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

I adopted Mousse, a pure bred chocolate lab, a little over 2 years ago – she was 15 months old. In the words of my vet, Mousse is exuberant. She was always ready to run, fetch, swim etc. etc.

Then, about 6 months ago, she started having problems with her back right leg. I took her to my vet several times and was told each time, she was okay. I had the vet take X-rays of her hips and her right knee. They looked OK and he said she might have strained a muscle and I was to give her Rimadyl and Tramadol. I did and it was slightly better and then … worse: she was having trouble going up the stairs and getting in and out of the car.

We went to Oradell Animal Hospital with the X-rays and the orthopedic specialist there said she had torn the CCL’s in both back legs. The good news was that it was repairable and he proceeded to show me how the TTA would work and then said it would cost $4300 … each leg!! I’m sure he saw my jaw drop to the floor, and he was decent enough to suggest that if I could go outside the NY Metro area, I might find it less costly.

I started talking to people and got numerous recommendations for veterinarians, animal hospitals, veterinary schools. I read whatever I could on the internet and became more knowledgeable about TPLO, TTA, extracapsular – traditional and Tightrope.

TPLO and TTA were scary to me on two fronts – the actual surgery where they cut the bone and then plate/screw it into a different angle, and the recovery period during which the patient cannot be active or the repaired bone could be damaged (lots of horror stories about permanent damage, lameness, even amputations!)

Knowing my Mousse, traditional suture was not a good option – she’s too active and too big … even at a svelte 67 lbs. So I started to ask about Tightrope. Although they don’t do it there, the vet at Blairstown (great place) thought Tightrope might be a good choice. Mousse and I went to Univ of Penn Vet. – very good session but they don’t do many Tightropes and they were recommending TPLO. I had also contacted Cornell Vet College, but they don’t do Tightrope.

I then emailed Dr. Cook at Univ Missouri (who came up with Tighrope) and he was kind enough to send back information and a list of facilities in NJ and NY. I researched the list via the internet and made an appt. with Dr. Henrich of Tranquility Vet Clinic (western NJ). About halfway into the appt., I felt we were in the right place and scheduled the surgery. Oh what a relief to finally be able to make the decision!

We drove (it’s about an hour west of us) back to the clinic on Monday 11-8-11 and they put a pain med (Fentanyl) patch on the back of her neck. The surgery was the next morning; I dropped her off. Dr. Henrich called me around 12 to let me know the surgery went well and I could pick her up late afternoon/ early evening. I drove back to get her around 6pm – my poor Mousse was still groggy, her entire back left end was shaved and she was wearing a giant E-collar – she looked miserable!

The incision is about 6 inches long, held together by 15 staples. (I count them regularly : )

The first few days were fraught with anxious moments but I muddled through. I have her harness on almost all the time to control her forward momentum and a beach towel knotted around her waist makes a good handle so I can keep her from putting full weight on her back legs. We only go outside to pee/poop and she sits in the sun while I rake leaves.

Sat. 11-12-11 we went back to have the patch removed and to get another laser treatment (it helps to reduce swelling and promote healing). The Dr. was pleased with how the knee looked and that Mousse is able to put it down (not putting weight on it though).

She is more active than she should be and they had given me some tranquilizers to keep her calmer which definitely help. She does not like the crate or the E-collar, but I have no choice if I have to leave the house. I still get kisses on my chin so I take that as a good sign.

Sat the 19th she is scheduled to have the staples removed … one less thing to worry about.

Follow Up: 11/16

Mousse is putting more weight on the repaired (left) leg and would love to go for a real walk. She seems more comfortable with the reduced-size cone but is getting more obstinate about going in the crate when I have to leave for work.(I didn’t crate her before the surgery.) Hopefully I can pack up the crate again after the staples come out this Sat. The knee and suture line look very good to my unprofessional eye so I’m feeling positive about the future.

Staple Removal: 11/19

Just back from staple-removal. The vet is very pleased with Mousse’s progress and we now have some physical therapy exercises.

Unfortunately, the cone is still required as there are still two small openings in her suture line. These are expected to close in the next few days … as long as she doesn’t lick and irritate them. I can also extend her walks a bit. So small steps forward … but it’s all good : )

Recheck: 12-1-11

We met with Dr. Henrich, the vet who did the Tightrope surgery and he was very pleased with Mousse’s progress. She’s walking so well that there’s even a chance he may not have to operate on the right knee.

