The Kenai Peninsula's only TPLO surgery.
A torn cruciate ligament used to mean a trip to Anchorage. Not anymore. Kachemak Bay Animal Hospital is the only place on the Kenai Peninsula where your dog can have TPLO surgery — the gold-standard repair — right here in Homer, with the team your family already knows.
How do I know if my dog needs one?
A torn cranial cruciate ligament — the dog equivalent of an ACL tear — is one of the most common orthopedic injuries in dogs. Watch for these signs:
Sudden hind-leg limping
The classic sign — your dog is fine one moment and limp or non-weight-bearing the next, often mid-run or after a quick turn.
Sitting strangely
Dogs with a sore knee often sit with the bad leg stuck straight out to the side instead of tucked under.
A sore, swollen knee
The joint may look puffy and be painful to touch, and your dog may guard the leg or lick at the knee.
A 'toe-touching' gait
Some dogs barely tap the leg to the ground when they walk, or shift weight off it entirely.
The gold-standard repair for a torn cruciate ligament.
TPLO stands for Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy. Instead of replacing the torn ligament, the surgeon makes a precise cut in the tibia and rotates the bone's weight-bearing surface so the knee is naturally stable without it. The bone then heals in its new, biomechanically sound position.
Compared to rest and medication alone, TPLO gives most dogs — especially larger, active ones — a faster return to full activity, less arthritis down the road, and a much lower chance of re-injury.
From limping to running — here's the journey.
Exam & X-rays
We confirm the cruciate tear on examination and take X-rays of the knee to measure your dog's tibial plateau angle and plan the surgery.
Surgery day
Your dog has the TPLO procedure under full anesthesia with attentive monitoring and pain control, and typically goes home the same or next day.
Rest & rechecks
The first weeks are short leash walks and strict rest. We recheck the knee with X-rays along the way to confirm the bone is healing on schedule.
Back to being a dog
Most dogs return to full activity within three to four months — running, hiking and playing again, with a stable, pain-free knee.
The Kenai Peninsula's only TPLO team — and it's ours.
Your dog gets evaluation, surgery, and every recheck right here in Homer — no long drives or kennel rides to Anchorage. The same team you know and trust, every step of the way, close to home.
- The only veterinary hospital on the Kenai Peninsula offering TPLO
- No driving to Anchorage — evaluation, surgery and all rechecks happen here in Homer
- Complete orthopedic workup in-house: digital X-rays, labs and pain management
- The same caring team you know, watching over your dog before, during and after surgery