I healed my American Bulldog. I didn’t opt for the surgery and he was completely healed after three months. Took him off his feet for three months. Just to go potty no walks, raw diet of protein, also bought a sleeve brace off Amazon. After three months I ditched the brace and built up the muscles slowly over time. He is 100 lbs and he is perfect. He doesn’t limp and he can run and jump and do everything he could do before the tear. The vet told me he wouldn’t heal without a surgery but I did my research and healed my dog myself.
No you Didn’t heal your dog. Your dog still has an unstable knee, and is laying down a large amount of fibrous tissue and arthritis trying (and falling) to heal itself. You just can’t notice the reduced function and pain your dog is in. If you measured the uses of the leg objectively (force plate analysis, measuring muscle mass), you would be able to see the dysfunction. It will get worse with time and you will see.
I have a 14 month old American Bully who has a left CCL rupture. It didn't happen through trauma, it occurred when on a lead out for her first wee. I panicked got her checked and confirmed it was a CCL via drawer test (which can often cause more damage to the knee, and has the potential to make a partial tear become a full rupture). Vets pushed for TPLO straight away. X rays and joint test showed no other issue or autoimmune disease / arthritis. I've spent hours researching the pros and cons of the TPLO surgery, but the percentage alone to the risk of the other CCL blowing post-op is what really held me back. In the meanwhile, she's on strict rest, has lost 2kg, is taking supplements including tumeric, joint support blend, MSM etc - no zoomies, running, foam tiles to prevent slips, and short lead toilet breaks offloading her back end with a sling. I give daily massages to both legs and hips to ease muscle tension and promote circulation. She is currently on her 5th week of CM and she is honestly surprising me and everybody else too. She is weight bearing on the leg, no toe touching, no stiffness or difficulty rising, posture has improved (no frog leg) and she comfortably sleeps or lays on either side, finally reduced pain meds (no NSAIDS). She is due to start hydrotherapy next week, and a very gentle session after 6 weeks of limited activity. Then she will be booked for Cold laser therapy. Long story short - her insurance policy is enough to get the procedure done 5 times over, however I'm all for individual circumstance. She is doing absolutely brilliantly and I highly recommend to any owner, if you have the time and put in the effort, changing the bio-mechanics of your dogs leg permanently just might not be necessary.
Update, 4 hydrotherapy sessions completed. Luna is doing fantastic. Found a hydrotherapist with 20+ yrs experience in these injuries. Luna is now also on an Esther-C supplement at 1000mg per day as per hydrotherapists recommendation, I've seen a huge improvement with this addition. Luna swims well and is on an Increment of 1 min each week (6min swim stresses the muscles as much as a 5 mile walk). Swimming consists of laps and stationary resistance. Luna's muscle tone in both legs and body is showing, she is lively, and wants to run, climb and stand but activity is still restricted. Introducing very low impact lead walks in isolated areas to keep her mobile and mentally stimulated. Hope this helps anybody reading this 👍I'll be posting a load of her progress pics and videos to her instagram @lunabluebully
My Assie ruptured his left ACL when he was one year. Vet said that without surgery, he would lose the use of the leg and eventually his other leg as well. I crated him for over a month, taking him out only for potty. He is totally healed and has been for six years. Yes, he still sits to the side, but so what? He loves to chase the dog on the other side of the fence whenever he gets the chance.
My saluki x ruptured his cruciate a week ago. our Vet favours Vetlig replacement so he is booked in for that in two weeks. Far less invasive & with much faster weight bearing & recovery time. Tplo is a fall back option. He did say that recent research suggests that early neutering is a contributory factor in cruciate ligament failure in later life. Our dog is entire, with him its just one of those things!
