My dog (my world, my life, my baby... you get the idea) hurt her leg last week playing frisbee in the snow. A playtime activity she absolutely loves. We didn't even know she was hurt until later that night when she started limping. We took her to the vet last Friday and he felt around, but thought everything was okay. He gave her some prednisone for the swelling and since she was scheduled for a teeth cleaning the following Friday (today) he was going to give her a more thorough exam when she was under anethesia.

She stopped limping several days ago and seemed to be back to normal. I was more worried about her teeth cleaning than her leg, and was shocked when they told me she had a ruptured ACL that would require surgery!

Has anyone had this happen to their dog and had the surgery or not had the surgery? Any advice? I'm willing to pay whatever I need to have her get better, it's not about the money. I'm more worried about all the stuff I read on the internet about how debilitating this inury can be.

She seems fine! She isn't limping, even after the exam. I love her so much, I just want her to continue to be the happy, bouncing, frisbee catching lab that she has always been.

Sorry this is so long... I'm not usually prone to long posts... I'm just at a loss right now... Thanks for reading.

How did they determine she has a torn ACL?

I would either get a second opinion or wait - if she isn't limping I can't imagine that she is in any pain. She would let you know if she was.

Is this a trusted, long time vet or someone new? Sorry for all the questions but I am as protective over my pets as I am my kids! If it came down to it - my pets would go to the vet before I went to the doctor!!

I hope it all turns out good for your doggie . . .

Dogs can hide a lot. They are not like people, they do not want you to know if they're injured. Still, if it's really serious - a leg - you'd think you'd notice the limp.



I would probably ask the vet if the surgery could wait a while, see if doggy mends a bit, if the injury pops up again, or how it plays out. I hate having to put them through surgery too even when they need it, so I'd have to be sure she needed it first.

Hugs and doggy treats for her! Hope she's okay.

I am so sorry you are going through this. My girl ruptured both which can occur when the first one goes and is unstable causing the other one to blow. I would definitely head to the orthopedic surgeon for a consultation/second opinion. You do not want to wait until she ruptures the other one or arthritis sets in.

My baby had a double TPLO at 2 years old. Back then it was fairly new but I felt the best option for her. As it turns out this procedure is now the gold standard. She was never as sound as before but her xrays 6 years later showed no new arthritis which really impressed the surgeon. It is a major operation and a slow recovery but we were very happy with the results and I would do it again without hesitation in a healthy dog.

You will need to prevent her from licking the incision even if it means wearing an E collar 24/7, infections that reside under appliances (the plates) can last years. As with humans the rehab period is crucial so you will HAVE to keep her quiet no matter how much it makes both of you crazy. Frisbee and chasing squirrels are very common ways of blowing a knee so I'd really try to modify her activity. Perhaps take her swimming and toss the frisbee in the water rather than doing it on land.

I'll send good vibes your way and feel free to pm me if I can answer any questions. Hugs, Jules

I'm not sure how she was diagnosed. I asked the receptionist (who gave me the bad news) and she said the dr "felt it". I asked if she had x-rays and was told no.

This vet clinic is a trusted long standing facility. We have taken all of our pets there for the last 8 years and have been very happy with them.

I do think we should get a second opinion, I'm just not sure where to start or how much time we have. We have agreed to limit her activity to walks. Which she is not used to, but will have to learn to like, I guess. I'm afraid to let her do anything more strenuous.

Thanks so much for your replies. I knew someone here would have advice, you are all such a wonderful group of people!

I will keep you posted on how she does. We took a walk around the block this afternoon and she seems fine. My heart is breaking thinking she may be in pain and trying to hide it from us. How is it possible to love a dog this much? I really don't think I could love my own children (if I had them) any more. Crazy...

Oh, it's possible! I love my kids more than life itself but I love my pets just as much! They (kids & pets) come before anything I do for myself. Now, of course, if it came down to it my children would obviously come first but my pets come next. I have had some snide comments made to me about the amount of money I've spent on my children and my pets but I don't care - it's my decision and I think it's a good one!

I hope everything goes well for your dog - what is her name? I would definitely get a second opinion, too. Not that your vet doesn't have her best interest at heart - I just don't understand how they could dx and recommend surgery with no x-ray.

Good luck!

I definitely have to vote for a second opinion with x-rays included. Our sheltie injured her back leg when she was just a little less than a year old and had to have surgery. Our vet here, whom I absolutely adore, did the initial exam and sent her straight to a special surgeon in Ft. Wayne (2 hours away) who did the surgery the day I took her. It cost me a little over $1000 but I'd do it over again any day of the week. She is a very precious little girl to us. We got her when she was a baby and we'll have her til she's an old lady!! She's now 4 years old and has never had another problem with her leg.

Let us know what happens and good luck!!

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Blondi I understand how you feel about your dog - we feel the same way about our three.

My brother has a lab that had the same thing happen to her. She was playing catch with the tennis ball and some how twisted her leg and same injury. Just about the same thing happened (except the teeth cleaning ) He took her in and they said she was fine - a week later took her back for shots and & he checked her again and felt the rupture.

They waited about a month to see if it would heal itself not under the Vet's choice and when they did do the surgery it took her longer to heal. The vet said if they would of done it sooner she would of healed a lot quicker because there was more damage done while she still played hard in the mean time.

Our black lab broke her back leg in two different places - of course on a Sunday - it ended up costing us over $3500 (took out a credit card to help pay for it) but we never ever thought twice about it. She is worth it.

Good Luck, and please don't wait to long from experience with my brothers baby it isn't good.

They diagnose this by what is cranial drawer maneuver. Its my understanding that Xrays really won't show anything other than arthritis if she has any. Here's a decent explanation:

Overview

A normal dog's knee joint works like a hinge, keeping the animal's leg stable as it bends. When the knee has a ruptured cruciate ligament, the "hinge" becomes loose and no longer functions as effectively. This looseness prevents the knee from maintaining stability of motion. As a result, the dog suffers pain, inflammation, and eventually develops arthritis. This is a very common orthopedic disease in dogs. When a knee injury occurs suddenly—as it usually does among humans who suffer from injuries to the cruciate ligament due to a skiing, football, or other sports-related accident—the ligament will tear rapidly. But usually with dogs, the tearing is partial and occurs gradually, resulting in low-level lameness that may improve initially over time. However, progressive injuries can be quite damaging; because of the trauma to the ligament, the knee joint becomes inflamed, leading to arthritis, which only grows worse with continued weight bearing. In more severe chronic cases, the "shock absorbers" of the knee—quarter-moon shaped sections of cartilage called the medial and lateral menisci—tear or become crushed because of exposure to abnormal stress that occurs when the knee is loose. Animals with this condition often are severely lame and may not be able to put any weight on the affected leg. Both surgical and non-surgical methods for treatment are available. Generally, dogs have a good chance of recovering normal, or almost normal, movement after surgery, but the arthritis that has occurred already will not be reversible. Additionally, dogs that have ruptured the cruciate ligament on one side are more likely to tear the ligament in the other knee. Obesity is a major risk factor for this injury and certain breeds of dogs are more likely than others to rupture their ligaments.


http://www.westlakeanimalhospital.co...ture__can.html

I have a friend with 2-legged and 4-legged kids and she swears that she coudln't love her cat more than if she gave birth to him herself and she's not referring from the cheap seats like I am when I say it.