Daisy is a 4yr old GoldenDoodle. Recently she ruptured both CCLs, jumping up on our deck. Both Daisy’s hind legs were lame and she was unable to stand.

Bilateral TPLO Surgery

A week following the injury she had a TPLO performed on both knees at the same time. The surgeon choose TPLO for her because of her height (standard poodle cross), her weight (90lbs), and the fact that she would have to support both legs through rehab (he chose the heaviest of the plates). The surgical hospital at West Toronto Veterinary was exceptional. I can not say enough about the care, communication, and support we received from them.

Daisy’s surgery went very well. She stayed overnight because of the bilateral repair. She also went home on a weeks worth of antibiotics because of the increased risk of infection. Daisy is 1 week post op right now, she has had a very typical recovery so far.

Day 1
Sleep.

Day 2
Sleep, ice incision (I kept sticky bandage on incision to keep area clean). She has some bruising and has developed “fluid sacks” around her hocks, which we massage constantly. Assist her via sling to backyard for pee, she could not stand and chose to pee laying down (broke my heart).

Day 3
Sleep, ice incision, assist her via sling to pee. To our amazement she half squatted with shaky legs and eliminated both.

Day 4
Sleep (although I cut back on her Tramadol from 200mg every 8 hours to 100mg every 6 hours and she seems to be alright with it). Her appetite is poor; she will not eat her regular kibble and I’ve taken to cleaning out the freezer and mixing her kibble with cut up chicken, beef, pork or fish. Daisy needs help to lift her back end up via the sling, but amazed us again by walking gingerly without the sling about 12 feet.

Day 5
Using warm moist heat packs on both legs, and started passive range of motion (which she hates). I don’t push or stress her, she walked with assistance and without approx. 30 feet today. Better and better everyday, “fluid sacks” are gone, continue with warm moist heat and range of motion, walking with sling and without approx. 30 feet several times a day.

Day 6
Daisy is still unable to raise herself up from a sitting position but I’m sure that will come with time. She is walking more without the sling and I use it now only to raise her from a sit to stand. Leash walking is not an issue since she only walks short distances and lies down.

Day 7
Going to push her just a bit to walk several times very short distances…. crossing my fingers!!!!

Bilateral TPLO Surgery – Daisy the Goldendoodle is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

Maxwell is a 103 lb Rhodesian Ridgeback mix in excellent athletic shape and very active. At 4 years old (last year – summer 2013) he tore his CCL on his left stifle completely while running and turning quickly. My normal vet said I would have to seek out a surgeon, she was unable to offer any surgical options.

Finding a Tightrope Repair Surgeon

I contacted 5 different surgeons in the Tampa, Florida area – all were completely focused on the very invasive TPLO or TTA procedures. Extracapsular Imbrication (some people refer to this as the “fishing line fix”) was not indicated for a dog Maxwell’s size. Ironically – I’m an engineer who works in the Human Sports Medicine industry and I was completely against the very invasive and aggressive TPLO and TTA procedures… so I went out of my way to find a surgeon with a long line of success using the Arthrex Tightrope procedure. (…and no, I do not work for Arthrex!) This procedure is truly different than anything I mentioned above. I finally did find a surgeon to do the job.

Tightrope Knee Surgery + PRP

This surgeon combined the Tightrope procedure with PRP (put simply, PRP uses your dog’s own blood plasma then concentrates the platelets in the plasma. The surgeon then applies this, within the surgical site, to promote faster healing.)

Tightrope Surgery Recovery

The end result was that Maxwell was touching his toes within 2 weeks and taking short walks within 4 weeks post op. We strictly followed the passive exercise (also known as PROMs) instructions, using ice packs and 10 minute intervals of full movement. At 2 months he was walking normally, but tired easily. At 6 months, if you didn’t notice the 2-inch scar, you wouldn’t have known anything had happened.

One week after surgery Maxwell appeared to pick up a secondary infection, but our surgeon gave him a more aggressive antibiotic that cleared the problem within a few days.

I can say, honestly, I would recommend this procedure – but I would caution that you should GRILL the surgeon:

How many has he/she done?

What has his/her success rate been?

What, if any, complications have they recorded?

Do they use PRP along with the Tightrope?

Will they be doing this arthroscopically?

If you get answers that make you less than enthusiastic… you have the wrong surgeon. If you get picture-perfect answers… you may still have the wrong surgeon. I wanted experience; I asked for references to other clients he had done. Do your homework. This surgery is highly dependent on technique and experience. It was comparative in price to a TPLO or TTA. It cost me about $3500, not including post-operative medicine (antibiotics, anti-inflamatories, and pain killers).

Maxwell was predicated to have a 60% chance of the right stifle needing the same surgery. We’ll wait and see I suppose.

Tightrope Knee Surgery for Dogs – Maxwell is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

Dash (65 lb Pit/Mix) blew out her CCL during a romp in Oct. 2014 at the dog beach. She was running like a maniac (hence her name) and all of a sudden she came up lame. We called the vet who told us to give it a few days before bringing her in. Within 4 days, her other leg went out. We brought her to the vet, who told us that both CCLs were torn, but that they could only repair one at a time. Surgery was scheduled for the following day.

