Success Stories

Scout the Kelpie Mix

A couple years ago, when Scout was only 1 year old, he injured his left front limb causing him to limp and miss out on wilderness excursions. A non-local veterinary surgeon diagnosed Scout with medial shoulder instability and prescribed front-limb hobbles to stop continuous injury to the left shoulder. Unfortunately Scout got worse from wearing the hobbles. Diagnostic ultrasound was used to investigate a mildly swollen but painful area on his left elbow, which revealed injury to the medial collateral ligament of that elbow. Scout came for weekly and every-other-week-ly treatments of LASER, therapeutic ultrasound, and underwater treadmill until the injured elbow recovered fully. Scout soon thereafter returned to enjoying his great-outdoor life.

Shiloh the Yellow Labrador Retriever

When Shiloh turned 12 she was starting to show early signs of hind-limb weakness and hip pain. She started having trouble walking up and down stairs, getting in and out of the car, and would not want to go for long walks. Rehabilitation therapy for Shiloh included LASER-acupuncture, electrical stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, and pulsed electromagnetic field. Her owner/caregiver started administering daily electrical stimulation treatments for her Lumbar Spine (lower back), which helped Shiloh enjoy walks for 3 more years, including the Maroon Bells, the Snowmass Club golf course, and short walks around the yard.

Cassidy the Black Labrador Retriever

Cassidy’s home is on the 2nd floor in Aspen. When she was 13 years old she tore her left Cranial Cruiciate Ligament (like the human “ACL”) while playing ball with a dog-sitter in Denver. Since she is an older dog with mild kidney disease, surgery was not elected but she needed to walk up a full set of stairs in order to go to the bathroom multiple times per day. Diagnostic ultrasound revealed moderate injury to her left meniscus in addition to the torn CrCL, which explained why Cassidy’s left “stifle” (knee) was so painful to walk on. An ultrasound guided injection of Prostride(R) (a proprietary mix of Platelet-Rich-Plasma from Cassidy’s own blood together with “IRAP”) plus weekly rehabilitation visits to strengthen and relieve pain helped her continue to walk up and down the stairs in Aspen.

Zoot the Aspen Mountain Avalanche Rescue Dog

Zoot first came to rehabilitation when he was 7 years old. He had served on the Aspen Mountain Ski Patrol since he was a puppy and as a certified avalanche rescue dog; Zoot’s job was and is to dig fast in order to save and uncover humans buried in avalanche snow. He first started limping on his left front limb from shoulder and elbow arthritis with triceps tendon mineralization. Zoot was treated with shoulder and elbow injections of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) harvested from his own blood, followed by rehabilitation with LASER, therapeutic ultrasound, and hydrotherapy.

Bruiser the Yellow Labrador Retriever

When Bruiser was 4 years old, he tore his right Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CrCL) and needed Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) surgery in order to recover. Bruiser is a very large and strong dog (that is why he got his name) so very soon after finishing rehabilitation for his right hind limb, he unfortunately tore the other CrCL and needed another TPLO surgery. His rehabilitation therapy included LASER, pulsed electromagnetic field, and hydrotherapy. Bruiser continues to have lots of personality; in this photo he is licking a squirrel who came into his backyard.

Princess the Miniature Poodle Mix

Princess came for rehabilitation therapy after her veterinarian recommended euthanasia because she had dislocated both hips in an accident 5 years ago. She refused to use her doggie-wheelchair even though she was no longer able to walk on her own. After her first treatment, Princess was willing to walk a little. Her therapies included acupuncture, pulsed electromagnetic field, LASER, and electrical stimulation. Now Princess can walk slowly and carefully without needing much help or a wheelchair but her favorite place is still on her owner’s lap.

Cody the Australian Shepherd

When Cody was 10 years old he was at the prime of his game in agility, a sport that asks the dogs to jump, run, weave, and sprint against the clock in order to qualify their performances. After his 13th birthday Cody suffered a vestibular episode in the left side of his brain (like a stroke). He lost his balance and could not keep from falling over or circling to the right. He was not able to walk or eat without help for over a month. Acupuncture and rehabilitation exercises helped him return to walking straighter and enjoying some time in the outdoors.

Pistol the Black Angus Calf

When Pistol was being born, he was tied to a four wheeler and pulled out of his mother which tore his right front limb Brachial plexus nerves (all the nerves controlling his ability to walk and stand using the right front limb). Since the muscles were not given any nerve signals because the nerves were torn, the muscles started to shorten and contract. Rehabilitation using therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, pulsed electromagnetic field, and LASER therapies helped stop the contracture and allowed the nerves to heal without permanent damage. Pistol grew up to be a steer without a limp.

Jake the Appendix Quarter Horse

When Jake was 4 years old, he thought he could jump over a fence to run away from his horse “friends” who were picking on him in his pen. He did not make it over the fence without falling on his left hip and cutting his left leg severely. The accident left Jake with a big scar on his left leg and a “hunter’s bump” (pointy pelvic bones over the sacrum). Years later, a left-sided Lumbosacral fracture as diagnosed using ultrasound imaging. Early treatments for the hunter’s bump included LASER and therapeutic ultrasound but the most beneficial treatment to date was Platelet-Rich-Plasma (PRP) injected under ultrasound guidance directly at the Lumbosacral fracture site. After one injection of PRP, Jake’s hunter’s bump regressed significantly.