“Our 11-year old yellow lab, Fargo, tore his ACL on February 4, 2010. I called the vet and he asked, “Did he go outside as a four-legged dog and return as a three-legged dog?” Which explained it precisely. We considered surgery, but, after days of research, I read about the extreme failure rate of surgery and it scared me. I stumbled upon a website called tiggerpoz.com that made so much sense. It recommended Conservative Management so, with great hope, we tried that for two months. He seemed much better as time went by, but then he would end up back at square one for some reason. I must confess we considered euthanasia because Fargo’s quality of life was not good. I went back to tiggerpoz’s website and found information on a fantastic knee brace from Orthopets. The info and videos on their website are amazing. So, I am ordering a stifle (knee) brace for our dog tomorrow. My vet or I will make a cast so the brace fits perfectly. I’ve been in touch with the owners themselves by email and they are very quick to get back to me and seem very caring. I cannot wait until Fargo can go for walks and go swimming again.”

Fargo has since been fitted for his Orthopets brace, and received it on 4/23. His owner has reported that he seems to be doing well with the brace, and the pictures below are of Fargo wearing the brace. I was unsure how the brace managed to stay up without being strapped to the dog in any way, but Fargo’s owner said that the brace stays up because of the velcro straps above the hock and around the knee – there are also auxillary straps on the thigh.

Dog Knee Brace from Orthopets is a post from: Dog Knee Injury

Not surprisingly, surgery is almost always advocated by surgeons . It is likely that surgery does help reduce the amount of arthritis that occurs, but in a long term study of cruciate ligament surgery in dogs in Australia, about 50% still had detectable arthritis in surgically repaired joints and about 10% of dogs were persistently lame despite attempts to surgically stabilize the joint. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) has become the top choice for surgical CCL repair among many orthopedic veterinarians, and it can be done in both large and small dogs. Supporters of TPLO will say its good choice for the situation in which there is a bilateral cruciate rupture since it seems to be a strong repair procedure, but there are many instances where dogs have done equally as well with either TTA or a traditional repair.

One benefit of doing a traditional extracapsular repair, in addition to saving a few thousand dollars, is that you still have other options for repair if for some reason the traditional repair fails. If you are choosing surgery for a dog with a double CCL rupture, make sure to research each procedure carefully before blindly going along with a procedure you know nothing about. TPLO, TTA and traditional repairs are all very different procedures, and each carry their own set of risks vs. rewards. The best way to find out what is right for your pet is to do as much research as you can and find a veterinarian that is willing to discuss your many options for surgical intervention.

If surgery absolutely isn’t an option, there is a very good chance that in a few weeks, to a few months, you will find that your dog is doing OK without any type of surgical intervention -especially if you can manage the weight loss. There are a number of great resources both on this website and the web with instructions on how to succeed with CM.

CCL Injury in Both Back Legs is a post from: Dog Knee Injury

Surgery is not always an option for some animals.  There are risks from anesthesia, and allergies to which some dogs are particularly sensitive.  The financial burden of a surgical procedure can be great, and is not always an option for even the most caring owner.

What happens if my dog’s cranial cruciate tear is not repaired? Will my dog’s knee heal on its own?

A ruptured or torn CCL will decrease stability within the stifle (knee) joint. Your dog will begin to produce wear between the bones and meniscal cartilage, becoming abnormal, the joint will begin to develop degenerative changes. Eventually bone spurs known as osteophytes develop and chronic pain and loss of joint motion result. The osteophytes are evident as soon as 1 to 3 weeks after the rupture in some patients, with others showing no osteophyte development after years of living with the condition. The development of osteophytes, and degenerative changes in general, typically is related to the size of the dog, i.e. it is more difficult for a large breed dog to bear extra weight on an injured joint, whereas a lighter dog has an easier time with weight displacement.

It is normal for dogs, of all sized, to show signs of improvement within several weeks of the time of the acute injury. During this time the dog may appear to get better, but it is unlikely that your pet will become permanently normal. There was a study done on a group of dogs for 6 monts after cruciate rupture. At the end of 6 months, 85% of the dogs under 30 pounds had regained near normal or improved function, whereas only about 20% of dogs over 30 lbs had regained near normal funciton. Both groups of dogs required at least 4 months of exercise restriction and anti-inflammatory medication use, also known as conservative management, before maximum improvement was shown.

Remember, any degenerative changes, such as osteophyte development and arthritis, that have taken place after your dog’s CCL injury will not be healed by surgery. These changes are permanent, and while they can be arrested by surgery, they can not be reversed.

What Happens if a CCL Rupture is Not Repaired? is a post from: Dog Knee Injury

1. Weight management
2. Exercise moderation/rest
3. Using anti-inflammatory medications

Maintaining your dog’s body weight at normal, or slightly below normal, levels will reduce the load placed on the injured joint, and may help to improve its function. This will allow your canine to strengthen the joint without adding any additional strain, adding stability and range of motion. Restriction of activity for at least 6-8 weeks after injury is a key part of successful CM. After about 2 months of little to no exercise you may begin reintroducing your pet to weight-bearing activities such as short walks, making sure to avoid any extremes in activity. Controlled walks and exercise will help to maintain and strengthen muscle mass while avoiding re-injury; owners need to be careful to limit their dog’s play during this time as there is an elevated risk of injuring the other leg while the originally affected leg heals. The use of anti-inflammatory medications during this time will help to limit painful episodes and encourage healing.

Conservative Management in Cranial Cruciate Injuries is a post from: Dog Knee Injury