The vet performed a traditional repair (lateral suture). We weren’t informed of the type of surgery she was getting, or even that there was more than one way to repair a torn CCL. We adore our vet, but in this regard we’re concerned that she might have let us down.

Recovery was horrible to watch, but Dash came through it like a champ! She was toe touching by day 3 and able to support herself to go potty by day 2 (although mostly using her front legs as she literally didn’t have a good hind leg). Four weeks after surgery, we made our move from California to New York City, and the search for an orthopedic surgeon to repair her other leg began.

We found a great vet in our neighborhood, and after 6 weeks (now 10 weeks post op), she felt it was time for Dash to have a consult with the orthopedic surgeon. The consult was this past Wednesday, and the surgeon recommended the TTA procedure based on Dash’s size and weight. She also noticed some sideways movement in the repaired leg and warned us that in time, the repair is unlikely to hold up.

Traditional Repair Followed by TTA Surgery

Surgery is scheduled for 1/16, and unlike her first surgery where we took her home the same day, she has to spend 2 nights in the hospital which breaks my heart. The surgeon also told us not to feel “prepared” based on our experience with the lateral suture, because the TTA is much more invasive, with more bruising, swelling, and pain.

Any advice on TTA repair and/or recovery would be greatly appreciated.

The post Traditional Repair Followed by TTA Surgery – Dash appeared first on Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries.

Serra Veterinary Hospital, Inc., in conjunction with VetStem, is now able to offer regenerative cell therapy with adult stem cell treatment for canine osteoarthritis. Serra Veterinary Hospital is one of a few locations that are currently approved by VetStem to provide this treatment for canines. The stem cells are harvested from fat cells collected from the canine patient to be treated. This does require a minor surgical procedure to collect a minimum of 15-30 grams of the patient’s fat. Once the fat is collected it is shipped to VetStem where stem cells are extracted in their laboratory. The patient’s cells are then sent back to Serra Veterinary Hospital within 48 hours for injection. Any additional stem cells extracted beyond the initial dose will be stored by VetStem for future injections. Storage of additional injections is at no charge for up to one year. After the first year, the cost for storage is $150 per animal per year.

VetStem has been treating horses with fat-derived stem cells since 2003, and began conducting clinical studies on dogs in 2005. Initial studies indicate treatment with stem cells decreases pain and improves mobility and joint range of motion (ROM). Results from treatment of canine patients with arthritis are similar to results reported by veterinarians that have treated hundreds of equine joints. The risk of adverse reaction is very low since the cells are the animal’s own. No adverse reactions have been reported in over 100 dogs treated. In horses, no systemic reactions have been reported and <1% of horses have a local tissue reaction. Duration of effect from a single administration can last from several months to over a year.

Estimated costs for the initial fat harvest, processing, banking of additional stem cells, and initial injection are $2,500- $4,000; costs can vary depending on the size of the patient and the route of administration. Any stored injections can be thawed and shipped for injection at a reduced price. If you are interested in having your pet treated for osteoarthritis with autogenous stem cells please read the additional information below to make sure your pet is a good candidate for this treatment. Because this treatment is more costly than medical management and carries minor risks because of the surgical fat harvest, we want to be sure each patient is a good candidate prior to scheduling an appointment.

Patient Requirements for Stem Cell Treatment:

COMMERCIAL USES: Osteoarthritis, Polyarthritis, Fractures, Tendon and Ligament Injuries

• Good general health as assessed by your regular veterinarian within the last 6 months. Patient records will be required prior to the initial exam, or your pet’s exam will be rescheduled.
• Current laboratory work (within 2-4 weeks of fat harvest) including a CBC, Chemistry Profile, U/A and T4, and tick titers. If current labs are not provided, these tests will be run at the initial examination.
• The diagnosis of osteoarthritis confirmed with radiographs (x-rays). Properly labeled diagnostic radiographs need to be brought to the initial examination.
• No other serious diseases present which could increase the patient’s risk with anesthesia or limit response to treatment.
• Consistent labeled use of flea and tick control, or screening for tick-borne diseases with tick titers prior to treatment; see above.

These requirements are to insure your pet is safe to undergo the surgical procedure for fat harvest, and maximize potential benefit from the stem cell treatment.

