While each veterinarian typically has their own recovery protocol, the following is what you can expect as part of a standard TTO surgery recovery protocol.

Appointments

At first your veterinarian will want to see you a few days after the procedure, then at 1-2 weeks, and then at 6 weeks. At the 6 week post op appointment, x-rays will be taken of your dog’s leg to make sure that everything is healing properly. During these post operative visits it is important to discuss your dog’s progress with your vet, making note of any changes or anything else that just “doesn’t seem right”.

Medication

Your veterinarian will prescribe a few medications to make your pet more comfortable and to help prevent infection for the first week following CCL repair surgery. They will prescribe an NSAID (non-steroidal anti inflammatory) such as Carprofen or Meloxicam. The NSAID will be used for at least 7 days, but most likely longer following a TTO surgery.

Your vet will also prescribe oral antibiotics in either the cephalosporin or penicillin family. The antibiotic course will be anywhere from 5-14 days. Again, go with your veterinarian’s recommendations and do not stop the dosage before all of the pills have been taken.

You may also be given a tranquilizer or other calming agent to keep your pet quiet while they recover. We were given Acepromazine for our dog during his recovery process.

Pain medications may also be given to help your dog through the first few days following the procedure. If it is at all possible, it is advisable to keep your dog overnight at the facility where they are having the TTO done – as long as the facility is constantly staffed throughout the night. This way your dog can be monitored all evening after the procedure and can continue to receive pain medications via IV.

Exercise

Post Op to 6 Weeks

Your veterinarian will recommend your pet have very minimal exercise for the first 6 weeks following the TTO surgery. It is recommended that you set up a confined, carpeted area in the home where the dog can stay. It is optimal if this area is located close to where your dog will need to go to use the bathroom. 10 minutes of any type of exercise/movement is the absolute maximum during this crucial time following the TTO.

Many people get creative with ways to help out their pet during the recovery process. You can fashion a sling out of a towel to help your dog get up and down. Other people install ramps if their dog needs to navigate steps in order to go outside. The best thing you can do to ensure your dog has the best recovery possible is to plan as far ahead of the surgery as possible, making sure that the home is safe, quiet and secure to allow them the best chance at an optimal recovery.

After 6 Weeks

If the healing process is taking place as planned, leashed walking can typically begin around the 6 week mark. It is important to start off slow with the walks as your dog will have experienced a significant amount of muscle atrophy as a result of the extended resting period. The best way to begin incorporating walks is to go for a few walks of short duration. On the first day maybe take three to four, 4 minute walks, and work your way up gradually over the next two weeks. By 8 weeks it is ok (as long as your dog is doing well) to increase the walks to a maximum of two, 20 minute walks per day.

If at all possible, this is also a good time to do swimming (in water deeper than they are able to stand) or walking up slight inclines. Both of these types of exercises will help to rebuild lost muscle mass.

Unsupervised play, as well as jumping, stairs or other types of roughhousing should continue to be avoided until about the 12-16 week period. At 12-16 weeks after the TTO surgery your dog should be almost back to normal. If not, make an appointment to go in and see your veterinarian for a recheck.

TTO Surgery Recovery is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis

TTO = TPLO + TTA

While still not very common in the US, the TTO is one technique available to repair a torn dog knee ACL ligament. The idea behind the TTO is to combine aspects of the TPLO and TTA to create a new angle within the injured knee joint. The goal of the TTO, or Triple Tibial Osteotomy, is to create a 90 degree angle between the tibial plateau and patellar tendon while the knee is extended.

During a TTO CCL surgery a veterinarian will make three cuts (where the “triple” comes from) into the dog’s tibia.  These three cuts into the tibia bone will allow the surgeon to then rotate the tibial plateau slightly (as they do in a TPLO), while moving the tibial tuberosity forward slightly (as is done in a TTA).  When the adjustments have been made, the veterinarian will screw a metal plate directly onto the bone to hold the new position.  After these cuts and bone angle changes are made the result is a 90 degree angle within the knee joint when the dog’s leg is in an extended position.