My dog had ACL/CCL surgery in August last year. He tore the ACL on the other knee on wednesday. He's having surgery in 2 days. He recovered just fine last year :)
Your video was more helpful than my vet. My vet postponed surgery prescribed Librela injections which gave my miniature poodle less pain and more confidence to run and jump a month after injury. I didn't see this info, vet did not tell me to limit her activities, no instructions and she felt better and moved better.i wish I would have watched your video. It's 7 months later, she continued getting a Librela injections, a 2nd vet prescribed Cytopoint injection for allergies, one if the 2 injections caused severe dermatitis on back with red rash on belly developed into bacterial infection was difficult to treat. I stopped injections, tried conventional pain meds but she gets aggressive on them. She tolerates Librela much better but it looks like he doomed her to arthritis and pain. She's laying around now, not playful and not happy. I wish I knew what to do.
@@Kathy-jl2eb find a rehab center near you. We do a lot of cold laser therapy on dogs with incredible results. We show clients how to use them and then rent them or sell them a unit. Gabapentin , Tramadol , and Galliprant has been a good drug combo. For joint support I recommend Dog Is Human , Rejensa, or Dasuquin Advanced. The first one is great for skin allergies too. Great stuff !
I recommend a supplement called Dog Is Human. It’s been a game changer for many of my patients. You have to order it direct from their online store. Great for skin allergies and joints. Find a rehab center near you to help with the joints. I highly recommend cold laser therapy which you can do at home. Search for HD-Cure laser in dogs on RUclips. This works well for ablating pain and reducing inflammation. Adequan injections twice a week have helped many dogs. Gabapentin , Tramadol and Galliprant have helped reduce pain and inflammation as well. Find out which pain med caused the aggression and just avoid that one. Don’t give up on the others. Galliprant has helped millions of patients feel better and be more active.
Veterinarians say large breed dogs can avoid surgery but the treatment takes time. Recovery from surgery is just as long if not longer for large dogs. I hope people don’t necessarily take your word as the only advice. There are options besides surgery but non surgical therapy takes time.
It is pretty much universally recognised that a non-surgical approach in large breed dogs leads to a significantly worse long-term outlook in terms of recovery from lameness and arthritis development. Yes, they can do OK with a more conservative treatment, and it is certainly an option if surgery is not possible (for whatever reason), but that doesn't make the treatment options comparable. This is not just my opinion, all the evidence out there points in this direction. Of course, people need to discuss all this with their vet to work out what is best for their individual dog
@@DE-ss5ks okay so nevermind on the question. I just got my answer by tapping on the vet advice thing. Realized we were on the comments and replies from the video. Sorry
My 6-year old blue heeler just had double TPLO surgery 4 days ago. I know it's early, and I am following the directions, confined space, short leashed walks, etc. But I am afraid that what happens if he ends up just as bad or worse. i have heard good stories about this particular procedure but I've heard horror stories as well.
I'm looking at TPLO and getting confused as to whether a dog can actually recover from a complete rupture? Some people sell braces and that's what they prophes others sell surgery and that's all they belive in.
I have used Adequan for my dog and it was remarkable 8 shots over 4 weeks 2 x's a week. It's relatively rare to get a vet to do it. Have you heard of it?
Do they need medication even after two weeks? She's mentally better and very happy and wants to run & jump hence I stopped medicine. But what would you suggest? Thanks for the info.
Our 12 year old staff had a torn ACL, i was wondering if you still suggested the operation for older dogs? If not what else could i do to make sure she is not in pain, as she never shows her pain.
My dog tore hers and was put on bedrest and anti-inflammatories and pain meds. 6 months later she's not doing better so I'm going to go through with an xray and finding a surgeon. I've tried braces but I don't believe it was truly helpful. (She's 5 years old, larger dog, got it from running along the fence with the neighbor's dog).
You mentioned that smaller dogs might do well with a conservative treatment plan. I suspect my dog has a partial tear as a result of a very small jump last week. He is 20 pounds and I am keeping our walks limited to short bathroom breaks right now. He can use the leg just fine while walking although he is a little stiff upon rising from bed. I will try to continue this for six weeks and if there is no improvement then we will go to an Osteo for a second opinion.