We reviewed the exercises for physical therapy which I do at home and he gave us the okay for moderate walks. We go back on 12-15.

I’ll keep you posted.

My Decision to Pursue Tightrope Surgery – Mousse is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

Dr. James St. Clair of TopDog Health and Rehabilitation discusses the benefits of using moist heat to help your dog heal from a cruciate ligament injury.

The use of moist heat can help increase healing and decrease pain.

Moist Heat Therapy – Video is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

Dr. James St. Clair of TopDog Health and Rehabilitation explains the importance of post operative icing within the first 72 hours following ACL repair surgery. Icing will help constrict the blood vessels and prevent inflammatory agents from entering the knee joint. The use of ice can also help relieve pain and make your pet more comfortable.

Icing Options Following Dog ACL Surgery:

• Ice Pack (Standard) – Do not conform to body
• Gel Pack (Gel) – Great choice, conforms to body and stays cold
• Frozen Bag of Peas – Good backup, just does not stay cold very long
• Therapy Wrap – Hot and Cold therapy wrap, easily conforms to body

How to Ice Your Dog

Dogs can be very sensitive and may react. If your dog reacts to the coldness of the ice, go ahead and place a towel over the area you plan to ice in order to prepare them.

Ideally you’ll want to place the ice source so that it wraps around your dog’s injured knee – this is where having a gel ice pack therapy wrap can come in handy.

Post Operative Icing – Video is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

Beauregard (TTA SURGERY) tore his right CCL when he was about 8. The vet verified the CCL damage and sent us to a surgeon in the Phoenix area. Post surgery recovery was good with no limping or other signs of discomfort after about five to six weeks.

A year later he tore his left CCL going after a ball. Same story, same surgeon. This time, although he seems to be able to walk normally, he has a pronounced limp when he gets up from a prone position. The limp goes away as he continues to walk. The big problem is that he seems to be losing control of his back legs. Sometimes he will cross the two legs and nearly trip and fall. He gets around okay and even takes short walks but is almost 13 years old now and is much slower than he was before his surgeries.

I know he’s getting older but the apparent loss of control in his rear legs concerns me. It doesn’t seem to be getting any worse but I’m wondering what the cause is. His knees were recently x-rayed and the vet didn’t see any problems with the TTA repairs. Any ideas?

TTA on Both Knees – Beauregard is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

Duke, age 5, 110-lb, Black Lab tore his ACL in January of this year. Tried conservative management, but seemed to have frequent relapses.

Took to UofFL small animal hospital, and they wanted to do TPLO. My local Vet then suggested doing a TTA. I decided to try CM a little longer and told him so. Finally, went back to the Vet and said I didn’t think CM was going to do the trick whereupon he said he thought there was enough fibre left to do the traditional imbrication procedure. I went ahead with it and the initial progress seemed very slow…

Now, it’s been almost 8 weeks post op, and Duke has made a huge leap in progress in the last week or so. Starting swimming therapy with him tomorrow. Would love to compare notes with any other Lab owners who have had same procedure done, and hear success/failure stories. I have had Duke on Glucosamine/Chonrdoitin since his surgery.

Extracapsular Imbrication (Traditional Repair) – Duke is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

After a couple of months she was due for her needles. I mentioned this lameness to our vet, who diagnosed a partial knee ligament tear. She was extremely active, chasing balls for 30 mins every afternoon and a 5 km walk every morning. The vet suggested rest to see if it healed.

We decided to use a conservative method. She recovered very well. We started to increase her exercise levels after the 6 month mark, she was starting to play and run around off lead with no bad effects. We were very cautious when adding ball games, not allowing her to chase the ball, only to retrieve it after we had thrown it and it stopped bouncing. All was going according to plan and we were very happy.

We then made the decision to allow her playfriend over, a 12yr old jack russell. They played several times with no problems, then one day she was lame again, the feeling of depair was unbelieveable. After going back to the conservative method again, she was not recovering as she had before. The limp was there nearly every time she rose after a sleep. We decided to get her operated on. She weighs 21 kgs and the vet made the decision which method was best for her and her active lifestyle.

I am so impressed with her, she has the best nature imaginable! I got the crate 3 days before and got her used to it. No problems there.

She didn’t have any arthritic changes, which i was worried about because of the time from the first lameness. The bandage fell off on day 2, but she didn’t worry the wound at all. Some allergic reaction to the stitches, but no real problems. She has been an angel, just sleeping in her crate and chewing kong toys.

