The decision to have surgery.

My dog, Lucas, is a very active/jumpy 3 year old pitbull / boxer mix. I noticed some lameness in his leg about a year ago, but it seemed to go away on its own. The real problem started after introducing my boyfriend’s 2 year old lab mix to him. They would just run and play all day together, but his limping just got worse and worse. The vet suspected a CCL injury and sent me to a specialist.

I went to CARES in Levittown, PA and could not be happier with them! The surgeon suspected Lucas had a partial CCL tear, but suggested doing a round of conservative management to be sure. I took the next 8 weeks and kept Lucas relatively inactive. He was not allowed to jump on furniture, go on walks, or play in the back yard with the other dog. After 8 weeks I took him on a walk and he limped for 2 days. I knew this was no way for my dog to live and moved forward with the next steps for surgery.

Dr Puerto (CARES) really took the time to explain each type of CCL surgery, traditional, tightrope, TPLO. His recommendation for me was the tightrope or TPLO.

Below are the reasons that helped me decide on the Tightrope repair.

1. It was able to be performed orthoscopicly and would not result in any large incisions. I know my dog and I would not be able to keep him away from the incision as long as I would need to. He is the expert of taking off e-collars and would harm himself just to get at it.
2. Lucas weighs 65 lbs. TPLO was not necessary because of his weight (mainly done on larger breed dogs), giving me either option.
3. NONE of the surgeries are proven to stop arthritis later in life. If TPLO was proven to stop arthritis by realigning the bone, I would have DEFIITELY chosen that surgery. But there is nothing proving that yet.
4. Tightrope overall is less surgically invasive (does not involve breaking the bone like TPLO). It just seemed like less could go wrong and he would be back on his feet sooner. If my dog was older and less active, I may have considered TPLO. But getting my active/young dog back on his feet sooner than later was an important factor.

NOTE: I would NEVER have this type of surgery on a large dog performed by someone that is not primarily a surgeon! Most horrible reviews I have seen about CCL repairs, have been done through inexperienced primary vets.

Tightrope Surgery Day – February 29th, 2012 – Leap day!

I’m very nervous, but felt confident that I have made the right decision on the orthoscopic Tightrope CCL repair. Right before surgery I notice that Lucas is limping on his left leg, NOT the right leg. This is the opposite leg that is having surgery! The vet confirms my suspicious through manual inspection and x-rays that his other leg is in the beginning stage of the same problem he is having surgery for. I opt to have his non-surgery leg casted for a custom orthopedic brace to get him through recovery. He will receive this brace in 2 weeks and we will take it from there! The doctor called to tell me surgery was successful later that day. He will be staying the night and come home tomorrow.

The cost of all of this was $5,300 ($4,300 surgery, $1000 brace). Thank God for GoPetPlan insurance that will refund me 80% of this cost! They pre-authorized the surgery without any hesitation.

Day After Surgery

Lucas is finally ready to come home! He is completely bandaged on his bad leg and has a fentanyl pain patch. Since the vet did the surgery orthoscopicly, he has a 2 inch incision and a few small ¼ inch incisions. He is happy to be home and cries every time I am out of his site. I spent most of the day/night on the floor with him to calm him. The only way he will go to sleep is if he knows I’m right there touching him. He ate his food for me immediately and went outside to pee/poop, can’t keep this dog down!

Week 1

The first week was mainly spent in a small area I had cornered off in the living room. Lucas is very stubborn and has a high pain tolerance. I did not want to, but I was forced to sedate him almost 24/7 to stop him from pacing and attempting to jump (he made it on the couch one time when I turned my back for a second!!). He is also on an antibiotic and a pain pill. When he is awake I try to entertain him through a variety of new soup bones (boiled for a hour), kongs stuffed with good stuff, and even a elk antler. He is a very strong chewer and needs things that can hold up.

The “Our Pets Lift-N-Aid Mobility Harness” I bought for him is God sent! It makes it so easy to hold onto him when he goes to the bathroom and to catch him when he randomly decides to get up. It’s comfortable enough that he falls asleep with it on.