My dog is a 60lb shelter dog. They checked out his limp and found nothing then he was not limping after. Now about month later he is limping. The paper says he may have a soft tissue trauma. What can I do at home without vet? We have no money. We have 2 other dogs we don't have crate he loves 2 play with other dogs and excited when I get hm. How do u suggest to keep dog calm
@@carolshang well we started giving him glucosamine supplements for a awhile maybe few months. He got better. We stopped giving the supplements after the 2nd time and he has been doing great since then. Just like when my female got attacked by the 5yr old shelter dog we adopted 5mos previously then he got ahold of my girl. The wounds were open and I was able to heal her. So we had to surrender that boy after he tried again and my son was lucky to get him off her head. So we now have the one that doesn't have limp anymore and 3 other dogs that love each other. 3 shelter and 1 not shelter. We are so blessed to have these amazing fur babies.
Are you basically saying all large dogs must have surgery? I have a 130 Rottie/Shep mix and has a partially torn ACL. We've been going to a vet and he's been on gaberpintin/duramexx for about 3 weeks. Integrating CBD/CBDA capsules until gaberpintin is done this week. I do not think surgery is the best after having a consultation with the surgeon. He's also on MSM/Glucosomine/Condroitin called Pain Away, which started about a week ago and he'll stay on this for life, it's holistic with devil's claw in it as well. He's on lazer therapy and acupuncture and once that is done I'm buying a red light pad for him to use a couple of times a week. He's sleeping most of the day, just walking about to move to another spot or drink and eat. Outside only to leash walk to potty and maybe a short 5 minute walk for some physio. The surgeon says he'll get arthritis anyway just not as soon. I'm so confused by all the information and just want my dog to be pain free. I ice his knee a few times a day after some physio movements and just leave him be to be quiet. What else can I do? He's been doing really well but then today, he's limping a bit more. Time for physio and ice. Thank you for any help.
No, a larger dog doesn't have to have surgery but it does seem that on average there is a significant difference between those who have surgery and those managed without in terms of short and long term recovery from this injury. Of course, there will always be outliers. For those not having surgery then using a full multimodal approach as you are describing is very important to maximize the chance of a successful outcome. You might find this video helpful - ruclips.net/video/6cn6QYi_Znc/видео.html
My husky/collie mix has this injury, I have been unsuccessful with her bed rest so far as she is so easily triggered to run. Bird, cat, car goes by. This dog was born to run ! I may have to put her in a cage for the 8 weeks which I know will be torture for her and I just feel so bad for her.
STORY TIME: It's a 2 year time span after the first tear occurs that the other acl can tear or re-injury to the same one. My aunt's past yorkie had 3 acl surgeries. 2 on one knee because it was done in the winter and the dog slipped on ice causing them to fix the same leg and 1 on the other. My dog tore her left acl 2 years ago and we just found out today that she did indeed injure the other leg. You have to be SO CAREFUL and watch them like a hawk.
a couple of good ones: exercise management - avoid twisting/accellerating/jumping such as happens when chasing a ball, physio to help keep strength and mobility and correct any change in gait that could be present because of the first one going. Weight is also super important as you say
My dog is a beagle , and has a complete rupture ACL, the vets recommends TPLO surgery , it seems pretty invasive, but as you mention if I decide the conservative treatment and a brace knee it won't be as good enough as a TPLO surgery? my dog is 6 years old
the lighter the dog, the more likely conservative treatment is to have an acceptable outcome. In pretty much all cases though, the best (but not guaranteed) option is surgery in my opinion
It depends on the type of surgery. for the lateral suture surgery, it is not uncommon for a dog to hold the leg up for a week or 2, with the more advanced techniques though, they are often walking really well on the leg even the next day. either way, it is important that a dog's activity levels are closely controlled for 6 weeks at least post-surgery as specified by the operating vet, otherwise the surgery could fail
My pup tore is MCL, CrCL, CdCL AND I picked him up 12 hours post op and he’s already walking on it (with a limp) it depends on the surgery, injury, and ofcourse Pup.
hi, i’m not a vet, but from experience, my close family friend’s dog had a torn acl and they got surgery for her (she was around 5 years when she tore hers) and they saw that after a year of recovery from surgery, she had tore her other acl. hope this helps, my dog recently got a torn acl so i’m trying to figure out what options are best for her. best of luck!
