CHARLOTTE – To continue in our National Arthritis Month series, this week we are shifting our focus to orthotics and prosthetics. There are many amazing options for fur babies who suffer from tears and other more severe injuries (or birth defects) that may even require the replacement of a limb or assistance from a custom-built wheelchair. We love offering solutions that help fur babies restore their mobility so they can enjoy a happy, active lifestyle.

One of the most common orthopedic injuries that we encounter at Passionate Paws Animal Hospital is CCL tears which are the canine version of an ACL tear. CCL stands for Cranial Cruciate Ligament. OrthoPets provides us with many of the dog braces, also called stifle orthoses, that we use for CCL tears. Each brace from them is uniquely and specifically designed to meet the prescribed therapeutic goals of each fur baby patient. The main focus is to find a solution that helps reduce pain and lameness, provides support and comfort, and most of all restore mobility and quality of life. 

In more advanced cases, we have to seek mobility solutions that require prosthetics and sometimes other unique mobility solutions. One of our providers, Eddie’s Wheels, has helped disabled fur babies regain mobility with their custom-built wheelchairs that are designed for on and off-road play. This is a great solution for fur babies who temporarily need to heal or need a more permanent mobility solution. As a caregiver of disabled dogs for over 20 years, Eddie and Leslie Grinnell took their passion for helping special needs fur babies and combined it with Ed’s  mechanical engineering background. His design has been endorsed by veterinarians (like us), rehab practitioners, and canine chiropractors. We personally have seen the amazing benefits of their wheelchairs with fur babies like Macho who had a back injury with a ruptured disc that caused him to have to undergo spinal surgery. He is living his best life now with the help of his custom wheels and regular acupuncture treatments. 

For more information about OrthoPets and Eddie’s Wheels, please visit their respective websites: orthopets.com and eddieswheels.com

Passionate Paws Animal Hospital is a proud member of the Union County Chamber of Commerce.