Our 6 year old yellow lab tore her first ACL 2 years ago. After 4 months of limping and unsuccessful medications we had a traveling surgeon Do a TTA. She came home with 15 pages of instructions. It took months but she did finally regain all use of that leg.

Recently she tore The ACL in her other leg. We found a fantastic Vet in Faribault MN that does both TTA and TPLO. Lacey got a TTA like the first, but our experience was SO much better. We actually met the surgeon and felt a lot more informed. Lacey just got her staples out and is started on a rehab program. She is nearly normal already! Lacey is doing fantastic and we actually saved $1000 over the first surgery. It pays to do research and shop around. Our Vet did not refer us, we did our own homework.

TTA Surgery on Both Knees – Lacey 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

Dr. James St. Clair of TopDog Health and Rehabilitation shows a simple, informative technique of measuring hind leg muscle to help track your dog’s progress during recovery from CCL surgery or throughout Conservative Management.

How to Measure Your Dog’s Muscle – 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 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

Stetson had his TTO surgery today, just 9 weeks after my girl, Rave. His accident is an unfortunate co-incidence. Neither is related to their agility involvement. However both dogs being athletic competitors, we want a great outcome thru both the surgery and the ensuing physical therapy.

I have been very well pleased with Rave’s recovery and decided the exact same treatment options for my boy, Stetson.

Two years ago I fostered three Rottweiler’s over the summer. (Phoebe and Manning were adopted by new families, quickly) Stetson’s response to training was so overwhelming and solid, I adopted him from the rescue myself! He was too good to let go and he fit in nicely with my own two girls, Raven and Sable, also Rottweiler’s. He is a Clydesdale sized dog with a personality to match and a desire to please.

Naturally, at some point in time we will be able to book consecutive PT sessions. Maybe I can at least save on some gas?

TTO Surgery with Laser – Stetson 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