Mann i wish I would have seen this earlier. I did everything I could for guy until finally the vet said it was time for surgery it has been the toughest sixth months ever and he has ten days left of cage rest until he's finally finished with his recovery. Should I start the process of building his muscles back for a few months before I let him run free?
Yes, rehab is really important to optimize recovery. I have actually got a podcast episode about this here - ourpetshealth.com/podcast/physical-therapy-for-dogs (the video will be out in a month or two)
Got a dog who had a completely torn ccl. She’s about 100 pounds and I got the surgery. She was a big time wrestler with her brothers will she be able to do that again and if so how early should I wait?
My vet said No pain meds. Took my ausie in today. Giving it about 3 wks to see hows shes doing before we talk surgery..Said if they had no pain they would use it more and cause more damage instead of hopefully healing
I'm going to make a video about this in the next week or so because in my opinion this is old fashioned thinking that needs to go the way of the dinosaur. We are able to control our pet's activity levels through confinement and use of leads/harnesses to avoid overuse so I don't believe there is any excuse to leave them in pain which is also detrimental to healing and wellbeing in it's own right
@@OurPetsHealth thank you for the reply. My 75lb pit mix has blown out both his ccl's per the surgeons recent exam. Since I work from home and can spend 24/7 with him the surgeon suggested simultaneous bilateral TPLO surgery. Does the likelihood of a successful surgery and recovery significantly decrease when they are done simultaneously?
FWIW, orthopedic surgeon I consulted 2 weeks ago did not recommend bilateral surgery, preferred to go with staged surgeries. Timing to be determined by x-rays that show how healed the bones are after the first tplo.
I have a 4 year old Schauzer/Cattle Dog mix. We moved to a new house and he had a back yard for the first time. During a particularly intense running/zoomie session he yelped and pulled up, and our vet confirmed ACL tear. Is the high likelihood of him tearing the other ACL the same when it’s an acute event? Is it because he’ll be compensating and using the other leg more?
the risk of the other leg being affected is because in a lot of cases there is an in-built genetic weakness in the ligament or problem with the knee joint biomechanics. For those dogs who tear their ACL because of a recognised traumatic event (like getting caught up jumping a fence, possibly foot-in-a-hole while running injury - although it needs a lot of force to tear an otherwise healthy ligament) then chances are only that one will be affected - unless they have another similar event. Hope your dog is on the road to recovery very soon
@@OurPetsHealth it’s a brand new house so the backyard is pretty uneven and undeveloped, so I’m hoping it is a case that he just stepped into a divot. Prior to this he would often run 3-4 miles with me without issue. Thanks a lot for the information!
I have a 6 years old , 85lb, golden doodle with a suspected ACL rupture. He’s older so he’s not too crazy active so what do you think I should do? I have the patience and time off due to COVID to keep an eye on him and physically move him if I have too. Thanks for reading.
@@gemmagillen8726 that’s what o read too....but my dog is74 lbs and 15+ years old. Docs say no more surgeries.... we are 5 weeks into natural healing and she is doing better.... she can walk about 10 steps alone on flat surfaces but I use a handicap harness for her for potty and going up and down stairs
@@nancyorkeithm1518 awe hope your dog gets better and I’m glad you see improvement! So there’s hope. I don’t want to spend 4K but if I have to I will. But I’ll try natural first and he just had his second Cortizone shot in two weeks he doesn’t seem to be in pain because I gave him carprofen and something else the doctor said that I can give him in conjunction with the carprofen. I feel bad because he wants to play and take his long walks again but right now he can’t and I can’t even explain to him because he’s a dog. Lol. But I’m doing my best
@@gemmagillen8726 ask doc to Trazadone or tramadol to help keep him down ... I also read to get one of those baby gate things that make a circle to keep dogs confined. My dog won’t have it but the trazadone and tramadol keeps her movements minimal
I had my 9 year old, 34 lb lab mix on house rest for nearly 2 months. She seemed 100% better, so I let her out to run with my other dog for a couple minutes. The next day, totally lame. So surgery time.