It is the opinion of some veterinarians that the TTO is the best dog knee ligament surgery because it, in effect, molds the bone into a new shape.  According to a study done in New Zealand, there is a very low incidence of implant failure associated with the TTO, with most patients experiencing good post operative results.   Another benefit of this procedure, according to veterinarians, is that the TTO technique is relatively easy to learn.  It does not require expensive instruments to perform, and the technique can be easily replicated on dogs of all sizes.

TTO Surgery for Dogs is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis

First, we need to take a look at the anatomy of a canine knee joint. The way the stifle (or knee) in a dog is situated, there is a major ligament located on the anterior of the knee that plays the role of providing stability to the knee joint.  It achieves this stability by attaching to the anterior of the joint, stabilizing the femur on the tibia.  In dogs this ligament is known as the cranial (also sometimes referred to as canine) cruciate ligament, or CCL. There is also a ligament located on the posterior of the knee known as the caudal cruciate ligament which provides secondary support to the joint.

The human knee also has ligaments with anterior and posterior attachments that provide stability.  In humans they are named for these attachment points and known as the Anterior Cruciate Ligament, or ACL, and the Posterior Cruciate Ligament, or PCL.

As far as dogs are concerned, the specific acronym used makes very little difference.  If you wish to be anatomically correct, a dog’s knee has a CCL and a human knee has an ACL – but the terms are often used interchangeably because of their similar function in knee stabilization. Dog ACL or CCL, take your pick – we’ve found veterinarians are more likely to call it a CCL and owners are more likely to call it an ACL – either way, we’ll know what you mean!

ACL or CCL Injury in Dogs? is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis

I created this website to be all about the experience.  The experiences we go through as owners of dogs with knee ligament injuries, and the experiences our dogs go through as a result of tearing their CCL.  As a result of my experience I have been through both a Traditional Repair surgery and successful round of Conservative Management.  The best advice I can offer to anyone considering Conservative Management with their dog is this – listen to your dog.

Many veterinarians, for one reason or another, are quick to jump the gun on surgery.  Surgery is not the “quick fix” many people tout it to be.  The surgical procedure and recovery process are long, painful, difficult and financially taxing for many dogs and their owners.  Don’t feel pressured to have your dog go under the knife if you want to first try CM.  You are not doing your dog any injustice by giving them the chance to heal on their own.  The option for surgery is always there if you need it, but if you’re willing to give an alternative approach to healing a dog ACL tear a try, CM can be a successful route.

Overview of My Conservative Management Dog ACL Plan:

1. Weight Management – Our first step in getting our American Bulldog’s weight down was to begin cutting out treats and snacks.  I started making my own dog treats using a simple recipe with peanut butter as the main ingredient.  Making the treats myself allowed me to make smaller sized treats, which I began gradually feeding less of.  We also made the transition to a higher quality food, and once he was adjusted to the food we cut his portion size down by 1/3, continuing to feed him twice per day.  With less weight on the injured leg it will give your dog a better shot at recovery.
2. Inflammation – When Tucker first started showing signs of lameness in this injured leg we began giving him Rimadyl.  Knowing we did not want to keep him on a NSAID for a long period of time, we immediately began looking for a more holistic option for inflammatory control.  Along with the Rimadyl we started giving Omege 3 Fish Oil – one, 1000 mg capsule, twice per day.  After 1 month of the Rimadyl I transitioned to Yucca Intensive, and give 9-10 drops diluted in food twice per day.
3. Joint Support - A number of veterinary studies have shown that Glucosamine and Chondrointin supplements are good to support joint health in any dog.  Many people believe different brands of supplements show different results, so plan on experimenting with a number of different brands to see what works best for your dog.  Ask around at your veterinarian’s office or pet food store to see if they have any samples for you to try as you’re finding which product works best.
4. Rest – This is often easier said then done, but it is extremely important to make sure your dog stays in a confined area without distraction. Carpeted areas are best if at all possible.  Try to avoid steps, steep hills, jumping, running, rough play or anything that may create a jerking motion in the leg such as jumping up into a car or into a pool.
5. Prevent Boredom – Get creative with ways to entertain your dog while they are taking it easy and recovering.  Toys such as frozen kongs filled with peanut butter or bully sticks are a good way to help them alleviate boredom.
6. Exercise – Keep exercise to a minimum, but take care to avoid muscle atrophy.  Controlled, leash walking a few times per day is a good way to make sure your dog maintains range of motion without further injuring the knee.  These short periods of exercise may also encourage the growth of scar tissue in the area of the injured ligament.  This scar tissue will serve to stabilize the joint as your dog goes along the healing process.
7. Listen to Your Dog - Keep close tabs on your best friend throughout this process.  They’ll let you know how they are feeling.  Go at their pace, and if you don’t see any noticeable improvement in their lameness in a few weeks it’s time to re-evaluate CM.

