I have experienced an CCL tear in my 75 lb lab/shepherd mix last year anlong with my dad’s golden retriever tearing CCL #1 and having the ‘tight rope’ technique done only to tear CCL #2 two weeks after the surgery to CCL #1. So, in all of this (and my career being in medicine), I would like to offer the following advice to you…

Teddy has a ‘healing’ knee on one side and an injured knee on the other. My dog had a TTA repair done on her knee and my dad’s dog had the tightrope done on knee #1 and the TTA repair on the other about 6 weeks later. The TTA is your best option for Teddy because the TTA approach will allow Teddy to weight bear immediately after surgery. The tight rope is not a good choice for larger (especially active) dogs as the CCL is never repaired and the healing process depends solely on scar tissue build up to support the knee. TPLO recuperation time is really long, and dogs can’t weight bear on the affected leg for quite a while. There have also been reportings of bone cancer from the steel they use during TPLO surgery. TTA uses titanium. My dog is doing well a year plus later and my dad’s dog is doing well 3+ months after his TTA surgery on the other leg (both dogs are 9). So, my advice is for Teddy to have the TTA surgery on the other leg ASAP to protect the already surgically repaired leg and to prevent further damage in the knee that is now injured. Good luck. It is a costly operation and a tough recovery, but so worth it in the end. — Monika

My Pitbull King will be 4 in October…he tore his CCL about 3 weeks ago & we have been debating the surgery. From what I am reading I am leaning towards YES!! He loves to run around & play & swim. I can relate to those of you who are in as much pain as their doggy…he is my partner & this has ruined our summer. He is miserable being kept in the bedroom while the other dogs are outside playing & it is killing me.

Anyway, one of my main concerns (of course besides the HUGE financial stress that the surgery will put on us) is will he be able to walk & run around again post surgery (after what seems like from the comments about a 6 month recovery) & from what you are saying…yes he will…although he is most likely going to tear the other leg at some point.

I would be grateful for any feedback on the TTA or the TPLO or CM! Thanks & good luck!!

The vet told me if she is not accustomed to being crated not to do so because it may stress her. I kept the e-collar on her the first week while I was not supervising, until the stitches were removed. She is doing great!

The first week I only walked her to releave herself which is half a city block. For the past week, I have been taking her for short, slow, walks (about 2 blocks, or 20 minutes). She has a slight limp, and has not put weight on the foot. She is not allowed to play with other dogs, they do sniff each other, but I usually take her away before she gets too playful.

It’s hard keeping her home for the summer, since what I enjoyed most was our long walks together. But I keep in mind, as many have told me, next summer she will be healthy and happy, and we will be able to go on our long walks.

To all who have opted to have the surgery (which ever one you chose) good luck with your love ones and be patient, by next year they will be back to their old selves!

This is how her care has progressed and hopefully my diary will help others here:

Vet provided a Fentanyl patch for pain directly after the surgery which made initial pain management a lot easier on my end.

I fed her 4 small meals a day at first to evenly stagger her antibiotic and Vetprofen dosages.

She wanted to chew on her incision so I ended up getting this type of cone (http://www.allfourpaws.com) and it was great compared to those giant plastic ones.

First two weeks she was kept in a cage most of the time. Only went out for bathroom breaks. Iced the joint followed by range of motion exercises twice a day.

In the 2-4 week range she’s been kept in the house to restrict her movement but no longer needs the cage or cone. Stopped icing and started hot compresses (hot wet rag wrapped around the knee) followed by the ROM exercises twice a day.

She wants to put some weight on the leg now, unlike prior to surgery, and the knee doesn’t seem to be too stiff.

One problem is because of her decreased exercise, she’s been gaining too much weight so I’ve had to cut back her food.

The other big problem is her boredom! She was getting listless alternating with anxious energy after being cooped up so much. Been trying to take her out into the yard to sniff/dig gopher holes and rub her back on the grass. No real walking just yet though.

This weekend I plan on starting her with some real exercise. Just 15 min up and down the street slowly on a leash and some time in the pool.

Her thigh muscle is in pretty skinny from disuse and I’m hoping the workout will eventually help regain her muscle mass.

The vet suggested after 2 months to get her to walk on uneven surfaces like deep pillows, big gravel, and stairs to help get her balance back as well.

I have to admit she’s been pretty miserable at times, especially with that cone around her face. But so far it seems to have been the right decision, seeing her want to stand on her leg again. I went into this never expecting her to fully recover to her old self but to the point where she can run to some extent again. I was also concern over the increased stress from scrambling around on 3 legs may prove to been too much for the remaining good joints and she’d end up with other problems.

I’ll follow with another update as she progresses.

Good luck to everyone out there!

Anyway, the moral to the story is, keep your dog on a tight leash and really restrict their exercise for a good 3 months. Swimming wil be great once the weather warms up but they do feel better and think they can run or jump…but they can’t, don’t let them.