Any update on yours? My shiba is the same age and weight and is in a similar boat. We are only 3 wks in and she’d already gotten much better, but ran at the door to bark today and slipped on the wood floor. Total setback
My puggle is 50 lbs he’s over weight but larger then most other puggles. I went and got an X-ray but Vet does not know if it’s completely ruptured or partially. He stands on it but hops when he walks. It’s only been two weeks I’ve kept him resting and changed his food in hopes he loses weight but now he’s not active. The vet said he needs scar tissue to build up to help heal. What do you think?
Might be worth getting the xrays sent to a radiologist. Even a partial tear is better off with surgery if it is not improving relatively quickly. Weight loss and then arthritis management are going to be really important steps to take as well
Tplo is a cash cow for vets who would rather slice and dice 10 + patients in a day at 4-6k each than spend real time with dogs and owners. Ccl/ACL tear/rupture has become a default diagnosis. I've seen dogs "diagnosed" by a glance from the vet (not even a drawer test).
I have a 14 month old American Bully who has a left CCL rupture. It didn't happen through trauma, it occurred when on a lead out for her first wee. I panicked got her checked and confirmed it was a CCL via drawer test (which can often cause more damage to the knee, and has the potential to make a partial tear become a full rupture). Vets pushed for TPLO straight away. X rays and joint test showed no other issue or autoimmune disease / arthritis. I've spent hours researching pros cons of the surgery, but the percentage alone of the risk of the other CCL to blow post op is what really held me back. In the meanwhile, she's on strict rest, supplements including tumeric, joint support blend, MSM etc - no zoomies, running, foam tiles to prevent slips, and short lead toilet breaks offloading her back end with a sling. She is currently on her 5th week of CM and she is honestly surprising me, but everybody else too. She is weight bearing on the leg, no toe touching, no stiffness or difficulty rising, posture has improved (no frog leg) and she comfortably sleeps or lays on either side, finally reduced pain meds (no NSAIDS). She is due to start hydrotherapy next week, and a very gentle session after 6 weeks of limited activity. Then I will get started on Cold laser therapy. Long story short - her insurance policy is enough to get the procedure done 3 times over, however I'm all for individual circumstance. She is doing absolutely brilliantly and I highly recommend to any owner, if you have the time and put in the effort, changing the mechanics of your dogs leg permanently just might not be necessary.
@@teamtruth my gsd has injured her back left leg 4 days ago. I called vet and have to wait 4 days to get appt. I have her on rest and is taking turmeric etc like yours. I'm in a panic. She is only 1 Yr 6 months. I have registered for another vet as my one dont do cm and looks down at me for even giving joint supplements previously. Today is her appt with the vet, I'm nervous. I have tried locating the injured area but she is great at hiding it. I have read lots about surgery and outcomes and cm. I hope its not serious and a sprain than a acl etc. I hope your fluff has made a full recovery and doing well. It will be nice if you can update on how everything is going. I'm at the beginning of my journey and apprehensive. Take care and may get a reply.
@@teamtruth result after 3 xrays?the vet dont know. This vet is supposed to be a soft tissue injury specialist. Came in especially for this appointment. I had to stop his examination at one point as he was extremely heavy handed when performing the drawer test. I heard clunking like it was a drum kit and he was some starving lunatic trying to break apart a chicken thigh quarter to split it in two. I could say how the equipment looked like it came out from a skip and the stretcher he used only had 3 handles, worn out and had dark red marks that looked like blood. There was so much more that happened there during the consultation that got to me. He wanted to sedate her out on the street, he got the sedative dose wrong because he couldn't be bothered to wait for me to weigh her, he then had to give more as she was still awake, when she fell asleep he left her on the waiting room floor while other people came in, he didn't want us in the consulting room where we could have done this in private, the force he used when injecting into her bum muscle was far too forceful, it was like he was playing darts. I found old reviews about them online and it sounds like they describe him. Meanwhile I still have a dog in pain, uncomfortable and still on 3 legs. I pray your dog and all the others that have this injury get the help, support and care they need and vets that dont want to listen to us parents should be ratted / flushed out as they are not for the care of the animsl, yesterday it was about emptying my bank. He didn't even do physical palpation of the muscles, just the drawer test really violently 😤😡 One very upset dog parent here, sorry 😞
Exercise is important but don’t overdo things. Short and regular is best as well as avoiding movements with high impact like jumping and rapid stopping or changing direction
Thank you for this video, it’s very informative. I have a small dog, he weighs around 20 pounds and is 13. He’s an older dog, but I want to do what’s best for him, surgery or not. Unfortunately he was not in my care when he hurt his back leg and it’s been 10 weeks or so since he hurt his leg. In your video, you say it’s best to have the surgery sooner than later. My concern is my dogs age. He is healthy with no other underlying health conditions and is a healthy weight for his breed. Would you recommend surgery for older, small breed dogs? My concern is his age and the risk of surgery.
