Dogs will be dogs.
If a squirrel is in their yard, they will chase them.
That’s exactly what Star, a German Shepherd female, did in the summer of 2023. Unfortunately, Star’s need to catch the squirrel has led to frequent visits to the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital.
You name the injury and Star seemingly suffered it. Hixson-Lied orthopedic surgeons repaired a cranial cruciate ligament rupture, a meniscal injury, and performed a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) implant surgery on Star.
Star’s road to normal activity has been long and frustrating. That’s where the Canine Rehabilitation Service comes in. Each week, Star and her owner Marlys Nail make the journey from Webster City, Iowa, to the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital. The weekly visits aim to keep Star active and keep her arthritis pain to a minimum.
Her weekly treatments include exercise, walking on the water treadmill, the occasional laser treatments and therapeutic ultrasounds.
“The Canine Rehabilitation Center has done wonders for Star after her three surgeries,” said Nail.
Star’s rehab has improved more than just keep her active. It has a definite impact on her mental state as well according to Nail.
“Star shows so much expression on her face when she is brought back to me after having time in the Rehab Center with Joanna (Hildreth) and DeAnna (Grant),” Nail said. “She is so happy and comes running into the waiting area.
“Afterwards I notice right away that her limp is less, her right back leg walks straighter and does not pivot out and back in with a twist as much.”
According to Nail, Star looks forward to the visits.
“All we have to say is ‘are you ready to go see your friends Joanna and DeAnna?’, Nail says. “She gets her Iowa State leash, brings it to me, stands by the garage door and is dancing for us to hurry up and get her in the van.”
The relationship between Star, Hildreth and Grant is great. But just as importantly, Nail trusts the two rehab staff members with her dog.
“I count on Joanna and DeAnna,” Nail says. “They give us a peace of mind that we have chosen the right place for Star. It’s amazing to see how they treat our fur baby as if she was a human or their actual pets.
“They are always great at communicating to us, answering our questions, show us and demonstrating thorough techniques through their knowledge while showing how much they care for Star.”
June 2025