The Following Will Disqualify Your Pet From Treatment:

• Major illness such as cancer, poorly regulated diabetes mellitus, or endocrine disease that is not controlled.
• Concurrent neurological disease, such as degenerative myelopathy, or intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Stem cells will have limited benefit on mobility issues that are a result of chronic/reoccurring spinal nerve damage or inflammation such as disc disease. Studies on neurologic diseases indicate diseases such as Degenerative Myelopathy and paralysis from trauma or post laminectomy appear to be responsive to stem cell treatment; however these diseases are not currently avaliable for commercial treatment with stem cells.
• Patients that have not had regular veterinary care in the last 6 months.
• Patients without current vaccinations, vaccine titers, or letters for non-vaccination for medical reasons.
• Patients that have not consistently used Promeris, Frontline or Advantix, and do not have current tick titers. *

*The clinical signs of tick-borne disease, which include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Ehrlichia can mimic the signs of osteoarthritis. Patients become infected through the bite of an immature tick, or nymph. Because the nymph is tiny, exposure is usually not detected. Tick-borne infections can cause damage to joints, including immune mediated polyarthritis,
and/or systemic damage to organs such as the liver, heart, central nervous system, and kidneys. This type of infection can easily be mistaken for osteoarthritis, and could reduce or eliminate benefit from stem cell treatment. This type of infection should be treated prior to regenerative therapy. Screening for tick-borne disease can be done with a blood sample, which can be drawn at the initial examination.

If you have more questions after reading this information you can access VetStem’s website or contact them toll free at 1-888 -387-8361. Serra Veterinary Hospital can also provide additional printed information.

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This story is hot off the presses as we are on day 9 of what I expect will be a lengthy process. Fry is our 6-year-old Corgi mix (looks all Corgi to me). All these years he has been happy and healthy until the second week of July 2015. We have an acre of land full of rabbits and one early morning Fry took chase after one. The rabbit escaped but we noticed that Fry had a bit of a limp upon his return to the porch. Before heading inside, Fry decided to do his business and that’s when we saw
it happen. There was a visible jerk in his leg as he squatted, and after that he avoided putting his weight on the rear right leg and limped inside.

We assumed he’d pulled a muscle. He’d done it before. We decided to give him the weekend to recover but we noticed that it wasn’t improving. Combining the lack of change over three days and the visible popping/jerk of his leg when the injury occurred, we decided a trip to the vet was in order.

And we were right. To make the story shorter, a cruciate ligament rupture was diagnosed (fairly quickly) and we were presented the options for repair/management. We ultimately decided on TTA, due to Fry’s weight and activity level. One week after the injury, he was in for surgery.

I’ll spare the rest of the details and let you know that the procedure went well (approx. 1 hr operation) and the first 7 days were spent in veterinary boarding for monitoring purposes. We regained control of Fry on day 8. 

He had been on “bed-rest” all afternoon with only short trips outside for relief. Within hours of getting him home upon his first relief “walk,” we discovered a clicking/popping noise coming from the recovering leg. He had already been putting 70-80% of his weight on it, and I assumed
something had failed in the hardware.

We made the hour trip back to the surgeon to have it looked at and nothing seemed to be the matter. The surgeon could not reproduce the clicking. We were told all about the possibility of meniscus tears (Fry did NOT have the meniscus released during his procedure), and were told to let him rest a few more days and to keep an eye on him.

It is now day 9 and again the clicking/popping has presented. There doesn’t seem to be any additional lameness, he continues to bear weight and the clicking seems to appear sporadically. I managed to get it on video/audio and will be presenting it to the surgeon/assistant when the sutures are to be removed on Saturday.

The saga continues and while I’d like to call this a complete success, I am afraid the success part is on hold. If updates are allowed I will certainly add them. Cross your fingers for us!

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After 16 weeks, Sadie, our 9-year-old Shih Tzu, has started walking with only conservative management! We were told she would have to have surgery for a full tear to her ACL. The surgeon said to give it 8 weeks to see if she would get better. I am so glad I did not give up!!
I was diligent in giving her Knox gelatin (gelatin helps my knees), Omega-3 supplements, and a joint supplement. The joint supplement is an advanced supplement for injured dogs sold at a national pet store. I also sprinkle about a teaspoon of gelatin on her food 2x daily (I do not measure).

Unfortunately, I was not as diligent as I should have been in restricting her activity at first. We were not at home during the first few months of her injury and controlling her activity was difficult. I started making it a priority to keep her activity level down and carrying her as much as I could to go outside. I think the key was not letting her go up or down stairs. I did not use a brace or therapy….just love and time! She is still holding her leg up a lot, but I see so much hope and  improvement. It is so nice to see her actually walking again! I know it is going to be a long year of work, but I am trying to protect her other leg as well. I have read not to let a vet try to do a drawer test on her once she has started to heal, so I am going to heed that advice at our next appointment. When she is being groomed, my groomer knows to be cautious of her injury as well.

Sadie has had 2 bladder surgeries for bladder stones, and will need another one soon, so we are so happy to have learned about conservative management!

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Benny, our three-year-old Staffordshire mix, had damaged both left and right CCLs. After much shopping, research, and talking to vets, we decided on tightrope repair. We had the RH hind leg done first. Post surgery went well until we got off of the antibiotics, when a horrible infection set in. All of the equipment had to be removed. We are now out approximately $2,700, and are worse off than if we had done nothing. The vet who did the surgery initially said he would redo it at little/no charge when Benny recovered, a comforting talk, as we were face to face. Later, over the phone, he reneged on that offer, stating that Benny was not a candidate for any further surgery.