On a negative note, his “good leg” is definitely suffering and I cannot wait for his orthopedic brace to get in. The main reason for the 24/7 sedation is because he other leg is not able to support him fully. If he is on the good leg too much, he actually starts to put weight on the surgery leg to give the good leg a break! I can’t tell if that’s a good or bad thing that he is putting weight on the surgery leg already! haha

2 Months Post-Op

Lucas is doing fantastic! We go on walks 2-3 times a day, slowly increasing time and adding hills. The vet said the recovery period is so critical and he can tell Lucas is being well rested these past 2 months. His leg has lost some muscle mass and is measuring 1 inch smaller than his other leg. I research some physical therapy centers and will be taking my dog there for a 3 week trial. I specifically made sure the place had a pool and under water treadmill. One more month left of no running and jumping!

A Tightrope Repair Surgery Story – Lucas is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

Lola is a German Short Haired Pointer – very active, spins and bucks like a bronco 30 or 40 times a day!

When she was about 7 she started favoring one back leg, not even weight bearing at times. We took her to the vet when this went on for a couple days and he said it was a ACL tear and recommended surgery. When informed we would have to keep her calm for many weeks we were overwhelmed – there is no keeping this dog calm so post op would be pretty difficult. I read about it online and talked to some people whose dogs had surgery and who still have a lot of pain due to arthritis. We decided to take a wait and see approach using Glucosamine and Rimadyl.

Within 4 months she was her old self – truly amazing! Then two years later she started limping again. We took her to a new vet who specializes in holistic medicine. He offered surgery, but said he thought a wait and see approach was okay, too. He squeezed Lola’s leg and showed us it wasn’t really painful and that the arthritis is minimal. He said she seemed to be favoring it like it was a “trick knee” rather than from pain.

He encouraged us to take her off Rimadyl, but to keep Glucosamine and add Fish Oil. He told us that he thought adjusting her spine through chiropractic measures would be worth trying. He adjusted her spine and she hopped up and started running around like her old self. We brought her back in 3 weeks and then in another 3 weeks for two more adjustments even though she was acting perfectly normal after her first visit.

It has now been 6 months and she has continued to be her crazy, spastic, spinning and jumping self. We are very happy that we gave her those months to recover the first time. Her quality of life is amazing, I believe better than if she had gone through the pain of surgery and certainly it was less costly than surgery! I encourage everyone to see a holistic medicine vet before making a decision on surgery.

Conservative Management for Knee Ligament – Lola is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

My Shepard/Golden Retriever mix had surgery over 2 yrs ago when she was 8 yrs old. She is a big dog (not fat, just big). It had to be done a second time after about 6 wks. She seemed to be a bit better.

Now she is 10 yrs old. She has trouble with the stairs in our home. My bigest concern has been that in the 2 yrs. since the surgery, the drain site has never healed. It still seems to open and drain sometimes. As soon as I think it is finally getting better, it opens again. I have had her on antibiotics several times. Nothing seems to work.

Now she is getting older and her other side now seems to have problems, probably from compensating. I love her!

How do I tell if she is having to much pain? Any suggestions to help her? I don’t want to put her down – I love her and she will do anything she needs. I don’t want her in pain all the time. Any suggestions? Thanks for your time!

How Does A Knee Ligament Surgery Hold Up Over Time – KC is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

Cinny is a 4 yr old female pitbull that had torn ligament surgery (unsure exactly which procedure) about 5 1/2weeks ago. She is walking worse now then she did before surgery.

The 1st 2 weeks she was doing good. I was helping her with walking outside using a towel under her while I held her lower body up; she wasnt happy with me helping, but finally was settling in with it.

Now at 5 1/2 weeks she is doing worse then before surgery. She has an appt next week with doctor. She can’t even stand on all 4 without wanting to lay down. It breaks my heart to see what I think now was a very bad idea…

Since day 1 I have done exactly what i was told by my vet. I gave the pain pills, used a hot pad and ice pack when appropriate. Any help or advice anyone is willing to offer would be appreciated.

Update – After Vet Visit

Since I wrote my story it seems Cinny has taken a turn for the worst. She can not walk at with falling.

I called the vet that did the surgery that morning, and was told they can not see her until Monday; I told her she is a 5 week post op and can not walk. Still could not fit her in.