I take her out on the leash for a few hours every afternoon and sit in the backyard with her. At least she can watch the world go by. She was putting weight on it within a few days.

We are now at week 5 and she walks without pain or limping. I have started to allow her a trot now and then, very little signs of limping. I have been doing the passive range of motion from day 5, and think it has helped. Her leg is quite thin, but when the weather warms up, I have ponds near me that she can swim in. Hopefully she continues to improve. We will be sure to keep her weight down, and she will only be allowed to play ball in the pond.

I hope she never needs the 2nd leg done, but at 5yrs old i know there is a good chance it will happen. Good luck to everyone out there going thru this, it is very stressful. When tango went in for the stitches removal, my vet asked how we were and not how the dog was!

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

Hello! In June my 7 year old English Bulldog, Kata, was running on her walk when she seemed to step wrong or something. She continued to run and play, not seeming to be bothered much. I assumed it was just a pulled muscle or something.

Then last week we had her off leash and she took off after a cat. She came home limping and would not put any weight on her left rear leg. I took her to the vet a few days later and the vet thinks it is a cruciate ligament injury. The vet did not do x-rays (as she knew if we decided on surgery the surgeon she referred me to would want to do her own) so I do not know the extent of the injury.

She is currently on Rimadyl (only a week’s supply as of now) and is putting weight on the leg, but not a lot. I can tell it is uncomfortable for her to squat when going to the bathroom. Overall she is pretty mellow, only trying to jump and “trot” when someone comes home. We have not been walking her and she is devastated since right now it is finally starting to cool off (we live in AZ). I am so torn as to what is the best choice for a 7, almost 8, year old bully who still seems full of life and not in much pain.

I want her to be able to run and play though, but don’t want to put her through a painful surgery and recovery if she can recover with just CM.

How to tell? I know that there is no rush to make a decision, however, I feel like the more time that passes the older she gets and more risk comes with age for surgery. HELP!

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

I am an Office Manager at an animal hospital, and I love to bring my dog with me to work every day. His name is Ben, and he is a Golden Retriever. When the story begins, he weighed 115 lbs.

In early June, I had brought Ben to work. We we playing fetch in the hospital (again, I LOVE my job), and Ben slipped on the tile floor. He had a slight limp for two days, but then he was fine. I had him on Rimadyl/Carprofen, but once the limp went away, I took him off of it. I began to worry about his weight causing problems, and I was able to get him down to 112 lbs.

On Friday, June 24th, I was in my front yard when Ben started running. He stopped very suddenly, and he couldn’t put his leg down. He couldn’t walk to the door. I immediately brought him to my hospital, and the vet was able to feel the ligament tear through the drawer test.

I spoke to 4 different veterinarians and 2 CVTs… 5 of these 6 people said to go with the TPLO. I was shocked at the prices I was being given. Even with a kind “Professional Courtesy Discount”, I was getting estimates into the $4000′s. I was worried about this high price, and I was even more worried about the lengthy recovery time, severity of the side effects, and possibly spending another $4000 on his next leg just months down the road.

I spoke to a vet who we often refer to, but his hospital can only do lateral sutures. After meeting Ben, he suggested I call Dr. Robert Cook of Animal Medic Clinic of St. Charles, IL. Dr. Cook has been performing the Tightrope surgery for some time, and he has had success with it. I set up our consultation for Wednesday, June 29th.

DAY ONE

I met with Dr. Cook at about 10:00 AM. He is extremely thorough in his exam, and he makes sure that I understand everything and all of my questions are answered. He explains the possible side effects of the surgery, and he explains why things go wrong. I feel very confident with him, even more so after he mentions he has performed over 500 of these surgeries since 2008. He explains that yes, it is a newer surgery and surgeons can make mistakes by placing the rope crooked or drilling too close to one side of the bone. After 500 of these surgeries, Dr. Cook explained that he has learned to not make these mistakes.

I also explained that I was concerned about Ben’s size, and other veterinarians did not feel the tightrope would hold. He explains that this surgery was designed for the larger dog. He has done it on dogs larger than Ben with great results. We discussed Ben’s weight, and as of today, he is down to 103. Dr. Cook wants me to get him down to the lower 90s to assist with his recovery, and he should probably be at his ideal weight then. Overweight dogs have a higher occurance of blowing their second leg.