Here is the take home message I wish to convey: when considering any surgery, TPLO, tightrope, whatever, discuss who is responsible if infection sets in, or any other failure occurs. Benny did not have an infection when he walked into that vet clinic, but did as he left. I am out thousands of dollars, Benny can’t walk well, the vet made his money, even charging us to remove the tightrope equipment. Infections occur in about 5% of these surgeries, so have a very good understanding with the vet who is to do your dog’s surgery about these matters.

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Well here it goes. Our 8-year-old black lab mix, Angus, has always been a very high energy athletic dog. A few months ago, he turned up lame on the right side, not putting his foot down, etc. We didn’t witness the event that caused this, but it was likely running through the yard doing his normal crazy lab stuff. At any rate, an initial exam by our regular vet said he thought “it might be” a CCL tear or partial tear and recommended we try Rimadyl and rest to see if he improves. He did improve and we were relieved. Then he re-injured the same leg, and did not recover as quickly. We continued to monitor him and over time he showed signs of improvement, but we still felt we needed to get to the bottom of it and find out for sure what the injury was.

I took him about 2 weeks ago to see an ortho and he confirmed through the drawer test that it was indeed a tear. Bummer. We discussed the surgical options (TTA, TPLO) and the doctor advised against conservative management or a brace, stating that conservative management would be lucky to yield him about 50% of his activity/mobility back, and that dogs don’t like to wear the braces. Since he had been doing pretty well, we figured we had a little time to do our (my) homework on surgery and figure out the finances. Then last week Angus injured himself again (the opposite leg this time, unfortunately) and was in a lot of pain. I started him on Tramadol, which helped with the pain, but after several days, no real improvement in walking. I took him yesterday to the ortho (a different doctor than the first time) and confirmed my worst suspicions: the left is now torn too.

So now we are faced with a bilateral surgery which we can’t afford, or conservative management which I know nothing about. I’m not sure we could do a brace on both legs–that seems like it would be very cumbersome and uncomfortable for Angus. My husband is not at all on board with spending the money for the surgery (this is not Angus’ first expensive surgery). I am concerned, don’t know what to do, and don’t know how to convince my husband that surgery is the right choice. I’m not even sure myself. I have called a few different vets in town (who would have no financial gain from the advice they gave) and ALL agreed that the TPLO would be the best choice. Any advice on the good or bad side of surgery would be most helpful. Thank you so much. I have gotten a lot of great information by reading some of the stories on here.

The post Angus – Bilateral TPLO (or not?) appeared first on Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries.

Cooper is an Australian Shepherd on the high energy side, as one of my friends (who isn’t a dog person) used to say, “Did you purposely pick the craziest dog?” At he age of 8, he still gives life 150% and can outrun most dogs at the park.

When Cooper was 2, he came back from the park after playing in extreme pain, not lame, just didn’t want to move. He was sedated and x-rayed with no drawer sign or visible problem to the knee, leading us to think it was back pain. We gave him pain meds and strict rest for 6 weeks. He recovered well but never 100%. He periodically went on bouts of rest, had further x-rays of his back, and visited a neurologist–all the while nobody could palpate drawer sign. During this time most people thought I was crazy; he still had lots of energy and was what most people would consider a normal dog, but I knew something wasn’t right. 

At 8 years old and running at the park, he yelped and came up lame, definite partially torn ACL. We tried rest & Cartrophen with no improvement. We visited the local ortho surgeon to discuss options and decided on TTA due to Cooper’s size and energy level. I prepared the house, borrowed an x-pen for my office, got a ramp for the stairs, a large soft-sided crate for the bedroom, and started keeping him confined two weeks prior to surgery. During this time I also started massaging the leg and practicing passive range of motion exercises to get him used to them.

We are now at week 3 and it has been a tough journey. The first four days Cooper whined constantly due to his Fentanyl high; I don’t think anyone really slept. On day 6 I had to go out for a couple hours, and despite an e-collar and confined in an x-pen, he managed to remove about 75% of his staples! We were off to emergency (an hour away) at 10pm. Now he gets a doggy sitter any time I have to leave the house.

Yesterday he had the second set of staples removed by the surgeon. He is not happy with his recovery rate, as the leg is not fully weight bearing so we have started a course of antibiotics in case there is any underlying infection due to the staple removal. I have been icing the leg since he came home, massaging and complying with passive range of motion exercises. I have slowly been increasing his walks as per instructions–we get out 3-4 times per day, started with just two houses and are now up to two blocks. This week we started warm compression on the leg, hopefully this combined with antibiotics will help. His surgeon wants to see him for x-rays in 4 weeks.

Ironically, his full sister tore her ACL a couple weeks after Cooper and had TPLO surgery done.

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Swelling, discomfort, and bruising is normal following CCL repair surgery. Hot and cold compresses are some of the best at-home remedies to help your dog heal and stay comfortable during the recovery process. Not sure whether to be using hot or cold? See our tips below for general uses, but be sure to talk to your vet regarding specifics of your dog’s particular surgery.

Ice

What it does:
Cold compresses restrict blood flow to an injury, helping to reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain.