Our Conservative Management Plan is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis

At over 8 months post op, I can safely say that the surgery was a success and worth the cost and trouble. Beau (a Golden Retriever) plays as much as any healthy dog and we have had; he is completely healed.

We have learned many things from this experience, and the highlights are:

1. Keep the dog’s weight in check. Probably the most important thing we have learned. Those joints are stressed enough and just can’t handle the extra weight. Keep ’em lean for their own good.

2. Follow the vet’s post surgery directions to the letter. The post surgery dog is a baby/puppy all over again and the house needs to be safe, safe, safe! Exercise as prescribed to re-build the muscles, and so that the non-injured side is strong enough to handle the extra weight it must bear while the bad leg is recuperating.

3. Our dog is banned from jumping on the bed forever. That activity didn’t cause the injury, but it will never help it and it can only make it worse. A nice doggy bed in the bedroom corner is just fine.

4. The surgery was expensive, and the recovery was really difficult to manage – particularly since recovery was in the deep winter months of Ohio. But if you take it just one day at a time, each week after the first two gets a little bit easier.

It is all worth it to have a happy dog again!

Modified Traditional ACL Surgery – Beau is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis

Well I am happy to report that Taylor is doing great and is now 5 weeks post surgery. It has been a long 5 weeks. At approximately 1 week after surgery Taylor was no longer limping and was ready to go! It has been difficult to keep her at rest. We have enrolled in a cranial cruciate study and has had 4 rehab sessions. These sessions include water treadmill, and appropriate therapeutic exercises to facilitate neuromuscular re-education and to improve flexibility, strength, balance and gait patterning.

Taylor remains quiet and activity is limited to controlled exercises and short leash walks. She can also walk stairs slowly one at a time while supervised on a leash. I will post more pictures soon including post op pics and of course some rehab pics. She now walks without a limp and other than her shaved leg and some mild muscle atrophy she is doing great……I know there is still a possibility of complications including infection and rejection of the implanted screws and plates but all looks great at this point in time.

TPLO Post Op Update – Taylor is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis

My 90 lb American Bulldog/Pitt mix had the Tightrope Procedure 3 days ago. He is 8 years old, and besides the knee injury, is in excellent health. We think he injured the knee exiting the pool several months before. We noticed a limp right after he jumped out (in-ground pool). It seemed to get better and I resumed our 2 mile/day walks. A couple months after, we could tell it was no longer healing. To the vet we went and started this journey.

One thing I would like to note, is that when it comes to recovery and outcome, it may be important to ask your vet and include in your experience how much if any at all of the meniscus of the knee is removed during surgery. Some dogs have to have this scraped out and some have had it intact. My vet stated it depends on the severity of the injury, current arthritic level, and damage already acquired to the meniscus. This can affect the dogs recovery experience. As well as if there was a partial tear or full tear, did the surgeon remove all of the CCL???

In our case, the meniscus was left intact, and the CCL was scraped and removed (was a full tear).

