How to measure for a small dog

If you have a small dog, one whose leg measures 6" or less from point of elbow to floor, please take the following measurements:

1. Measure from point of the elbow on one side of your dog, up and over the back to point of elbow on the opposite side of your dog.
2. Measure around both the left and right legs at the point of the elbow.
3. Measure around your dog's leg half way between the point of the elbow and the top of the paw
4. Measure from point of elbow to top of paw

DogLeggs "No Drain Campaign"

My vet has just drained the hygroma on my dog's leg and he suggests that I get a pair of DogLeggs". This is a very common statement we hear at DogLeggs. The unfortunate thing is, in almost all cases, draining the hygroma was not necessary. DogLeggs is often all that is need to cure this frustrating condition!

Manually removing fluid from a hygroma at the elbow with a Penrose drain or using a syringe and large bore needle was the technique most often taught in veterinary schools in past decades. However the latest, safest and most effective technique is to just have the patient wear a pair of DogLeggs.

Hygroma is a fluid build up in the joint capsule most often due to repeated trauma when the animal lays down, during play or other activities. Manually removing the fluid is just treating the symptom and not the cause. Similar to what happens to your shin if you keep banging it into your coffee table, your body will create a swelling to protect the area. The answer to the swelling is not for your doctor to make an incision and drain the site, it is to stop banging you shin! You can move the coffee table or learn to not run into it or even resort to wearing your kid's soccer shin pads for a while. However how do you teach your dog to not bang their elbows when they lay down or play? A good dog bed rarely is the solution, most animals prefer to lay on cool hard surfaces such as wood or tile and they do not provide protection when the dog is out playing.

Standard Adjustable DogLeggs are specifically designed to protect the elbows no matter where the patient goes, in the house, outside on the deck, in their kennel, a crate... anywhere.
In a survey we conducted of over 300 clients that used Standard Adjustable DogLeggs to treat hygroma, over 95% reported the hygroma was cured. We would love for someone to do an independent study to confirm our findings.

We are not suggesting that there are not situations where needle aspiration or drains are called for. In some cases the swelling comes up so fast and large that the skin over the elbow is at immediate risk of tearing open and resulting in a wound that is very hard to heal. Any time the skin at a joint is compromised, it is a very serious issue. In fact, this is why many vets will no longer put a drain in the elbow, because of the risk of it not healing or getting infected. There are many postings on websites accessible only by veterinary professionals that read something like "I will never take a scalpel to another hygroma as long as I practice". At the last American College of Veterinary Surgeons conference in Washington DC a group of vets walked up to our booth and one said, "I am so glad these [Standard Adjustable DogLeggs] are available, the only result I ever got with surgery was unhappy clients".

Featured Customers - Chutney

Help for His Horrible  Hocks

In April we received an email from Jennifer Hill of Montana, one of the certified canine rehabilitation practitioners (CCRP) we work with quite frequently. The email started with "I have a dog who is in a mess! Chutney has horrible hocks. Arthritic, swollen and his gait is very compensated." Because of the severe arthritis in his hocks ,causing him pain and limited range of motion, Chutney would circumduct (move in a circular pattern) his hind legs when he walked. This circumduction would likely lead to future problems in the hip problems due to the poor biomechanics of this unnatural gait.

The question was, how can we help reduce the pain and also repattern Chutney to walk with a proper gait motion? DogLeggs has a Rear Leg Stabilization System, a pair of cuffs worn just above the hocks with an adjustable hobble strap connecting the two cuffs, limiting lateral movement of the hind legs, could have been used in this case. Jennifer Hill wanted to address both the gait and the arthritis, so the DogLeggs Tarsal Support was selected. Products such as the Tarsal Support, Hock Sock, Standard Adjustable DogLeggs and Front Leg Wraps, although designed for other purposes, also seem to also provide relief for joint pain possibly by holding the bodies' warmth in the area it covers and increases blood flow.

When the DogLeggs Tarsal Supports arrived Jennifer began trying different weights of Thera-Bands to control the lateral movement during rehab sessions to help repattern Chutney's gait.
This solution has been very successful, Chutney has gained better range of motion with less pain and more natural hind end movement. We hope with continued use
of the DogLeggs' Tarsal Supports and physical therapy he will make even more progress.

We at DogLeggs are are thrilled to be part of the growing field of veterinary rehabilitation and hear of each case where innovative techniques are combined with our unique products to produce such positive results. Keep sending us your emails that start with "I have a [dog, cat, horse, ferret, moose]..."

The DogLeggs Family Grows

There have been some exciting additions to the DogLeggs staff lately. We are excited to have Debbie Brink join the DogLeggs Design and Production Team. Debbie has formal training in textile and fashion design from Colorado State University and built her own successful sewing business, specializing in production, prototyping and repair of equestrian products. When interviewing Debbie
she said " There is almost nothing that I haven’t or wouldn’t try designing or sewing." Already her accomplishments at DogLeggs back up that claim where she has contributed to the improvement of several products. Debbie has a standard poodle named Stitch and multiple horses that she trains for various eventing competitions

Our most recent addition is Lisa Fair, our new Director of Marketing and Customer Support.  Lisa comes to DogLeggs after 13 years as a veterinary surgical and orthopedic technician, originally at VCA Veterinary Referral Associates and then Veterinary Orthopedic & Sports Medicine (VOSM), two very prestigious specialty animal hospitals. Lisa helped establish and then manage the surgical services at VOSM. While at VOSM she utilized many of the DogLeggs products and has first hand experience that will be invaluable to our veterinary professionals and pet owner clients. Lisa has two dogs , her "kids" Jake, a Cavlier King Charles Spaniel and Alice "Blair", a beautiful lab mix, both acquired through her work when each was given up due to medical conditions.

 

In Memory of Maggie

For those of you that have been reading articles on this site for a while, you may remember our story about Maggie an Canine Assistance Dog for a dear friend of DogLeggs, Ron. You can revisit the article in our Past Features section.

After many years of the most faithful service imaginable, Maggie passed away late in June. As so many of us know, the greatest cure for the loss of an animal companion is another one. Ron's neighbors after hearing of the devastating loss got together and bought Ron an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy, that soon was named Annie, and is quickly making her way into Ron's heart and hopefully will soon pick up the critical duties that Maggie so faithfully provided for so many years. We wish both Ron and Annie many happy years together.

 

Event Calendar

July 31 - Aug. 3 -147th AVMA Annual Convention

August 4-7 - 6th International Symposium on Veterinary Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy

Oct. 21-23 - ACVS Veterinary Symposium in Seattle WA

 

             

Founder and President