How to use it:
-Use for the first few days following the surgery
-Can use commercial ice packs, frozen bags of vegetables, or anything similar
-Wrap ice packs in a towel so it isn’t too cold on your dog’s skin
-Apply for about 10-15 minutes at a time, and wait 10 minutes before reapplying
-Use especially after a physical therapy session

Heat

What it does:
Hot compresses open up blood vessels, which increases blood flow to joints and relaxes sore muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Also can help reduce bruising and discomfort.

How to use it:
-Start using about 3 or 4 days after surgery
-Apply for 10-15 minutes at a time, and wait 10 minutes before reapplying
-Wrap heating pad in a towel to avoiding burning your dog’s skin
-Don’t use on an open wound or stitches
-Use immediately before a physical therapy session
-Can be used if your dog seems uncomfortable or sore
-For swelling in the ankle, you want to use moist heat (like a microwaved wet washcloth…but careful not to scald him). The puffiness of his ankle is fluid that migrates downward with the resolution of the bruising–not actual swelling from inflammation. The heat in this case will help the body reabsorb the serum (the squishy fluid) that is produced as the body heals the bruising. Ice will not help in the ankle.

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My beagle, Bridget, ruptured her cruciate ligament (with partial meniscus tear) in April, 2015, and we chose the Traditional Repair for a couple of reasons: Bridget is an older dog (rescued her over 10 years ago when she was already an adult), and she also has arthritis. Because of her age, I wanted the least invasive surgery possible. Her weight (38 lbs) falls well within the parameters for successful Traditional Repair, so that’s the surgery I chose for her.

The first week was so, so hard! Be ready to stay at home 24/7, and get the best, most comfortable sling you can to help your dog go outside. You’re not just protecting her bad knee, but you’re taking the stress off her good knee so that doesn’t get injured as well. Make liberal use of all the medication the vet gives you. The quieter your dog is, the better she’ll heal. We cordoned off a quiet portion of the living room with a couple of mats and cushions for her to lay on. Don’t laugh–I stayed in there with her and slept on the sofa for the entire first week. She was very uncomfortable and I had serious doubts about whether the surgery had gone okay.

The second week was only a little better. She was resisting walking on it and seemed in discomfort most of the time. I slept on the sofa near her and spent most of my time with her in her penned area.

The third week was again just a little better. I was second-guessing my decision and felt that the surgery wasn’t working for her.

The fourth week–yay! She finally started sniffing when she went outside, and I began weaning her off the sling. Don’t worry about providing them with a little support when they go out–again, you’re helping to keep the good knee from being over-strained. Bridget had her 1 month check-up and the knee was healing very well. From this point it was all about keeping her quiet. If you don’t want complications from the surgery, this is critical. We expanded her pen to include the whole living room, and she seemed to be content if someone just sat in the room with her. From this point on, it seemed like she was in no discomfort at all.

After the second month we put rugs EVERYWHERE, and gave her access to the whole house (no stairs, of course). We kept her on a leash outside, though. It’s now been 3 months since her surgery, and she only has a slight limp occasionally. She’s allowed to run now, and it’s a joy to watch her go from tree to tree like she used to. She’s still old, and still has arthritis, but the surgery was a success and I’m so glad I did it!

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Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine which involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body. This technique has been used in China for thousands of years to treat a variety of illnesses and is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The original theories of TCM assert that needling certain points on the body regulates the flow of “chi,” or energy, which flows through tissues and organs. In modern scientific terms, needling specific points releases chemicals that can change the perception of pain and lead to the release of other chemical mediators that influence organ function and stimulate healing. While animal acupuncture is slightly less ancient than human acupuncture, it has been used all over the world to treat a variety of conditions on many species of animal.

For canine cruciate injuries, acupuncture can be used successfully in combination with other holistic treatments and/or Western treatments before and after surgery. While acupuncture will not heal the injury itself, it can help alleviate pain, discomfort, and stress following surgery. For minor injuries or partial tears, acupuncture and other methods of conservative treatment can be used without surgery.

Acupuncture is usually well-tolerated by animals. The needles are very thin, solid, and sterile; insertion is not usually painful, but some points can be more sensitive than others. Once the needle is in place, there should be no pain. Oftentimes acupuncture results in a relaxed state–your dog may even fall asleep! This is sometimes mistaken for a worsening condition, but be assured that it is temporary and actually indicates that your dog’s body is responding to the treatment. The success of the treatment will vary according to the skill of the veterinarian, the condition being treated, and the length and frequency of acupuncture sessions.

If acupuncture is something that interests you as an option for your dog, talk to your vet about how you might be able to include it in the recovery process. When looking for a veterinary acupuncturist, remember to choose someone who is both a licensed veterinarian and has formal training in the practice of veterinary acupuncture. The more your vet knows about TCM and Western scientific medicine, the more certain you can be that your dog will be treated properly.

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The following is a story from an owner that was derived from an email exchange:

My 11-year-old miniature poodle has an ACL injury to her rear left leg from chasing a squirrel. Her vet said I should take her to an orthopedic specialist for his opinion. He felt, however, that at her age this might not be the thing to do because little dogs seem to do alright without having surgery.