My gsd has ccl rear right leg. Vet suggested tplo.but due to lock down because of covid 19 it has delayed for almost four month.during this days I have monitored him.his leg is shaking whenever he stand our tries to put weight on his leg.he can walk slowly. But as soon as he increases his speed Leg shake from joint.whenever his stands his stands on his three leg.only taking minor support of his injured leg. So what to do.go for surgery. But I am scared of tplo.either it will be successful or not.so please help me out His age is almost 7 years
TPLO is one of the most effective treatments. It will still help him after this time but unfortunately the longer after injury a surgery is performed, the more joint damage will have taken place and the sooner arthritis will settle in. sarveshkf1, you should check out my free arthritis course here - ourpetshealth.com/arthritisminicourse
My 15 year old Yorkie had lateral suture stabilization surgery two days ago. We had to wait 3 weeks for a consultation and two additional weeks for surgery. During that time I purchased a $10 booklet on Amazon, “Guidelines for Home Rehabilitation of Your Dog: Instead of Surgery for Torn Knee Ligament: The First Four Weeks, Basic Edition (Volume 1)” by Deborah Carroll CCRP CSCS. The book is for those who want to do conservative therapy ( no surgery) but will also help those like me, who chose surgery. If your dog is having surgery, her simple technique helps maintain muscle mass and get the best results from surgery. My surgeon said whatever I did kept my dog in great shape because he had very little muscle atrophy. Good luck to you and your pup!
What is the consequences of surgery after one year? Because my boxer is in pain now and lift her legs. They said she got arthritis but she is only 4 years old and the pain is big suddenly, mhm no doctor have an answer. Of course.
Arthritis is an inevitability after a CCL rupture. Surgery will slow the onset and severity but is unlikely to stop it completely. In rare cases there can be either a failure of the surgery later on or something called a meniscal tear within the joint.
Heyya Dr. Alex, me again asking for a bit of advice (unfortunately!) again - we took Molly out for a decent walk in the woodland today and she was absolutely fine until we got back home, she got out the car and I immediately noticed she wasn't walking right, she's got a limp on one of her rear legs. I had to give her a shower (as she had naughtily decided to have a roll in some poo!) and whilst there I was checking all her paws, pad and in between her toes which all seemed fine. I've got her to stand and I've lifted up each rear leg in and out of extension, felt her knees and hip, and applied slight pressure from her paws upwards but she didn't really have any negative reaction - no crying, licking or seeming uncomfortable with me touching or moving anything. But she just has this limp, which is at it's worst after first getting up where she won't hardly put pressure on the leg, then after a short while she will but I can see she's still walking a bit wonky. I was going to let her rest over tonight and see how she is tomorrow when I get home from work. I'm really hoping it's nothing serious but I am worried! :(((
I hope it is nothing serious but we have a saying that a hind limb lameness is a cruciate problem until proven otherwise - especially in a more at-risk breed. Definitely worth a check over if she's not improving quickly
@@OurPetsHealth Thanks for getting back to me, I'll definitely have to get her booked in after Bank holiday Monday if she's still limping or walking oddly. She's so chilled out right now on her bed, she stretches her legs out and seems fine, but it's when she gets up. I will update you later on how she is x
@@Bexyboo88 any update on your pup? My 1.5 y/o husky is doing exactly the same. I took him to the vet and they weren't 100% on it, but they ruled out dysplasia. They ended up giving him deramaxx to take for two weeks, and told me to bring him back if I don't see improvement for xrays and possible surgery.
