and doing well and the rest of the body moving well. The most common issues we see after surgery are on-going weakness (leading to limping/lameness), untreated pain, poor use of the repaired leg, poor flexibility at the knee and ankle of the repaired leg. Often times a dog has become so used to not using all four legs that they continue on using "3 and a bit" legs. A physiotherapy assessment can help to pinpoint the cause of the altered movement and develop an appropriate plan!

There are many reasons why owners feel surgery is not the best choice for their dog including finance, their dog's health or age or their own personal beliefs. In general, surgery can provide the quickest resolution but it is not a must for all dogs. If the meniscus is torn, surgery is generally required. If your dog is older, has health concerns or is not very active, a non-surgical approach may be the best path forward. An evaluation by Pawsitively Fit can help determine which path forward may be the best choice for your dog as we have experience with both scenarios. Many veterinarians are not as experienced with conservative management that included physio and may be a reason they did not discuss it with you.

We see the best results by getting started within the first 5-days after surgery. Many vet surgeons are not actively showing owners how to perform the initial post-op exercises before they bring their dog home and owners are fearful of hurting their dogs. We want you to get started right away to reduce the pain and swelling to set your dog up for success!

Yes! If you are outside of our Kingston catchment area for in-home appointments, or prefer to meet virtually, we have helped dogs with virtual consults recover from CCL injuries. In some cases, owners will pair virtual appointments with laser therapy sessions with a local clinic to optimize healing and outcomes.