Why is my dog limping and can acupuncture help?

My dog Ralphie is a soft tissue nightmare. He was one of those dogs, perhaps you know one, who was intermittently lame, didn't really get better with rest and pain medication, x-rays were pristine with no abnormalities, and I didn't know what was wrong with him for a long time.

With my training in Canine Rehabilitation, I've been able to diagnose his Medial Shoulder Instability on the left, a biceps tendonosis (long term injury after having tendonitis) on his right, bilateral iliopsoas strains (a groin muscle that extends up the underside of the spine all the way to the chest), and patellar tendonitis on his right.

Acupuncture helps reduce the pain he's showing, and improves his mobility. Acupuncture also treats the "knotted-up" fascia around all of those injuries, improving blood flow and normalizing nerve conduction.

Acupuncture has drastically improved his quality of life, and he's why I do what I do with Ruff Day. When Ruff Day was still in the development stages, whenever Ralphie was due for a treatment, Adam would tell me that Ralphie was having a "Ruff Day" and he needed some acupuncture. Ralphie inspired me to help other pets through their Ruff days, and that's how I became Ruff Day Vet.

Dogs can limp for many reasons, and soft tissue injuries can be difficult to diagnose and treat. If your pet has been diagnosed with such an injury, we can help!