One of the goals of this blog is to celebrate the idea of “one medicine,” the crossroads where veterinary and human therapies meet for the benefit of all. So imagine my delight to cross paths with a talented pet portrait photographer who also happens to be a medical doctor!

I met Cecilia Basbus while out walking one of my dogs. She was out with her dog Lucky, a handsome chocolate lab. I noticed Lucky half a block away: He had on a leg brace that made him look like a sidelined soccer star, yet he was moving with ease. In fact, he was even wearing a smile!

Cecilia explained how Lucky had recently sustained a partial tear of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in his right hind leg. Using her medical know-how, she researched custom-made canine leg braces to help stabilize Lucky’s limb while he recovered slowly, without surgery, until scar tissue grew over his joint. Sadly, it’s quite common for dogs with this type of orthopedic injury  to sustain a second CCL tear, because the other hind leg must work extra hard to compensate. Just three weeks after being fitted with his leg brace, poor Lucky completely ruptured the CCL in his left hind leg; this time he had to undergo surgery.

The recovery time for a dog with a totally ruptured CCL can be slow and difficult — not to mention tough on the dog’s human, to lift and carry a large canine. (Can you say back pain?) To prevent an orthopedic injury of her own, Cecilia helped her dog get around by fitting him with a harness that has a convenient handle. Lucky’s vet told Cecilia the patient would be walking in about two months — but Lucky was ambulatory after just two and a half weeks! “He recuperated very fast compared to other dogs,” Cecilia explains, “because the brace on his other leg gave him support.”

Many years ago, my medicine dog Sam sustained this very same injury, and it took months for him to heal after surgery. But if any dog of mine ever requires CCL surgery in the future, I will be sure to follow Cecilia’s lead by ordering a canine leg brace to help stabilize the dog’s gait and prevent a second leg injury.

Check out Cecilia’s beautiful portraits of Lucky and many other canine models on her site.

Has your dog ever had orthopedic surgery, or walked with the help of orthotics? Please share your experiences in the comments.