@@kudzu_ I ended up making the decision to watch her over a few days for improvement. I limited her to no exercise for a few days and then very short on lead walks for the rest of the week, gradually increasing after that. She can now run around without issue again, i'm am unsure what it was, maybe a sprain or partial ligament tear? But I have said that if it happens again she'll be going straight to the vets for tests. I hope your husky has nothing serious and just a strain xx
@@Bexyboo88 Thank you for the update and well wishes, glad to hear your Molly is doing better now. The vet and I are hoping he just has a strain or minor injury as well. It's killing me and my pup not being able to let him run and jump and fetch. He is sitting normally, so hopeful it isn't acl.
i have a 9 month old american staffy on the larger side of the scale, very athletic and very active, and now he has a partial tear of the ACL in his hind left leg.. he is a medium size dog atm aprox 34kg.. i understand that this falls into the category you would consider benefited by surgery .. my question is of his age, will surgery be less successful because he is still growing and so young? or is it in fact the opposite, because he is still growing.. healing factors will be on his side, making the surgery success rate possibly higher?
I would expect it to be higher if anything as healing will be more rapid but given his age being super aware of the potential for arthritis and taking steps to try and slow it's onset as much as possible will be important. I have a free OA course here - ourpetshealth.com/ourpetshealth/arthritisminicourse
@@OurPetsHealth how does the X-ray diagnose an Acl tear? My 13 year old gsd mix had an X-ray done at one vet and all they said was nothing broken and provided an anti inflammatory. I took the X-ray to another vet, but they barely glanced at it, did a drawer test and diagnosed as ACL tear. I was advised to give pain meds and anti inflammatory and not do surgery due to my dog’s age. She is 50lbs. It has been over 2 weeks since the injury. Should I get more opinions? Or do you have recommendations?
my dogs ortho surgeon said that later on in life if this condition gets left untreated, they get terrible arthritis. pls figure out how to pay for ur baby’s surgeries.
Hey man, because of covid, I have to wait until jan 20th; 5 weeks before I can get his surgery done. You think that is too long of a wait time? I have him locked up and am carrying him up and down the stairs to avoid extra usage. The only time hes walking is to use the bathroom. I tried a sling but he wont walk with it. My vet said 5 weeks isnt too long of a wait time. You have some thoughts?
It's not ideal but shouldn't cause too much problem long term so long as you are keeping him rested and make sure he's comfortable. I hope the recovery goes smoothly
My dog is a mini schnauzer and he is just 1.3years so I’m so confused why at such a young age? 😞 I’m trying to make him avoid playing and jumping around
Bruh I'm about to fork out 4000 for this surgery is my dogs just other leg just gonna go after this for fucks sake he's only 1 and they want to put him down
If he had a known accident or trauma then the risk is much less otherwise there is a chance I'm afraid and it's something I mention to all of my clients
My dog just tore her ccl after 8 years of hard use on badly formed hips AND badly formed knees. You can get an x-ray of the good knee from an experienced orthopedic surgeon who will tell you if your pup has genetically bad knees which are prone to this (it all depends on the angle of the knee). This is a year later but it will help if you life your dog into the car always, and make ramps for stairs, couches, etc as preventative. No unneccessary jumping is for the best long term prognosis!
Pt supervisor I spoke with mentioned that many people get a custom knee brace for the other leg to support it while the dog heals. Latest research I read indicated tears in the other knee are likely within 10 months, and the bigger the dog the shorter the time interval can be.