Our dog is doing great thus far. We picked him up the morning after surgery (central California). He came out of the kennel bearing weight and using the repaired leg. Although this should be restricted, it was a good sign. My biggest initial fear was regarding how we would manage to pick him up and get him home safely. My husband was out of town, and I am 8 months pregnant. Luckily the techs lifted him in the car and we were able to assist with a sling/sheet to get him out at home.

He is an indoor dog and quite large so we have never crated. What we did do is buy a baby/toddler “superyard” and set it up in the living room for the recovery. He is happiest when he can see me and be with me at all times. I currently am not working so this has worked in my favor due to the surgery.I was worried that he would need assistance to get up from a laying down position and being pregnant, this type of lifting would be a no-no for me. He was able and willing to get up, leash walk outside to pee, and back inside with no assistance from a sling. He is cautious with the leg but is bearing some weight on it.

He is eating fine, but I have spoiled him by feeding 1/2 his regular dry food and 1/2 rice, chicken, garlic, and veggies. The garlic will stay on the menu through recovery (8-12 weeks) due to the miracle food it is. He is taking 50 ML Tramadol twice a day, Dermaxx in the morning, Cephlexine 500 ML 2 times a day for 10 days, and 1500 ML Glucosamine (the dr recommended the brand Shift due to a study that reviled it actually had the amount in it that was stated and was absorbed quickly. This is a human brand, not veterinary brand). I have him outside to pee about 5 times a day and get about 3 good pees from him. He has yet to go #2. If he doesn’t go by tomorrow, I’m calling the vet for supplement advice. What do you give a dog?? Prune juice??? Colace???

Again, so far I can’t evaluate more than my dogs endurance (he is doing soooo well. no whining, no visible discomfort passed what the pain meds can handle, eating and drinking normally…I should mention I give him home made broth -no salt- and water mixture a couple times a day just to keep the hydration up). As far as the surgery and the surgeon, 3 days is too soon to evaluate. One thing I do know is that my surgeon was able to use internal stitches and NO STAPLES. It meant no bandage and no e-collar. He is not much of a licker and hasn’t licked the wound much. It wept for the first day and he did lick so out of precaution, we are all on anti-lick supervision duty. I understand infection is a huge risk in these surgeries. I wash the incision area twice a day with betadine. If you do this, you can’t bandage the leg until all the betadine is dry. We are bandage-free so it didn’t matter to us. Another hint is to never BLOW on the incision area if you think the betadine burns. Blowing introduces bacteria from your mouth. Use a magazine and fan away.

We have mild swelling around the ankle and knee, but not too much redness. I have done a few ROM exercises with him and he does not seem to mind. His knee thus far shows great flexibility and no limited movement. I have iced the ankle and knee a couple times. He does hate that, so I will not push it.

He has a check up in 2 weeks. At that time we will evaluate if we can start short leash walks and if we can get him in the pool to start laps. I will check back in often and update. I plan to be extra vigilant regarding the other knee and will be looking for signs of weakness from over use. The last thing we want it to have the other knee go. I do know there is a 50% chance of that but so far the vet said the other knee seems very stable.

Best to all who are enduring the TightRope surgery. All other options seemed way to invasive to me. (And to my dog, LOL!). Please keep posting updates on your dogs recoveries as well. Hopefully this info can be helpful to others and to vets.

Regards!!
Mrs. B

TightRope CCL Repair – Bohdi is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis

Jake had traditional repair 7/28/10. This was Jake’s second surgery, as he had TTA (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement) in February of 2009. Prior to both surgeries we tried conservative management, but needed surgery both times.

Traditional Repair – Post Op

We are currently Day 4 after the Traditional Repair, and it has been remarkably smooth. Jake is a large mini poodle (32 lbs.) and was always on the large side of his breed and is more of a small standard size. He is almost 13 y.o. so I was concerned about going into surgery, since the anesthesia seemed to escalate his aging after the first surgery, the TTA.