I called another vet which told me to bring her right in. They took X-rays and gave me the bad news. Cinny has arthritis in both hips and both back legs. Surgery will not help.

They started laser therapy on her right away and will do this for 2 weeks to see if it helps with her pain. She is also now on rimadyl and tramadol for pain, and I do give her joint vitamins too.

I went hope crying and haven’t stopped yet. I did order a wheel chair for her which will not be here for another 5 days. I don’t want to let her go, and I don’t want her in pain.

I just let my min pin go with God not even 2 months ago. what a holiday im having losing all my best friends.

Why didn’t the vet that did the surgery tell me about her arthritis or… Guess no X-rays were done? What have I done to my dog?!

Update – 2 Week Laser Therapy

Cinny had her 2 week laser therapy which seem to help some. One day she seems to be doing great, then next she is back to laying and depressed.

No x-rays were taken before surgery if so he would not have seen arthritis. She does eat and drink and go outside to do her thing. My husband has bulit a great ramp for her, and she seems to be happy with using it.

I take her outside everyday for 5-10 min; seems all she can handle. She still in pain, of course I keep giving her the pain/arthritis pill and her joint vitamins. She is giving me a hard time tricking her.

The therapy is supposed to last 3-4 weeks before she will need more. I see she needs it everyday. I don’t have the money to put in her, which is breaking my heart.

She is so alert and gives me dozens of kisses everyday. I have a feeling I will need to let her be with God.

We decided not to use the wheelchair for 2 reasons – 1 too small and 2 I would never be able to lift her to put her in it alone. I have a bad back now from carrying her up and down stairs to be with me haha, she hates to be alone.

God Bless and thanks for all the advice and help!

Arthritis After Ligament Surgery – Cinny is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

Here’s a story that should provide hope to anyone with a pooch with a CCL problem…

We have a 140lb. Newfoundland. He is very active and blew out his right CCL 6 years at 18 months. It started with a tear. He wiped out on our tile floor. We were devastated.

We took him to a specialist. He immediately wanted to cut. That didn’t give us the warm and fuzzies. We then went to another about an hour away from us. He said the ligament was torn, but not ruptured so there was hope. He suggested waiting to see what happened.

Well, a month or so later, Porter blew his knee completely. Started just toe tapping and wouldn’t put much weight on it. We went back to the vet and he suggested TPLO. We went through with the surgery. About $4,000! It’s heavy duty surgery. But, Porter came out in flying colors. Took a solid 7 or 8 months before we let him off leash, but the surgery worked pretty well.

I say pretty well because he’s always been a bit light on that leg since then, but he runs, jumps and doesn’t show any signs of discomfort.

Everything was great until December, 2009. That’s when he started limping on his left side. He had now injured his other knee, which is about a 50/50 chance with large breeds after they have one knee rupture. We’re not sure what he did, but he is very active and runs/jumps all by himself, so he probably fell in our yard or running up our stairs.

This time we did a lot of research about Conservative Management. We really didn’t want to put him or us through surgery again. After speaking to a couple of different vets and people who had gone this route, we decided to take a chance. The vets really didn’t give us much hope as they said usually CM only works on smaller animals, but it was worth a shot.

Porter was confined in a small room and when we were home we’d let him out, but only under VERY close supervision. He was always on leash. No stairs, no walks except for potty breaks in the yard. He was confined to a 3×5 area when we weren’t home. This went on for 3 months.

At that point we started short (5 minute) walks a couple of times a day. still always on leash. From that point we increased his walks over time to about 15 minutes by 6 months.

At 6 months we let him off leash in our yard. He was still supervised and we didn’t let him run. A little trotting was about it. We continued to walk him 2 or 3 times a day for 10 to 15 minutes a time. Every month we’d give him a little more freedom. By 12 months you’d never even know he was hurt!

Now (Nov, 2011), He’s now back to full activity…swimming, running, acting like a nut! We still don’t allow him to jump off things and we don’t chase him a lot or let him deak back and forth, which puts a lot of stress on knees. But, other than that, he’s free to do as he wishes. He couldn’t be happier.

