After 16 weeks, Sadie, our 9-year-old Shih Tzu, has started walking with only conservative management! We were told she would have to have surgery for a full tear to her ACL. The surgeon said to give it 8 weeks to see if she would get better. I am so glad I did not give up!!
I was diligent in giving her Knox gelatin (gelatin helps my knees), Omega-3 supplements, and a joint supplement. The joint supplement is an advanced supplement for injured dogs sold at a national pet store. I also sprinkle about a teaspoon of gelatin on her food 2x daily (I do not measure).
Unfortunately, I was not as diligent as I should have been in restricting her activity at first. We were not at home during the first few months of her injury and controlling her activity was difficult. I started making it a priority to keep her activity level down and carrying her as much as I could to go outside. I think the key was not letting her go up or down stairs. I did not use a brace or therapy….just love and time! She is still holding her leg up a lot, but I see so much hope and improvement. It is so nice to see her actually walking again! I know it is going to be a long year of work, but I am trying to protect her other leg as well. I have read not to let a vet try to do a drawer test on her once she has started to heal, so I am going to heed that advice at our next appointment. When she is being groomed, my groomer knows to be cautious of her injury as well.
Sadie has had 2 bladder surgeries for bladder stones, and will need another one soon, so we are so happy to have learned about conservative management!
Hello,
I am inspired by your post as my dog who is 11 pounds fully tore her ACL about 10-11 weeks ago. I decided to do conservative management and have seen some improvement but she is still not able to walk on it at all. She can only bear some weight when she is standing. I wonder every day whether I should do the surgery or not but I keep looking for signs of hope. At what month was your dog able to consistently walk on the injured knee? Thanks for your help!