Orthopedic Care for Your Dogs and Cats

Veterinary orthopedics involves disorders affecting the bones, joints, and supportive structures (tendons, ligaments) and includes both medical and surgical management of these disorders. Elemental Pet Vets is uniquely qualified to offer the best diagnostic and therapeutic options for dogs and cats afflicted by orthopedic problems. 

In most cases in which a pet displays lameness, there is an aspect of pain involved. Dogs and cats do not always vocalize when painful, but will exhibit lameness, become less active, sleep more during the day, and sometimes avoid certain activities (like going up and down stairs, slowing down on walks).

The first step in assessing a patient with a suspected orthopedic abnormality is to combine the history, signalment (breed, age, sex) and chief complaint (like right rear leg lameness). This information is combined with the orthopedic examination to both localize the problem and come up with an ordered (most likely to least likely) list of possible causes. In the majority of cases, this approach will identify the area of interest and suggest the most likely cause. The next step is choosing diagnostic tests. In most instances of lameness, radiography (x-rays) comprises the next diagnostic step. 

Modalities Aimed at Pain Relief

Some of these therapies help support joint, tendon/ligament and bone health and healing (like ESWT and PRP) in addition to providing pain relief. Do we use all of these modalities in each dog? No, but having all of these modalities under one roof allows us at Elemental Pet Vets to tailor therapy to each patient. Elemental Pet Vets is the only veterinary facility in the region that offers all of these modalities for orthopedic patients. We are one of two facilities in the state of New York that offers Synovetin joint injections. What is Synovetin? Synovetin is a radioactive (very small amount of radiation that dissipates quickly) form of tin that is engulfed by inflammatory cells in the joint called macrophages. These macrophages are responsible for releasing a lot of inflammatory mediators that cause joint pain. After they gobble up the Synovetin, they are inactivated for a long time period. The clinical research was performed in dogs with elbow arthritis, and there was a 90% to 92% success rate that lasted for over a year. In some states (including NY) it is allowable to use Synovetin for other joints (other than the elbow). Although no published research yet exists for Synovetin use in other joints, there are anecdotal reports that it is effective for these joints as well.

When a joint is immobile, the cartilage degenerates faster and arthritis worsens. Essentially, keeping the joint as healthy as possible in the face of a painful orthopedic condition requires keeping the joint mobile. Also, an overweight patient with an orthopedic problem like joint disease would likely gain some relief from weight loss. Weight loss typically requires exercise. This is a difficult situation, because a painful patient is typically not willing to move the affected limb due to the pain of weight-bearing? How do we get around that problem? Hydrotherapy. By removing the amount of weight the patient has to bear on affected limb(s), we can provide exercise without inflicting discomfort. The two main modalities of hydrotherapy for orthopedic patients are underwater treadmill and pool therapy. At Elemental Pet Vets, we offer both underwater treadmill therapy and exercise pool therapy.



What if my dog needs surgery for his/her orthopedic problem? At Elemental Pet Vets, we are now scheduling patients with cruciate ligament injuries for knee surgery, as this is the most common orthopedic issue we encounter in dogs. For further information about how Elemental Pet Vets can help your dog or cat with orthopedic issues, call for an appointment with one of our specialists.