We put Porter on various supplements…fish oil, vitamin E, Glucosomin/chondroitin. We also cut his food slightly to be sure he didn’t put weight on. We continue with the supplements to this day.

We also started him on Adequan. This is a miracle drug for arthritis pain! we give it to him once every 6 weeks and you can see the difference in him. It’s incredible. I highly recommend it. Find a vet that will let you inject it and you’ll save a ton of money.

We read much of this site before deciding on CM. Many people make the same comment about their dog being too active and thinking they won’t be able to control them or the dog will be too sad sitting around all day. Believe me, it’s harder on the owner than the dog. If you have the willpower to control your dog, you can do this. Really, it’s not much different than TPLO. You’d still have to keep the animal calm for months.

One interesting thing, last year we had Porter’s right knee xrayed. It was quite damaged by arthritis. We were told that was one of the main reasons to undergo surgery…to reduce arthritis. That apparently didn’t work! Some day we are going to have both knees xrayed to see the difference.

A final thought…my wife blew out here knee for a 2nd time last year. We went to one well known surgeon…he said he needed to operate.

Based on Porter’s outcome, we were somewhat skeptical. We went to NYC to see another top notch surgeon. He said no surgery…basically follow the same CM idea. It’s been a year now and her knee is doing very well without surgery!

To sum it up, CM worked very well for us. I would highly recommend trying it, but you HAVE to COMMIT yourself to it. It’s going to be hard, but if you stick to it, it can work. I’m sure there are cases where surgery is the only way out, but don’t be too quick to decide on this route. I don’t see any reason to not try CM before cutting.

I definitely don’t buy the idea that arthritis will be worse if you wait…we didn’t wait and Porter still got pretty bad arthritis in the repaired leg.

I know if you’re just going through this now with your dog, you’re probably very upset. Believe me it’s not the end of the world. Your dog will get better…it’s just going to take some time and a lot of care.

TPLO and Conservative Management – Porter is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

When massaging your dog following a cranial cruciate ligament (ACL or CCL) injury it is important not to just focus on the injured knee joint, but the entire body, especially when initiating the massage. Some of the benefits of canine massage include: enhancing the human-animal bond, relieving pain and decreasing swelling.

Dr. James suggests a massage technique starting by working from the toes up to the affected knee joint. While massaging the area around the joint (or anywhere else in the body) you may encounter “knots”. You can relieve the pressure in these points by placing firm, direct compression on the area for about 20 seconds, leaving time for it to rest before returning to the area.

Massage Therapy for Dogs – Video is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

PROM or Passive range of motion exercises are an important part of canine physical therapy following a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injury. PROM exercises are useful whether your dog has undergone surgery such as a TTA, TPLO, traditional repair, etc. or if you’ve chosen to do Conservative Management. The goal of PROMs are to increase the movement and flexibility within the joint by stretching the tendons and muscles in a careful, controlled manner.

Dr. James St. Clair of TopDog Health and Rehabilitation demonstrates how to perform Passive Range of Motion Exercises, and explains their importance with regard to maintaining range of motion within the dog knee joint.

Passive Range of Motion Exercises – Video is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

It is estimated that there are over 15.5 million dogs suffering from arthritis right now – many of whom are silently suffering.

Arthritis is defined as inflammation in the joint, and it may be accompanied by pain, discomfort and/or stiffness. There are 5 general areas which are most succeptible to arthritic change: hips, knees, elbows, shoulders and spine.

In the case of arthritis related to cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injury, the onset of arthritis is linked to the traumatic injury of the knee joint.

Dogs do not exhibit signs of pain in the same way we do by crying, whimpering or complaining. You will need to pay close attention to the habits of your pet to try and determine whether arthritis is an issue.

Arthritis in Dogs – What to Look For:

• Slowing Down
• Sleeping More & Sleeping Longer
• Standing with Back Legs Closer Together
• Wide Front Leg Stance
• Running with Hind Legs Together aka “Bunny Hopping”
• Joint Licking
• Slow to Rise
• Walking Less than Normal with Frequency and Distance
• Avoiding Jumping or Stairs
• Stiffness
• Limping
• Muscle Atrophy

How to Diagnose Canine Arthritis:

Dr. James suggests if at all possible, you need to have x-rays taken to accurately diagnose arthritis, particularly, the exact point of origination for the arthritic change.

The video above was created by veterinarian, Dr. James St. Clair of TopDog Health and Rehabilitation. Dr. James created his GlycanAid-HA joint support formula as a result of working with many patients and owners coming into his rehab center with a plethora of different supplements. In 2007 he began working with one of the leading experts in the world of veterinary supplements and developed joint health supplement formulas packed with ingredients that he knew worked, and were something he wanted to offer his patients.

Basics of Ligament Injury and Arthritis – Video is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

Hello Everyone,

But sadly, against my better judgement, I let her rip when we were out, because she has such a high prey drive, it was the only way to rid her of some of her restlessness. She is supposed to be Chow/Border Collie, which explains the high prey drive! So last week, at the park as so many times before, ZOOM, man she’s gone chasing a squirrel up a tree.

She came out of the bush, with her left rear leg, just gimpy, limpy along. Not until later at the house that night did I notice the extent of her injury. I freaked, cause I knew this was not good. The injury occurred on (I believe) Sunday, and by Monday we were off to the vets.

Long story short, she has blown her ACL and I am devastated. Moving along to a few weeks later, after getting her on Deramaxx for the pain, I wind up at the Idaho Humane Society. I had a visit with the executive director of the center, who is an orthopedic surgeon. We did the exam, had x-rays taken for the first time, and much to my despair, not only is her left leg shot, her right is even worse!

Much to my horror, she also has hip dysplasia in both hips with arthritis and arthritis in both legs also. So in trying to decide to do surgery or CM, after reading about all of you guys that have taken that road I figured, what the hell…. I can not do surgery on legs, hips, and God knows what else! I was so bummed, I am so worried about my girl.

It is horrid to see my wild child, become crippled. (tears, and more tears) So as it stands, right now I too am having to just try to keep her comfortable and out of pain. I restrict her movements, am trying to get a little weight off her (she’s 48 lbs or so) and I have her Rimadyl and Tramadol also. Doc. said to give her 2000mg. of MSM and Glucosomine, which is good to know cause I only was going to give her 1000 of each. That for about 2 months, (2000mg) while she is trying to recover.

This is a difficult thing to watch, but thank goodness I will be home with her not having to work (unemployment!). I can assist and watch over her! I am an old lady myself, but have no children, so you know how neurotic us pet owners can be with “our kids!” So, keep writing guys, this is very helpful – I don’t feel so alone and sad, knowing others out there are struggling with the same problems! Thank you all, and I will keep you guys informed, as we travel this very bumpy road of destiny!!

Appreciatively,
Eilen Baldwin
Star, ID.

Healing a CCL Tear Without Surgery – Jasmond Baldwin is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries

Here’s my story:

• Luscus, 18 month old Cane Corso, 125lbs
• Level 2 tear right rear CCL
• Occurred at beach when he slipped on a wet rock as 2 dogs jumped on his back (playing)
• After drawer test doctor recommended tplo surgery

Reasons Conservative Management was selected:

• To cut the bone of a dog still growing did not seem reasonable
• Level 2 tear only
• Post surgical complications of TPLO

Conservative Management Treatment:

• Entire floor covered with non slip rugs
• Dog kept in confined area large enough to lay down and stretch when alone
• When I was home, dog confined to single room and kept calm
• Leashed walks, dog always kept to slow walk. Week 1 distance = 0 feet; walked just enough to get to grass
• Week 2 walking distance increased 25 ft only if no setbacks/injuries during week 1
• Each week continued increasing distance per walk
• Always kept dog calm, no playing, jumping, etc.

• Approximately 4 weeks dog was walking normal and wanting to do more
• I waited until end of 6th week to begin rebuilding muscle and ligament strength with light running
• Continued to add time spent running each day, similar to how walking distance was increased each week
• End of week 9 dog was at full activity and strength
• Never had a recurrence or re injury

Personal Comment:

• Even if you opt for surgery – the above recovery period applies
• With all the great braces available conservative management becomes easier

Conservative Management, A Non Surgical CCL Repair – Luscus is a post from: Dog Knee Surgery and Ligament Injuries