Honestly, I have read so many horror stories about the recovery period, etc., I was skeptical. Jake had surgery Wednesday, he came home Wednesday night with a soft cast, some Tramadol and Previcox.  He was a little uncomfortable that night, but slept. Day 2 was similar, and although the cast was cumbersome he was putting weight on the leg. Cast came off 2 days after surgery and he has been walking on the leg. Pain meds continue (but 1/2 tablet Tramadol 3X day) and he is doing great.

TTA – Post Op

Comparing to the TTA, which I decided to do after about 6 weeks of conservative management, this was a piece of cake. Jake did, however, stay overnight with the TTA, and came home the following day, with cast and meds, and was putting weight on it (also) almost immediately, but lots of toe-touching.

TTA vs. TPLO

I did extensive research and interviewed various surgeons prior to the first surgery, and opted for the TTA over the TPLO once I heard if there was a complication with a TPLO, it was not able to be “fixed”, but the TTA could be re-done, if needed. I believe it has to do with how the joint is re stabilized — the TTA uses a non-weight bearing bone, and the TPLO reconstructs the angle on the weight bearing leg, so if there is a problem, there is a real problem. One vet confidentially told me that sometimes the leg needs to be amputated (now, this vet preferred a TTA, but upon some checking, it may be true). IF you decide to go with a TPLO procedure, be sure to ask the vet the “what if’s” in case there is a problem a few weeks out and you need to have a “redo”.

Recovery

In any event, Jake is doing well, and at almost 13, he should be as good as new.

I will add that his cruciate ligament was fully ruptured on the first leg (meniscus was ok), and the partially ruptured on the second leg — although he could not put any weight on the 2nd leg, so I had no option. We believe it is a genetic predisposition in Jake’s case, as opposed to an “injury” due to his age. Also, there was no real accident, just normal dog stuff. I am happy to share any of my knowledge I have gained over the last 2 years.

TTA and Traditional Repair Cost

By the way, the TTA cost was around $2400, plus physical therapy, x-rays etc. (another $1,000 or so); the traditional repair which I opted for this time due to the fact it would be easier on him, was around $1300. I reside in the Chicago area.

Traditional Repair and TTA Surgery – Jake is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis

When Jasmine started limping in the summer of 2008 we didn’t think too much of it. It wasn’t the first time it happened and it wasn’t the worst either. Jasmine had injured her hind legs three times before and, each time, after an exam and x-rays, we were told it’s probably just soft tissue injury and sent home with recommendation of restricted exercise. Each time it did seem to have resolved on its own eventually.

With passing weeks I started to feel that perhaps we should take her to the vet again after all. It wasn’t getting worse, but it wasn’t getting better either, and Jasmine was showing less enthusiasm for exercise, which hasn’t happened before and wasn’t like her at all.

At the beginning of September we took her to her vet at the time. He didn’t really find anything and couldn’t elicit the drawer sign but suggested an appointment with an orthopedic specialist just to be sure. He mentioned the words ACL injury and that was the first time ever we heard about such thing.

After I researched what an ACL tear was I really didn’t want it to be it. Jasmine was putting some weight on the leg even though she was limping heavily, particularly after rest following exercise. She wasn’t holding her knee up as would be typical, so I was being hopeful.

However, after her visit with the specialist, and a set of x-rays, the diagnosis was in and it was breaking my heart. Yes, Jasmine did indeed have a partial ACL tear in her left leg, and if that wasn’t enough, her right knee didn’t look so great either. The recommendation was to do a TPLO surgery on the left knee immediately, with a prospect of another surgery once that heals. When I’ve learned what TPLO was I didn’t like it the least bit.

To Jasmine, her legs are the most important part of her body! They take her places! Such an invasive surgery and six months recovery … taking almost a whole year out of her life … I really didn’t want to do that if I could help it.