THE TIGHTROPE SURGERY

I really recommend finding a vet as experienced in this surgery as mine. I ended up paying 2500, and while the outcome is still unknown, this is how my surgery differed from others I am reading.

The surgery was performed that day. I dropped him off at 10. They performed bloodwork, and they gave morphine, acepromazine and an epidural. They were in surgery for about an hour. They also found a tear in the meniscus, and this was trimmed. I brought Ben home THE SAME DAY at 4:00. There was no cast, and there were no bandages. There was a transparent, sticky adhesive placed over the incision which was to be removed in 3 days. The external incision was about 2 inches long, and the other small incisions were all under a centimeter. The incision was closed with staples, rather than sutures.

NIGHT ONE AFTER TIGHTROPE SURGERY

Ben was in a lot of pain. I was able to get him to eat a little and drink a little. He held his leg in the air the entire time. He would not stand on his own. He was so depressed, like he had lost the will to live.

DAY TWO

I take Ben outside at 730 AM. We have four stairs at my house, and I have to basically hold his back end while he walks down the stairs. He peed and laid down. I COULD NOT get him to stand up. I’m so happy I had called off of work… I wasn’t able to get Ben back into the house until after 9:00AM. Ben was still very painful, even after medication, and he would growl at me if I would pet him. He has never growled at me in his life, so I found this concerning. He laid around for the rest of the day. When he would stand later in the day, he would begin to toe-touch. His appetite was normal, and he was drinking. My brother was able to carry him outside in the early evening, and again, he wouldn’t walk to the door to come in.

DAY THREE

Ben is starting to walk and follow-me around. He is putting weight on his paw. His pain seems to be going away.

DAY FOUR

I leave Ben alone for the first time since his surgery. He stayed in my room all day. When I got home, he began to run in the house. I had to stop him from moving so quickly. His function appeared to be back to about 50-60%.

DAY FIVE

This injury came at a bad time. Ben is crazy afraid of fireworks, and this was the 3rd of July. I made a hiding spot for him in my room with a lot of blankets. I had given him 100mg of Tramadol and 75mg of Benadryl, but he does not seem to calm down whatsoever. At one point, I walked out to my car. I came in about 5 minutes later, and Ben was in the bathroom with a blanket attached to him. I’m assuming he heard a loud firework, and he ran out of my room and tripped over the blanket, because he was holding his leg high in the air again. I was concerned that he did something to reinjure himself or screw up the surgery. I got him to go back in my room and I blasted classical music. I was able to get him to fall asleep.

DAY SIX

The Fourth of July!

I brought Ben with me to work. I know he was supposed to be bed resting for two weeks, but I wanted my vet to see his progress. He was walking around a little too much for my liking, but my vet thinks he is healing well. The incision looks healthy and normal, and no swelling is present. I cut his Deramaxx from 100mg once daily to 75mg once daily.

That night, I gave him 25mg Acepromazine. He hid the whole time without any pacing. Thank goodness!

DAY NINE

Ben is at about 70 to 80% percent function during the day, but he drops back to 50% at night. I wonder if it is because his Deramaxx is wearing off.

I am slightly concerned that initially, he was showing steady signs of progress, and now it is slowing down. The other problem is that he is getting sick of sitting in this house. He is being way too active when I get home, and he runs to the door if someone gets here. He’s pretty good about stopping when he is told to do so, but I’m worried that these small instances can cause big damage.

Ben is able to completely go down stairs quickly, without assistance (just the 4, as approved by my vet), but he shows a little difficulty when going up. I am lifting up his rear to get him to climb.

Tightrope Surgery Experience – Ben is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

8 year old yellow lab (named Betty) that was possessed with the “I love life way too much” syndrome. We did daily walks of three miles and were joined by another lab lover twice a week for five mile adventures. One day I noticed Betty really holding back, not interested in her walk and struggling to keep up. I assumed she was starting with the hip issues that we Lab lovers are all to familiar with but a visit to her vet revealed otherwise.

X rays revealed knee issues…… I never processed that dogs have knees. Anyways, a veterinarian orthopedic specialist was recommended. We met with the doc and were given a first class education on what was going on with our friend. One hour he spent with us answering every question, regardless how inane, and most importantly spoke to us in terms we could understand. Oh, and he drew lots of pictures to illustrate his points, very helpful.

Advice to all, get a great orthopedic vet and do the surgery. My best friend, even though wounded on knee number two, is like a puppy again. They’re worth every penny.

TPLO Surgery on Both Knees – Betty is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information