I took her to the specialist and he of course said surgery was the best thing to do since she is healthy and so active. I don’t know what to do… I hate to put her through this but what else can I do?

A Few Days Later

When I called the office of the specialist for an apt. the secretary asked me if I wanted a consultation or did I want to go ahead and schedule the surgery for the same day!!! What? Who does that? Yes, I wanted to talk to the vet! That’s why I called! At the time I was upset and just wanted someone to explain what has happened to my dog!

I took her in and he brought in all these models of knees and told me it was a good thing I came in right away or else it would be too late and nothing could be done. Also not true. They need to have activity restricted to start with for at least 8 weeks and that is what I am going to do. No jumping, running, or chasing squirrels! After that we’ll
see how she is getting along. I have found a place near here called Northern Illinois
Aqua Dogs and they have swimming therapy for them. She loves to swim and he says in his research that swimming is a terrific therapy for a ligament injury. She once squirmed out of my hands and dove off a boat into 60′ of water in the Savannah River when she was all of 3lbs…..loves water, salt or fresh, so she will enjoy that.

This little dog is the love of my life and I truly feel confident in my decision to hold off on the surgery. And thank God for this doc here in Freeport…he said an x-ray won’t tell if the ligaments are affected and I know that! I’ve had a lot of dogs in my life…from Yorkies to schnauzers to wieners to Labs to Dobs and my son had a fascination with pit bulls for awhile. I’ve seen it all. Hell, I raised 2 boys! I’ve spent my fair share of time with an orthopedic specialist for broken bones!

I can give her glucosamine chondroitin supplements–the same pills that people take, he said there is no need to buy the pills for dogs, it’s the same for people and less expensive. I started her on that today, just cut the pills into the correct dosage for her weight. He also stressed keeping her activity restricted which I have done. No more jumping up on the sofa or the bed and no stairs. I know you may think this is BS, but I told her she can’t jump anymore so she sits there and “woofs” for me to pick her up. Jeez……I wish my kids had been as smart as she is!  We’ll see how this goes, but I think it is better to err on the side of caution.

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Shelbie is 9 years old in February and a 50lb mix of Anatolian Shepherd and Lab so she has always been active and loves chasing her ball and Frisbee! At least she used to

About 2 years back she had her left knee buckle and was extremely lame on it, of course immediately took her to the vet and find out that she has torn her cruciate ligament. In discussions with the vet, he was extremely confident in the tightrope procedure even though she is right at the weight limit for it. The confidence and price helped me make the decision, and I think it was the right one!

Took her about 6 months to get back to her normal self after the surgery and it was awesome to see her enjoying life again, as many of you know and probably have experienced, almost a year to the date of the left knee having issues she started to have the same problem on the right side.

We went to the same vet and coming off of the successful tightrope surgery on the left leg, thought it would be the right choice for the newly injured right leg. She started to improve slowly as we followed the same regimen as the last knee and was starting to finally get back to walking on her own outside and we were allowing her more freedom.

We went on a walk and when we got back she was limping a little, which is not uncommon based on exhausting the knee, but she never got any better and slowly started to go back to not using it and becoming extremely lame again.

The cost is so high, even for the cheaper surgery that we aren’t able to afford the surgery again, especially the one we have to do now which is the TPLO.

Unfortunately, it’s myself and girlfriend that are trying to manage this and our time allotment and income are holding us up right now. She is still a happy dog and we spoil her every chance we get but it’s heartbreaking to see her in pain with that leg not being used, not to mention putting the added pressure on the healed knee (which luckily is extremely strong now!)

I was wondering if anyone else has had a tightrope surgery fail like this as the vet couldn’t understand it either because the left knee healed wonderfully as expected. We are saving up to do the TPLO surgery but I’m just a little hesitant based on the failed tightrope surgery, time requirement, and the cost…I feel like a horrible doggy dad…

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Four weeks ago my 6-year-old Greater Swiss Mountain Betty, who is very active and very healthy, tore her cruciate ligament and began limping. We love our dog very much and of course took her to a vet who did x-rays and an exam and recommended a surgical hospital that had board certified surgeons who taught other surgeons new techniques, we were told they were very good. So we took her immediately there and surgery was scheduled for the next day. All tests were done and we liked the surgeon who was very nice and of course Betty was healthy and approved for surgery. She had the surgery the next day and the day after that we took her home. The house was prepared with a soft crate for convalescence and we received a prescription for an anxiolytic because Betty can get anxious. And she had a Fentanyl patch for pain for the next week.

For the next 2 weeks, all was fine. She recouped, we carried her outside from the crate to do her business and then put her back in the crate, she ate well and was returning to her normal self and most importantly she was toe touching when we started letting her walk out of the house instead of carrying her out (this we started on day 8 of recovery). Second week to the day we had a scheduled exam with the surgeon to see how the healing was progressing and she received a glowing report from the surgeon. The surgeon took Betty away to another exam room to examine her. When she came back we were told that Betty was doing great. The surgeon did tell us that she was able to put her hunch back to her rump and she did great and that we should come back in 6 weeks. Betty was tired but walked out of the office slightly limping and occasionally toe touching the floor. We crated her in the car and came home and from this moment on all just went bad.

