Canine Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Care

Treatments & Procedures

Dr. Sherman Canapp diagnoses and treats joint and soft tissue injuries in canine athletes and active companions. He is particularly renowned for getting owners a definitive answer as to the cause of lameness or changes in performance, and then treating the cause. This includes, in particular, the diagnosis and treatment of canine forelimb elbow and shoulder conditions.

Joint & Soft Tissue Conditions Diagnosed & Treated

Targeted diagnostic imaging, gait analysis on a computerized gait mat, and arthroscopic diagnostics can be performed where needed. Regenerative medicine, conservative management, arthroscopic treatment and a rehab/conservative management protocol can be provided, where needed.

Shoulder

Diagnosis and treatment of complex shoulder injuries including:

  • Medial Shoulder Syndrome (MSS)
  • Biceps tendon injuries
  • Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD)
  • Shoulder osteoarthritis
  • Traumatic caudal glenoid fractures

Elbow

Diagnosis and treatment of injuries and conditions:

  • Elbow Osteoarthritis

  • Elbow dysplasia (fragmented medial coronoid process – FCP)

  • “Jump Down Syndrome” (traumatic FCP)

  • Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD)

  • Un-united anconeal process (UAP)

Carpus, Digits & Hock

Diagnosis and treatment of distal limb injuries impacting performance and comfort:

  • Carpus (wrist) and toe (digit) injuries
  • Hock (ankle) osteoarthritis
  • Hock Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD)
  • Post-traumatic instability and soft tissue injury

Pelvis

Evaluation and treatment of lower back and pelvic instability or pain:

  • Lumbosacral (LS) disease
  • Sacroiliac (SI) joint issues
  • Compensatory spine pain from limb lameness

Hip

Comprehensive management of developmental and degenerative hip disease:

  • Hip osteoarthritis
  • Hip dysplasia in young and mature dogs
  • Pain management and function optimization

Stifle (Knee)

Diagnosis and treatment of complex stifle pathology:

  • Meniscal injuries
  • Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD)
  • Stifle osteoarthritis
  • Complete cranial cruciate ligament (CCL / “ACL”) tears using TPLO procedure
  • Early partial stable CCL and caudal cruciate ligament (CaCCL / “PCL”) injuries with regenerative medicine

Soft Tissue

Many canine athletes suffer from soft tissue injuries that are easily missed on routine examination. Dr. Canapp utilizes a hands-on orthopedic exam, computerized objective gait analysis, advanced imaging and targeted rehabilitation plans to address:

  • Iliopsoas (hip flexor) strains
  • Piriformis syndrome
  • Supraspinatus tendinopathy (SST)
  • Biceps muscle and tendon strain
  • Infraspinatus tendinopathy
  • Achilles tendon injuries

Treatment may combine structured rehabilitation, orthobiologic injections, and, if-needed, minimally invasive arthroscopic diagnostics and surgery

Regenerative Medicine

Orthobiologic interarticular injections are an option to accelerate surgical recovery, reduce pain, improve joint health, and support the healing of soft tissue and cartilage injuries.

  • Hyaluronic acid (HA)

  • Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

  • Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC)

  • Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC)

When Does Regenerative Medicine Help Canines?: Regenerative medicine can slow the progression of osteoarthritis, accelerate and improve recovery from surgery. It is also used to treat conditions such as osteoarthritis when surgical treatment or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories are not recommended or not an option.

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Dr. Sherman Canapp diagnoses and treats dogs in Mill Valley, CA and Oakland, MD USA