Any dog owners ever had a dog with an ACL tear?

[phillySVT]

I noticed my dog doing a slight stutter step while trotting two weeks ago. So slight no one else seemed to think it was a problem. He could still run full speed. I brought him in to the vet and they diagnosed him with a partial acl tear. They told me to rest him for a couple weeks and hope that it heals. If it does become a full tear it will need to be operated on. For one, I'm not positive on this diagnoses as he had no x-rays what so ever. Two, I don't want the dog to be in any pain. They put him on anti-inflamatory meds and he seemed fine (I haven't walked him/no stair climbing since the vet visit). the first day I ran out of meds the dog was limping bad. Way worse than when I first brought him in. I called up and they gave me another prescription and he seems fine again. I'm going to see another vet this week. Has anyone gone through a dog with an ACL repair operation? How succesfull was it? I know it's going to cost me some bucks buts I'm willing to shell it out to get him better.

 

[WutApex]

I looked at TPLO for my dog. It was pricey. We ended up holding off to see if it would get better since all he did was lay around the house anyway. We also looked at TTA which we were leaning towards since, IIRC, was less recovery time. Based on my research (~1.5yrs ago), both procedures are pretty successful.

Never got the chance to follow through...soon after we found out he had bone cancer and had to amputate his front leg

 

[canibus]

Sounds like it's tearing more. I know how difficul it is to keep a pitbull grounded, but it seems you're going to have to. otherwise you'll more than likely have to have him operated.

 

[firebird1999us]

I'm intereste din this subject as well...

My Boxer developed a slight limp several weeks ago that she had for about a week...took her to the vet, got some anti-inflamatories, and she seems to have stopped limping altogether. Although a few days ago she ran outside and appeared to pull something. But it immediately went away. Like she had just stepped wrong.

 

[James Snover]

I have a Rat Terrier, named Zooom. 25lbs of black-and-white blur, the fastest, highest jumping dog I have ever seen. The people who raised her used to have her compete in agility contests. They say she could jump 5'-6" from a standing start. When she lost her competitive edge, they gave her to us.

A few years back, Zooom suffered a complete tear of the ACL in her right-rear leg. My wife was with here when it happened, she said the dog jumped, then she heard a "pop," then Zooom would not walk on the leg at all. She never seemed to be in any pain. And it didn't seem to slow her down much, either.

It cost over $1,000.00 to get her leg operated on. They drill a hole through one of the bones, and tie off the ACL in a knot, which restores its full range of motion and control.

It took about five months before Zooom was back to normal. For the first two months, she refused to walk or run on it all, she just held it up. After about two months, she started standing on it, but still picked it up when walking or running. Little by little, though, she started using it more. First only when standing, then walking, and finally she was back to full black-and-white-blur running speed.

Why did I spend that much on getting a dog's leg fixed? We had the money, Zooom was only eight or nine years old and had a lot of time ahead of her. If it was an older dog, or a much heavier dog, I might not have done it. The older a dog is, and the heavier they are, the less likely the chances are for a full recovery, according to our vet. And, ok, I'm a complete sucker for a hurt animal.

It's a choice you have make based on your financial situation, and your dog's chances of a good outcome. The vet told us that most dogs can live a long, happy life on three legs. They just have no margin if another ACL lets go.

Zooom is now 17, and just from normal aging she has lost a lot of her speed and agility. But in particular, she's getting arthritis in the right rear knee. The vet told us that would happen, as she aged. She can still use the leg, though, standing, walking and running.

Jim Snover

 

[fiveoh2go]

My dog Bo (a Sheltie) tore his ACL when he was 10. He tried jumping up on my bed, missed, and tore it. Anyway the vet gave me the option of a $850 surgery, pain meds for the rest of his life, or put him down. I spent the $850 and didn't even think twice. About a week and a half to two weeks after the surgery he was back to his old self again. Definitely money well spent.

 

[phillySVT]

I'm having it fixed no matter what it cost. Only 4 years old and its the best damn dog I've owned