I spent endless hours researching and looking high and low for other options. We considered conservative management with knee brace. But Jasmine was only 5 years at the time and she is a very active dog. Brace didn’t sound like a good solution for her.

I was talking to many people and many vets and one vet from Australia mentioned that prolotherapy might be a solution for a partial ACL tear. I researched that and it sounded hopeful, and certainly better than a surgery. I found a vet in our region and discussed that with her. She said that it could be an option. Before we booked a consultation with her I brought it up to Jasmine’s vet. He didn’t know much about it, looked it up quickly and figured it was a terrible idea. There he was saying things such as bone infection and amputation … scared the living daylights out of me.

I did talk to a number of vets who successfully used this technique prior that conversation, but the word amputation eclipsed all the positive things I read and heard. I called the consulting vet immediately and told her what Jasmine’s vet thought. She was trying to explain that while there is some degree of risk they take precautions and it is very safe. As she noticed I wasn’t really hearing that suddenly she suggested something else:

“Well, we could also try stem cell regenerative therapy. It really is a shortcut to what the prolotherapy is designed to achieve.”

Stem cell therapy? Ok, a new word that didn’t have the word amputation tied to it. I asked her how it worked and she gave me the skinny. This certainly sounded interesting!

So back to research. The more I was reading about what stem cells were, the more exciting the whole idea sounded. We discussed it with my husband and he also felt good about it. So back on the phone with Jasmine’s vet.

“Stem cells? From bone marrow?” he asked. “And what about rejection issues?”

“No,” I said, “stem cells from Jasmine’s own fat tissue”.

This time he didn’t even bother looking it up. “Sounds like a scam,” he said.

Well, it didn’t sound like a scam to us. I went back online to see if i could find any testimonials about this treatment in dogs. Didn’t find many, but found some. And more importantly, this felt right. I found a website of the company who is behind this treatment, VetStem. There they had additional information and a list of vets certified for the procedure.

I made a list of those who were the closest and starting calling them. Ideally we wanted to find one who already had experience with this. It turned out that nobody in Canada, or in Ontario anyway, had actually done it yet. As we’d really prefer somebody who did, we decided to call around south of the border. Couldn’t find anybody either. Ok, this was pretty new stuff, huh?

Still though, it did feel right. So back to calling vets near by. The first one who was actually available to talk to me also turned out to be the best vet of them all. He spent at least forty minutes discussing things with me on the phone. He did feel that surgery might be the best option, but was open to the idea. “Knees love being operated on,” he said. “Well, knees might … but what about the dog?” I was thinking.

We booked a consultation. He asked to see the x-rays taken by the orthopedic surgeon but didn’t seem happy that there were only x-rays of her knees. He wanted to see her shoulders and hips also.

We discussed it all again with my husband and figured that we do want to see where the stem cell route might take us. So we booked a consultation with this new vet. We agreed that he’d take his own set. When we brought Jasmine in, he started examining her head to toes.

“Hey, doc, the knees are over here in case you can’t find them,” we thought. But he started explaining how the bad knees would affect other things.

“I want to treat the whole dog,” he said.

Our jaws dropped. “Wow, now there is a novel concept!”

Skipping through a series of events that stemmed from an additional abdominal exam he did while he had Jasmine under to take the x-rays, a cancer scare, and an exploratory surgery, several weeks later we were all set to go ahead with the treatment.

As destiny would have it though, a week before the planned treatment Jasmine came home and was limping really badly, not using her left leg at all. We took her in immediately and our fear was confirmed, her ligament was now totally gone.

So there we were, back to the drawing board. Do we have to do the TPLO after all? (Personally I’d liked the TTA better, but there was no surgeon in Ontario doing that.) Her new vet brought up the option of an extracapsular repair as less invasive. That confused things further, because we have already discarded this option at the beginning, after reading many articles on how bad this option is for large breed dogs.

