Since retirement, our family now consists of Charlie, Parker and the two of us. Charlie and Parker are Golden Retrievers and we will be talking about Parker primarily with a little bit about Charlie thrown in. Parker is 12 years old and Charlie is 11. The two of them are best buddies. Last summer they spent glorious days at our daughter and son-in-law’s home on Lake Kellogg. It’s their idea of Heaven no doubt about it. Wonderful swimming, boat rides and running with abandon! But summer ended and their activity level decreased. A little later we noticed a distinct limp affecting Parker’s left front leg. The first thing we did was take her to our Vet and have x-rays. That was the first of multiple trips to the vet. She was not responding to any approach that we tried. Her discomfort level was at an all-time high. Charlie sensed this also when she refused to play and have little to do with him. She was miserable and it was so obvious that she found getting around and putting her weight on that leg a real trial. We re x-rayed her and found a huge arthritic deformity in the elbow joint. We had a choice: stronger medication or surgery. When we got home I went to the Internet. I started with a link to find a splint for that elbow. The company that I tried was nice enough to say that they didn’t make splints for the canine elbow and referred us to OrthoPets. It was the best advice we got for Parker. I contacted OrthPets for information after viewing their web site and talked to LiLen who became our Case Manager. She led us through the project step by step. She was very up front about the cost of our project and what was expected from us in order to get the brace done. She was so professional and kind to two people starting out with a completely foreign subject and nothing more than our love for our dogs. LiLen has always been available to us with answers to questions through the whole process, and right up to today. We took all the information talked about it and decided to give it a go! It was perfect! Parker accepted the brace immediately and had no problem trying it out by walking on it. She has not chewed on it or shown any signs of discomfort. Parker will come immediately when she’s called in the morning to have it applied. She has mastered the stairs and the grounds of our home with ease. As time went on, she progressed in her abilities. Charlie has his play partner back, which he is happy about.

The brace, coupled with appropriate arthritic pain medication, has given Parker a new lease on life. She’s a happy camper! We thank OrthoPets for providing the ability for her to enjoy her senior years while she plays and lives almost like a puppy again.
Thank you one and all——especially LiLen.

Sincerely,