Services
Big River Veterinary Services provides routine general pet care as well as specialized services.
Orthopedic Surgery: Cruciate ligament injuries are very common in dogs. We offer 3 types of procedures for repair of cruciate ligament injuries:
Lateral Suture Stabilization, or LSS, is a method of cruciate ligament repair that utilizes a length of surgical nylon to reconstruct to cruciate ligament and stabilize the knee joint. WE use the isometric point method of stabilization similar to the new TightRope® procedure, but without the risk of complications associated with the use of multifilament surgical implants. The LSS provides good stabilization for any size dog.
Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotmy, or TPLO, is a geometry modifying surgery for cruciate ligament repair. This procedure alters the slope of the tibial plateau and functionally eliminates abnormal joint instability during weight bearing. This surgery is preferred over the LSS for dogs over 50 pounds. Dogs seem to recover sooner and return to pre-injury activity more fully than LSS patients.
All our TPLO patients receive Platelet Rich Plasma in a bioscaffold of Type 1 collagen, cross-linked hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, and polyglycan. These components have been shown to help restore synovial fluid volume and stimulate cartilage regeneration in horses and dogs. In addition, we also perform Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) to the knee after surgery. ESWT has been shown to improve healing and lower to complications such as patella ligament swelling. These therapeutic modalities are included in the surgical procedure price and represent a savings of approximately $1,000 if done separately. We also us titanium implants which are more biocompatible than stainless steel implants.
Cranial Closing wedge Osteotomy (CCWO) is also offered as an alternative to the LSS for small breed dogs. The CCWO is also very useful for treating dogs with extremely high tibial plateau slopes and terrier and bulldog breeds. Patients also receive PRP with the bioscaffold and ESWT as part of the procedure at no extra cost to the owner.
Fractures are repaired by a number of different techniques including external skeletal fixation to bone plating. Dr. Cardosa has 15 years of orthopedic surgery practice and has repaired many different types of fracture from simple transverse fractures to complex joint fractures. BRVS regularly performs a number of different fracture repairs using various methods of internal and external fixation. The cost of fracture repair is variable depending upon the nature of the fracture, extent of injuries and the method and size of fixation necessary to repair the fracture and associated injuries. Estimates for fracture repair cannot be given over the phone. We must see the radiographs and the patient before we can commit to a cost for repair.
In addition to these procedures we also offer rigid endoscopy, surgery of the abdomen, bladder and other soft tissue procedures. We are full equipped with a new CT machine, ultrasound, oxygen therapy, digital radiography and other specialized equipment.
