Meet Squeak, our Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic Pet of the Week. Squeak is an athletic dog, trained in the sport of agility. Unfortunately, Squeak suffered a hyperextension injury to his carpus (the canine equivalent of a wrist). In such an injury, extensive force is placed on the joint (usually while jumping and landing hard on the paw), causing the joint to bend back too far, tearing ligaments. This can be a very severe and irreparable injury, especially for an athletic dog. However, Squeak’s owner was determined to nurse Squeak back to health and is doing so by pursuing surgical, medical, and physical therapies for her dog.
Squeak is the first dog that we’ve treated that had a customized splint made to help relieve stress on his joint (his mom’s idea). Below are images of Squeak wearing his splint. In addition, Squeak goes to weekly hydrotherapy as a great way to maintain strength while avoiding too much stress on the injured leg.
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