However, this new vet already got a lot of our trust in the meantime and he has done this surgery successfully on large dogs many times in the past. I asked him the main question: “Is this what you would do if it was your dog?” He said that all things considered yes, he would. I was still a bit uneasy about potential failure of the repair, but it was substantially less invasive…

With that decided we didn’t feel like abandoning the stem cell therapy idea though. Perhaps it could save her other knee? And while at it, it could maybe help the operated knee heal better?

And so it was all set. The first day her vet did the extracapsular repair and extracted a bit of Jasmine’s fat tissue and sent it to VetStem to be processed. Two days later he injected the stem cells into both of her knees, shoulders (which developed arthritis as she was compensating for her bad hind legs) and gave her one IV dose of stem cells also to help our areas that couldn’t be injected).

The first month post treatment he seemed rather disappointed, as he couldn’t see any difference the stem cell treatment would have been making. By the second month though, he started to get really excited. We couldn’t really tell, because we had nothing to compare it with. All along we were just praying that her right leg would hold up through all that. At the end of the second month Jasmine was hardly limping at all, and the third month she was getting the bounce back into her gait. Now it started to get really exciting!

So of course, as a number of times before, just when we were so happy how well things were going, three months after the first surgery, Jasmine’s right knee just went. She didn’t do anything crazy or out of the ordinary. Just boom and there it was. That was really disappointing.

So back on the operating table. However, what the stem cells did for healing from the first surgery was incentive enough that we decided to use it again with the second operation. Her operated leg was strong and in good enough shape to get Jasmine through without a glitch.

Today, about two years after her knee surgeries and stem cell treatments, Jasmine’s legs are as good as new. Her knees are strong and no arthritis is bothering her at all. Her shoulders, which were very broad before, are now in the right proportion again. She has full range of motion and perfect muscle mass. She can run and jump as if nothing ever happened. It’s us who keep slowing her down, still so worried about her.

If we could go back in time, we wouldn’t have done anything differently.

Yes, the stem cells didn’t save her right knee. This treatment can be successful in treating ligament injuries, but it depends on the type and degree of the injury, and of course hopping on the treated leg as she had to do with the left knee surgery, wasn’t the ideal scenario. We are thankful that the right leg held up as long as it did. Normally it is recommended that the stem cell treatment for ACL injury is combined with rest, restricted exercise and external stabilization of the knee (brace). That was not an option in Jasmine’s case.

We are however big advocates of both extracapsular repair and stem cell regenerative therapy. We are happy that Jasmine has her life back!

- Guest Post by Jana Rade of Dawg Business
I have gone to the dogs! Graphic designer by profession, I became a dog mama by design. My first puppy, Jasmine, changed my life completely, and now everything I do revolves around her. Her lovely face made me learn about dogs, dog behavior and needs. The unfortunate hand she’s been dealt made me learn a lot about dog health issues. Jasmine has her own ranch, her own dog and a crew of vets helping me take care of her. I couldn’t love her more if she was my own flesh and blood.

Bilateral ACL Injury – Jasmine is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis

Our 3 1/2 year old yellow lab has had hind lameness after exercise for several months now. We tried rest and anti inflammatory meds for 3 weeks with no results, so finally had her examined and x-rayed.

She was diagnosed with a torn CCL, with some arthritis in her affected knee. It was a very difficult decision to make whether to operate or do conservative management. I spent nights crying about the consequences of both, and finally decided on the TPLO.

She was operated on 2 days ago and we brought her home yesterday. I was amazed that she was doing so well with some slight weight bearing on the affected leg, but was shocked at the swelling and bruising that resulted after the TPLO surgery. She is eating, drinking, peeing and pooping, and we hope that she remains infection free on her road to recovery. I am still on the fence with regards to my choice, but we shall soon see. Lots of friends have had success with TPLO surgeries on their dogs so I hope to have the same results.

Our dog was also part of a clinical trial involving CCL injury and TPLO surgery. She will be followed closely post op with regards to her gait, weight and hydro therapy.

TPLO Ligament Surgery – Taylor is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injuries, Cruciate Ligament Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis