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 and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

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 and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

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 and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

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 and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

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 and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

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 and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

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 and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

Help!  My dog is limping – Could it be a torn ligament?

This guide is a good starting place for anyone looking for more information on dog knee problems, specifically cruciate ligament injury in dogs.  This article will give an overview of dog knee injuries covering everything from symptoms to recovery.

What is a Cruciate Ligament Injury?

An injury to the CCL (also known as the cranial cruciate ligament and sometimes called the ACL) can cause lameness in dogs, and is one of the most common causes of rear leg lameness. The function of the cruciate ligament in dogs is to stop the femur (large bone at the top of the leg, above knee) and tibia (smaller bone at bottom of leg, below knee) from rubbing against one another. When the cranial cruciate ligament is torn or ruptured the leg loses stability because these bones are now free to move back and forth on top of one another, causing friction, inflammation, possible meniscal injury and eventually arthritis.

During activities with a healthy dog ACL ligament there will be tension on the ligament, preventing the femur from pressing into the tibia, creating a sliding motion for fluid movement. If your dog is walking or running with a cruciate ligament tear there will be no tension on the CCL, allowing the bones to unnaturally move together, causing pain, lameness and an aversion to using the leg. The best way to think of this would be to envision the ligament like a rubber band, but instead of holding the bones together, the rubber band is in place to prevent the bones from coming into contact. When the rubber band is snapped, there is no longer a gliding joint in the knee and there is contact between the bones.

Acute vs. Chronic Causes of Cruciate Ligament Injury

Acute injury is generally associated with trauma. If the CCL (also referred to as ACL because of it’s similar function to the human ACL) is injured acutely it will most often be due to improper rotation of the knee and hyper extension. This can occur in many different ways such as a dog taking a misstep off a curb, stepping into a divot, jumping or becoming stuck, using a jerking motion to free him/herself.

Chronic injury of the canine ACL is generally associated with disease, age related degenerative changes of the ligament, excess weight (obesity) and conformation of the knee joint (certain large breed dogs are more prone to these types of injuries due to the way their back legs are formed). In the case of chronic injury of the cruciate ligament, there is very little that can be done to prevent the injury from taking place.

Size Matters

Small and large dogs fair differently with the same type of ACL injury. Studies have shown that dogs weighing less than about 25 pounds can experience a full recovery from ligament damage without surgery. This is not true in dogs above the 25 pound threshold. While dogs over 25 pounds may appear to be improving with conservative methods, these larger dogs rarely return to their full function without any issue. This is not to say that there has never been a case of a medium to large sized dog recovering from a torn CCL with only conservative management, but does demonstrate that smaller dogs have an easier time fully recovering using the conservative approaches.

Symtoms of a torn, ruptured or injured CCL will vary from dog to dog, and depending on whether the injury was acute or chronic in nature. Some dogs with a fully torn cruciate may only exhibit mild lameness, while others with a tear may not bear any weight on the leg at all. This again varies based on the type of dog, their size and whether other structures within the knee (particularly the meniscus) were also damaged. Below are some of the most common symptoms associated with a dog knee ligament injury.

Symptoms of a Dog ACL Tear:

1. Decreased range of motion.
2. Hind leg extended straight when sitting down (this is known as the sit sign).
3. Crackling noise of bones rubbing against each other – the medical term for this is Crepitus.
4. Dog exhibits signs of pain when knee (stifle) joint is touched.
5. Exercise intolerance.
6. Limited range of motion or mobility.
7. Stiffness, limping or unwillingness to use the leg after exercise.
8. Knee joint is swollen and/or hot to the touch.
9. Thick, tight, hard and/or firm feel to knee.
10. When standing will only place weight on the toe instead of using entire foot (called toe-touching). An early sign of toe-touching is to only have weight on one side of the body when standing.

There are other conditions with symptoms similar to a dog ACL injury such as: arthritis, knee sprain, meniscal injury, hip dysplasia, patellar fracture, patellar luxation, myelopathies, lyme disease and others. Please schedule an appointment with your vet if your dog shows any of the CCL tear symptoms listed above.

What if my dog’s CCL is never repaired?

This, again, depends on their size, breed and a number of other factors. Some dogs without a CCL may do just fine, while others may use the ability to use their leg. One truth for any dog without a supporting knee ligament is the fact that they will be more succeptible to injuring other structures within the knee, particularly the meniscus. The role of the mensicus in the knee is to act as a cushion, and absorb shocks. Damage to the meniscus is serious and typically leads to arthritic change and lameness.

What to Expect During Your First Veterinary Visit for a Suspected CCL Injury

Consultation and Review of Symptoms

Your veterinarian will review your dog’s symptoms and time of onset.  Going through a detailed history will allow your vet to determine if conditions with similar symptoms may be ruled out at this time.

Physical Exam

Walking Gait

Your veterinarian will want to watch your dog walk and run to see how they are balancing their weight and using the affected leg.

Palpation of the Joint

Your veterinarian will touch your dog’s knee to assess the joint looking for signs of:

• Swelling or Inflammation
• Loss of Muscle Tone
• Pain or Soreness
• Range of Motion
• Popping of the Joint
• Fluid Accumulation

Drawer Sign Test

During the drawer test the veterinarian with stabilize your dog’s femur with one hand while manipulating the tibia with the other. If the tibia moves forward, known as a positive drawer because of the way the bone moves similar to a drawer being opened, the ligament is ruptured.   A negative drawer sign does not necessarily mean your canine does not have a cranial cruciate injury, and false negatives can happen if your pet is tense, if the injury is old and if there is arthritis.

Tibial Compression Exam

Another test, similar to the eliciting the drawer sign, is the tibial compression test. During this exam your veterinary physician will stabilize the dog’s femur with one hand, while flexing the ankle with the other. In dogs with a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament, the tibia will display forward motion upon flexion of the ankle joint.  Again, a negative tibial compression exam does not rule out a cruciate ligament injury, and many factors can contribute to a false negative result.

How to Test a Dog for a Knee Ligament Injury

X-Rays for CCL Injuries

Radiographs are usually taken, not to diagnose a cruciate ligament injury (soft tissue damage is not clearly visible on x-ray), but to rule out other diseases such as cancer and hip dysplasia. An xray will confirm the presence of fluid in the joint as well as arthritis, which will help to confirm the diagnosis of a cruciate ligament injury.

Ultrasound for CCL Injuries

Ultrasound may be used to positively diagnose a CCL injury. Unfortunately a minority of medical clinics are equipped to do ultrasound, and many veterinarians rely on the results of the consultation with you, physical exam and ruling out any other conditions by x-ray to make the diagnosis of a CCL injury.

My Dog Has Received a Positive Diagnosis of a CCL Injury – What Are My Treatment Options?

There are two major avenues for treating a dog knee ligament injury – conservative management or dog knee surgery.

What Is Conservative Management?

Conservative management is a non-surgical option for treating cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injuries in dogs. Depending on the size of your dog, the severity of the injury, presence of other damage (particularly to the meniscus – remember, this is the part of the knee that acts as a shock absorber) and the duration of time since the onset CM may be a good option for your dog. As mentioned above, dogs weighing less than 25 pounds tend to have better outcomes using conservative techniques than larger dogs.

A variety of techniques can be used if you choose Conservative Management (CM) for your pet.

Conservative Management Includes:

“Standard” Conservative Management

• Rest – Your dog should remain inactive during the recovery period, abstaining from rough play, prolonged exercise or any movement that may cause any pressure or unwanted movement within the knee joint.
• Weight Control (and reduction if necessary) – One way to reduce stress on the joint is to keep your dog’s weight under control, and if possible, underweight is better during the recovery process.
• Anti Inflammatory Medications – There are a number of Holistic (ex – Yucca Root) and Prescription (ex – Rimadyl) medications available that can help to make your pet more comfortable as the knee heals.

“Optional” Conservative Management

• Dog Knee Brace – There are a variety of dog knee braces available including the orthopets canine stifle brace and atrac dynamic brace.
• Veterinary Acupuncture – Acupuncture for dogs is available, and can help to de-stress your pet as their body heals.
• Veterinary Chiropractic - A chiropractor can work with your dog to make sure your pet is free from any subluxations or other blockages.
• Physical Therapy for Dogs – Working with a certified canine physical therapist can help to ensure your dog maintains muscle tone and range of motion in the leg following their injury.

What Are The Different Types of Surgery for Dog ACL Injuries?

Dog Knee Surgery Options:

TPLO Surgery (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy)

This surgery adjusts the slope of the tibial plateau (preventing unwanted forward motion) by cutting and rotating the top of the tibia, and keeping it in position with a bone plate (which can be removed after healing).

TTA Surgery (tibial tuberosity advancement)

The TTA surgery also focuses on changing the angles of the bones within the knee joint. In a TTA the tibia is cut and moved forward to create stability. The new position of the bone is held into place with a bone plate (which can be removed after healing).

TTO Surgery (triple tibial osteotomy)

The TTO is a combintation of the TPLO and TTA techniques. It moves the tibial crest forward, as a TTA does, and also adjusts the tibial plateau to 90 degrees, as the TPLO does.

Tightrope Surgery

Tightrope CCL is an extra capsular technique using the lateral suture stabilization (LSS) procedure in conjunction with a material called FiberTape to provide bone to bone stabilization.

Extra Capsular Suture (traditional repair, extracapsular imbrication)

This is referred to as a traditional repair because this was once the conventional treatment for CCL tears. The extra capsular suture uses a strong leader line suture in a figure eight pattern around the knee to provide stability and keep the knee in a normal position.

Fibular Head Transposition (fibular head transfer)

The fibular head transfer surgery utilizes another ligament in the knee, the lateral collateral ligament, to take the place of the CCL. In this surgery the fibula is rotated so that the lateral collateral ligament can perform the function of the CCL.

Dog CCL Surgery Recovery

Depending on where the ligament surgery was performed, your dog may stay overnight to be monitored and receive pain medications following the procedure. TPLO surgery recovery can be different from TTA surgery recovery, so it’s important to follow the recommendations of your vet during the post operative period. Your dog’s sutures will be removed within a week or two of the procedure, and follow up appointments are typically done at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks. Again, depending on the type of surgery done, radiographs may be done during these follow up appointments.

During the 6-14 week period following surgery it is very important to severely limit your pet’s activities. For approximately three months following dog knee ligament surgery your pet should be confined to a crate, small room or enclosed area when you are not able to be with your pet. You will probably want to make use of a dog cone collar – Elizabethan collars or Pro collars are my favorite. Make sure to post operative doggy proof your house and make sure they have no opportunity to slip, slide, jump up onto furniture, climb up stairs or engage in any activity that may damage the healing knee.

While outside you should accompany your dog for bathroom breaks, and they should always be controlled on a leash – you never know when a post operative dog may get the urge to chase a squirrel! You may increase the length of walks during the recovery period under the recommendation of your veterinarian and judging by how well your dog is recovering. I strongly recommend not letting your dog off leash at all during the first few months following surgery just to be on the safe side. Your veterinarian will most likely encourage you to have your pet use the injured limb immediately following surgery, but do not overdo it. Physical therapy during this time can also be very beneficial, and swimming is a great way to ensure your dog gets to use their leg (helping to maintain strength and muscle mass) without engaging in any activities that may be harmful to the knee.

Cruciate Ligament Injury in Dogs is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

I have a small (42 lbs) APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier) female named Emma. 2 years ago, as of this Christmas, she just stopped using one of her rear legs. As soon as we got back into town I took her to my Vet. She was put under and it was found that she had the drawer symptom. The vet gave us some pain killers, explained the treatment choices and sent us on our way.

I exhausted myself reading all I could and just tried to make the best decision for her. Well, two weeks later I came home from work and my baby could not walk. She just hopped not moving EITHER OF HER REAR LEGS! I freaked out and started bawling my head off! Thank god for a husband that keeps a level head! I took a deep breath and called my vet. A day later and we had a confirmation that she had blown the other CCL! At this point I knew I could not afford both legs. I had a hard time convincing my husband to agree to one! I decided to try conservative methods and if she was not better in 8 weeks, then I would get one leg done.

I totally restricted her. I mean totally. NO walks, NO jumping and pretty much no activity. I got a doggie litter box and a lot of toys and crossed my fingers.

Well, now here we are two years later and Emma RUNS EVERYWHERE! No one would ever guess she ever had any issues. Will she have arthritis? Yeah probably, but so will the dogs that had Tightrope, Ex-cap, TTI, and TPLO. Her scar-tissue does the same thing as the tightrope and ex-cap.

And people if your vet is telling you that your little 20 pounder needs surgery, get a second opinion! I am just saying what do you have to loose? If you restrict the activity level, no considerable damage will occur so do not think that. And if you are thinking “geeze I could never manage to keep my dog that constricted” just forget about treatment right now as the recovery period after a surgical fix is about the same as conservative therapy.

Just my and Emma’s 2 cents.

Conservative Management Success – Emma is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

Jasmine’s Bilateral ACL Injury
By Jana Rade

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 Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information