She slept all afternoon and night, refused food, and was lethargic. We attributed this to exhaustion and let her sleep. The next morning she ate her breakfast, did her business, and limped back into the house on 3 legs and slept and still was slightly lethargic. I called the surgeon’s office and left messages 3 times that day and was not called back. The next day I called at 8am and spoke to the surgical nurse who looked after Betty before and after surgery and told her what was going on. She was concerned and said that there could be swelling and limping after the exam and to
monitor and if she doesn’t eat then bring her in. We monitored and the next day she was better. There was no more lethargy and she was eating and doing her business, but she still was hopping on 3 legs and not putting any weight on her surgical leg. This concerned me very much. The next day we brought her in to the surgical office and she had a temperature of 104.5, had a swollen leg, and was still only hopping on 3 legs. The team at the surgical office was a different team and they examined her and said it seemed there was no problem at the surgical site and the temp could be from inflammation. So she was put on Rimadyl for 5 days and we were told to let her rest and monitor her. We declined an x-ray because of fear of more trauma to her leg.

Anyway, the next day passed uneventfully, but I was concerned for the 3 leg hopping because now it had been 4 days and the leg from the shank down was limp and Betty kept the leg high, never toe touching. So the next day (which was Friday) we brought her in because the surgeon on duty was Betty’s surgeon. This time we did an x-ray, she was examined again outside and away from us, and the surgeon even aspirated fluid from the knee to see if there was any infection, all was negative. And another good thing was that her temp was back to normal 101. And she was a little back to herself. The surgeon also said she did an neurological exam and she did fine. She told us that there was no reason that she could see why she wasn’t toe touching, except maybe pain so now Betty was prescribed Rimadyl and Neurontin for a 2 week period, on top of her anxiolytic meds.

It’s Saturday and nothing has changed. Betty is still hopping on 3 legs, refusing to put any weight on her operated leg, the swelling has gone down and we have been putting ice packs on her as recommended 3-4 times per day for 5 to 10 minutes to the leg. I am very concerned with this hopping and not toe touching and it has been a week almost that she is doing this. I am concerned about muscle atrophy and neurological damage. Can anyone please help and shed some light on this issue and my concerns? We love our Betty so much and just want to see her active again, swimming in the pool and running and being my second little girl.

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No idea how Meggie, age 8, partially ruptured her cruciate ligament! Nevertheless, she did and our wonderful vet said she needed a specialist vet to do the surgery on June 24, 2015. We had some insurance and this covered her operation at West Midlands Referrals in Lichfield. She went in at 9am and was collected the same day at 4pm. She was walking but very groggy and cried when lifted into the car. When she got home, I carried her into the garden for a week and then she came in and ate an enormous meal of fish and rice topped with scrambled egg. She slept on her blanket on the floor and I slept in the sofabed. Next day she went out and peed and pooed but it was painful! She had no painkillers because she needed to feel the pain! We tried to barricade the sofa but decided it was safer to let her get up and down. I took her up and down our long garden twice a day on her lead from day 1. After a week she went on a very short walk outside twice a day. The pain didn’t bother her unduly.

We returned for stitch removal in 2 weeks. The wound looked red but dry, but she does suffer from pruritus. The Elizabethan collar was never going to be tolerated. We bought a Buster collar and she liked that but with a lot of squirming could reach the wound so still had to be watched! Each day she walked a little further on the flat. We put a stairgate at the bottom of the stairs. Our wild 5-year-old Sprocker could not have been more gentle with her!! She just kept kissing her and skirted round Meggie well away from the bad leg. I emailed a photo to the vet because I thought her leg looked a funny shape but it was because the knee had been realigned. She had an x-ray at 6 weeks and all looked good, followed by a holiday in Cornwall. She enjoyed walks on the beach and swimming in the sea on a long lead. She has had 3 sessions of hydrotherapy covered by the insurance–a 6 minute swim is equal to a 5 mile walk which hopefully will strengthen the muscles.

It is now 9 weeks post surgery and she is walking well with no limp. She is still on a long leash for walks and is always lifted in and out the car. She mouches round the garden off lead now but I take her outside first thing on a lead. I cannot imagine letting her run for a ball again but I feel the surgery was a great success. The recovery for us was very hard work and stressful but I would do it all over again.

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There are many types of non-invasive physical therapy options for dogs recovering from CCL surgery. Massage is a gentle option that can help dogs of any size in their recovery process, and can continue to be beneficial on a regular basis long after they’ve healed. Even though it looks and feels like pampering (and can therefore be quickly dismissed by some people) massage is actually a serious form of healthcare that can positively affect all systems of your dog’s body. Here we’ll focus on the specific benefits of canine massage therapy, which seem to be endless:

-Enhances human-animal bond
-Relieves stress and anxiety
-Decreases pain by stimulating endorphins
-Improves blood circulation and lymphatic flow
-Improves spinal/body alignment, flexibility, and range of motion
-Decreases edema (excessive fluid collecting in cavities or tissues in the body)
-Decreases fibrosis by relieving contraction of tendons and muscles
-Helps maintain muscle tone
-Improves immune system function
-Increases energy, which can aid in weight loss

Ready to test it out? You can view this brief video to learn the basics of canine massage therapy at home.

