TPLO Muscle Recovery

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether an oral supplement can accelerate muscle mass recovery after TPLO. Your dog will receive a supplement to his or her current diet that may be a placebo or treatment (supplement that contains special proteins that are designed to accelerate muscle mass recovery) provided in the form of kibbles. The supplement has to be given daily for the first 8 weeks after the surgery. We are utilizing ultrasound (i.e. a non-invasive procedure) to evaluate changes in muscle mass (i.e. muscle mass recovery) in dogs after surgery. Objective gait analysis will be utilized to provide an objective outcome measure of improvement in weight bearing/lameness. We are recruiting dogs that are undergoing a TPLO-procedure and offering a incentives (free X-rays, $850 after study completion) in exchange for participation in this study. The study involves your dog undergoing additional diagnostic tests including blood draws, gait analysis and ultrasound measurements of the limb before surgery and 2, 4 and 6 weeks after surgery. The procedure (TPLO) itself will not be affected by participation in this study.