drbrunke

  • What Is a Pivot Shift After a Torn CCL in Dogs?

    If your dog has torn their cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), you may hear your veterinarian talk about something called a “pivot shift.” It sounds complicated, but it is actually an important clue about how unstable the knee has become. The CCL in dogs is similar to the anterior cruciate ligament… Listen ⇢

  • New JAVMA Article: What Veterinarians Should Know About Emerging Safety Concerns with Librela®

    I am excited to share a newly published article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) of which I was a co-author. It was a privilege to work with an outstanding team of collaborators on this important review. Our paper looks at the growing body of information… Listen ⇢

  • Rehab After CCL Surgery

    Helping Your Dog Get Strong Again Why rehab is key Surgery fixes the joint, but rehabilitation aids the body in healing by reducing pain, swelling, and stiffness, while rebuilding muscle and coordination. A structured rehab plan gives your dog confidence to use the leg again. How rehab works — step… Listen ⇢

  • Dog Knee Injuries: The CCL: What It Is, How We Find It, and How Surgery Helps

    What is the CCL and why does it matter? Your dog’s back leg has a knee joint (also called the “stifle”). Inside that joint is a ligament called the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). This is very similar to the ACL in a human’s knee. This band of tissue helps hold… Listen ⇢

  • New Research for Older Dogs and Cognitive Function

    This is a brief overview and my thoughts on a recent article in Frontiers by Lugosi et al. – link at end. As dogs get older, many of them start to slow down. They may walk more slowly, sleep more, have trouble getting up, or seem less interested in playing.… Listen ⇢

  • What X-Rays Miss… And Why That Matters for Dogs on Librela and Cats on Solensia

    Let’s start with a simple idea. X-rays do not always tell us the full story. There is a great paper by Jones and colleagues that helps set the stage for this. It looks at dogs with elbow disease and compares what we see on X-rays to what is actually happening… Listen ⇢

  • New FDA Citizen Petition Raises Questions About Librela Safety

    Librela (bedinvetmab) is a medication that many veterinarians use to help dogs with osteoarthritis (arthritis) pain. It works differently than traditional pain medications because it blocks a protein called nerve growth factor (NGF), which helps transmit pain signals. Recently, a citizen petition was submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug… Listen ⇢

  • More Research on Librela (bedinvetmab)

    We have talked before on DrBrunke.blog about osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs and the newer arthritis injection Librela (bedinvetmab). While many dogs have experienced improved comfort and mobility with this medication, there has also been increasing discussion in veterinary medicine about possible side effects and long-term safety concerns. This new article… Listen ⇢

  • A New Study Looks at How Veterinarians Treat Arthritis in Dogs

    I have written several times on this blog about canine osteoarthritis (OA), including treatments such as rehabilitation, joint injections, NSAIDs, Librela, and other options available to help dogs stay comfortable and active. A new article by Bird et al. takes a different approach. Instead of studying one specific treatment, the… Listen ⇢

Matt Brunke, DVM, DACVSMR (Canine)

Topics on animal mobility, chronic pain, and One Health overlap

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