*Note: It’s important to remember that while the benefits of massage for animals generally parallel those for humans, the execution is a bit different. You cannot, for example, attempt to give your dog a “deep tissue” massage because the pain probably won’t feel good to them, like it might to you when you’re receiving a massage. Be gentle!

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When Ellie, our 55-pound boxer/pit bull mix, was 3, she tore both ACLs within a couple weeks of each other. Our then vet immediately told us to have TPLO as soon as possible. However, My husband and I took to the Internet to see what we could learn about the whole ordeal. We opted for conservative management first. We did that for 6 months and she totally restabilized. She wasn’t limping or really nursing her knees at all.

Around the 6 month mark, however, her right knee started making a clicking noise every time she moved it. We then found a surgeon who said she had also destroyed her meniscus. He said that having the tightrope procedure could decrease her chances for arthritis later in life. We had the surgery and followed it up with 4 months of no running or jumping. We even blocked off our furniture and all of us sat on the floor and dog beds for that long. After 4 months we let her return to normal (we had been working slowly on increasing her walking, etc) and she’s doing great! We haven’t had surgery on her other knee yet because she shows no need for it and our surgeon said to wait until she seemed like she needed it. I think it’s important to note that this surgeon outright refuses to do the TPLO Surgery.

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My dog has been favoring a back leg for months, but not been lame. He was playing, landed on my other dog, and yelped. At the time I thought it could have been a muscle strain, so I kept him on the lead for two weeks but to be fair he wasn’t lame! I took him to the vet and said I’d noticed he would sit but then slump. After examination, the vet said it was a cruciate problem so there was no need to x-ray, which made sense to me as an ordinary x-ray wouldn’t show a ligament.

I was advised to do injections for 4 weeks to help the joint. I did that and still tried to keep him calm. He found his opportunity one afternoon and saw a cat off the premises! He wasn’t lame until later; after sleeping he got up, took 2 or 3 steps wrong, and then was fine again. I spoke to the vet who then said they would like to sedate him and x-ray for a decisive diagnosis. I can’t pretend to be in agreement but thought I should put my trust in them.

He had his day at the vet’s (two x-rays) and when I was shown them they couldn’t see exactly…so they gave me a referral to an orthopaedic specialist. I was rather peed off at this and started to look for alternative treatments. Oh what joy when I came across people and vets who were in the same mindset as me! I don’t want to put my mate through this operation unless it becomes essential to his life!

I’ve cried buckets worrying. I postponed the op, not wishing to burn my bridges, and am getting a brace to try (ironically spoke to my horse vet this week and he agreed try the brace!) I think a lot of vets are too quick to operate rather than give time and care, which all us animal lovers are so prepared to do.

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There are a number of causes of CCL injuries in dogs including breed, age, activity, and physical health, though the exact reasons as to why it is so common is not yet completely understood.

Continual wear and tear (repetitive micro-injury to the cranial cruciate ligament) for dogs of any breed can cause the CCL to gradually break down until it eventually ruptures completely. Acute (sudden) CCL injuries often occur during vigorous activities like running, jumping, or playing. The injury does not always occur during
athletic activities, however; it can happen from a simple movement like going down the stairs.

Unfortunately, certain breeds are more prone to CCL injuries than others, including Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, Newfoundlands, Rottweilers, and German shepherds.

Dogs with conformational abnormalities (lacking muscle tone and/or proper muscular skeletal development in the rear legs and knees) can increase the risk of a CCL injury, usually developing over time. Certain large breed dogs are more prone to chronic injuries as a result of conformational abnormalities.

Obesity plays a role in CCL injuries as well, as the weight puts extra stress on the ligaments.

It is understood that male dogs neutered younger than five months old may also be more likely to develop CCL injuries later in life as well as older dogs, due to age-related deterioration of the muscles, ligaments, and joints.

Finally, studies have shown that about half of the dogs that rupture the CCL on one leg will develop the condition in the opposite leg, often within two years of the first rupture.

Prevention

While there is no sure way to prevent a CCL injury, there are some things you can do to lower your dog’s risk. Keeping your dog healthy and in good physical condition is the best prevention. Feed your dog a healthy diet to ensure he/she maintains an optimal weight. Be sure your dog gets moderate exercise on a regular basis. If your dog has been inactive for a long period of time, avoid sudden strenuous activity. Instead, start out with light exercise and gradually work up to more vigorous activity after the dog has had a chance to improve endurance and muscle strength.

Most importantly, if you notice lameness or any evidence of pain, take your dog to the vet as soon as possible to avoid further injury.

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