Achilles Rupture

[Bear]

Anyone have any tips or experience treating a doberman (or other dog) with an achilles tear? They saw the surgeon first who told them that it had happened on the other leg and already healed. He recommended PT first. Of course there are plenty of impairments and things to work on. Just seeing if anyone has experience here and recommendations. Thanks.

[lehughes]

I'd say get him into a brace ASAP. With more than a minor tear, I'd go with Hero or Orthopets.
I love Hero for a permanent fix / permanent solution. I've not had a chance to do staged rehab using a Hero Brace. I inherited a patient from a vet clinic that had casted for and order an Orthopets hinged staged brace and took that dog through the stages of gradual movement within / of the brace. Shocked the heck out of me that in the end, you never would have known there was a tear. (I never saw him when it first happened - just after the got the brace and the rDVM didn't know what to do.)

Brace, Brace, Brace! While you wait for it to be made, either put the dog in (or ask to have the dog put into)a half slab cast or create short term brace with a Therapaw TarsoFlex brace (with extra support and a thermoplastic attachment).

Laurie

[K9Rehab]

Any experience bracing a cat with a full achilles tear Laurie? That just came to me today.... the few ruptures I have come across have been surgically repaired. I have one right now, partial tear in a brace from k9 orthotics and it's working pretty well for this particular dog (rather senior and slow moving).

[lehughes]

No Cat Achilles rupture experience, I'm afraid... but I see long term custom bracing as the best option for that!
Laurie