I had my staffy cross recently xrayed only to to told that he had torn ACLs in both back legs and that it would cost 1,600 euros per leg to have the problem corrected by surgery. I walked him home that day and he wasn't even limping. So it would cost 3,200 euros for the surgery alone and then there's the aftercare, meds, etc. I've rested him at home for the last month no walks outside just in the back garden and I haven't seen him limp or even be lame once. I honestly think he's best chance of healing is for me to take care of him at home as he's still a very young dog less then two years old. I believe his ACL injuries are minor at this point and that rest care and patience will hopefully do the trick over time. The cost of the surgery doesn't really make it a practical option for me unfortunately.
I healed my American Bulldog. I didn’t opt for the surgery and he was completely healed after three months. Took him off his feet for three months. Just to go potty no walks, raw diet of protein, also bought a sleeve brace off Amazon. After three months I ditched the brace and built up the muscles slowly over time. He is 100 lbs and he is perfect. He doesn’t limp and he can run and jump and do everything he could do before the tear. The vet told me he wouldn’t heal without a surgery but I did my research and healed my dog myself.
Glad to hear this as I am just going through this with my boxer
What does the sleeve brace look like? What is the brand name? Thank you.
No you Didn’t heal your dog. Your dog still has an unstable knee, and is laying down a large amount of fibrous tissue and arthritis trying (and falling) to heal itself. You just can’t notice the reduced function and pain your dog is in. If you measured the uses of the leg objectively (force plate analysis, measuring muscle mass), you would be able to see the dysfunction. It will get worse with time and you will see.
How badly was the tear? My dog at this point can I put any pressure in on his paw
Great news! Did your pup have a complete tear or partial? Thanks
I have a 14 month old American Bully who has a left CCL rupture. It didn't happen through trauma, it occurred when on a lead out for her first wee. I panicked got her checked and confirmed it was a CCL via drawer test (which can often cause more damage to the knee, and has the potential to make a partial tear become a full rupture). Vets pushed for TPLO straight away. X rays and joint test showed no other issue or autoimmune disease / arthritis. I've spent hours researching the pros and cons of the TPLO surgery, but the percentage alone to the risk of the other CCL blowing post-op is what really held me back. In the meanwhile, she's on strict rest, has lost 2kg, is taking supplements including tumeric, joint support blend, MSM etc - no zoomies, running, foam tiles to prevent slips, and short lead toilet breaks offloading her back end with a sling. I give daily massages to both legs and hips to ease muscle tension and promote circulation. She is currently on her 5th week of CM and she is honestly surprising me and everybody else too. She is weight bearing on the leg, no toe touching, no stiffness or difficulty rising, posture has improved (no frog leg) and she comfortably sleeps or lays on either side, finally reduced pain meds (no NSAIDS). She is due to start hydrotherapy next week, and a very gentle session after 6 weeks of limited activity. Then she will be booked for Cold laser therapy. Long story short - her insurance policy is enough to get the procedure done 5 times over, however I'm all for individual circumstance. She is doing absolutely brilliantly and I highly recommend to any owner, if you have the time and put in the effort, changing the bio-mechanics of your dogs leg permanently just might not be necessary.
Update, 4 hydrotherapy sessions completed. Luna is doing fantastic. Found a hydrotherapist with 20+ yrs experience in these injuries. Luna is now also on an Esther-C supplement at 1000mg per day as per hydrotherapists recommendation, I've seen a huge improvement with this addition. Luna swims well and is on an Increment of 1 min each week (6min swim stresses the muscles as much as a 5 mile walk). Swimming consists of laps and stationary resistance. Luna's muscle tone in both legs and body is showing, she is lively, and wants to run, climb and stand but activity is still restricted. Introducing very low impact lead walks in isolated areas to keep her mobile and mentally stimulated. Hope this helps anybody reading this 👍I'll be posting a load of her progress pics and videos to her instagram @lunabluebully
What supplements did you put Luna on that helped?
My bishon fris tore both of his when he chased one of our chickens. Crazy how it jist happens
@@nobodykayaks1041 how's your dog doung now?
My Assie ruptured his left ACL when he was one year. Vet said that without surgery, he would lose the use of the leg and eventually his other leg as well. I crated him for over a month, taking him out only for potty. He is totally healed and has been for six years. Yes, he still sits to the side, but so what? He loves to chase the dog on the other side of the fence whenever he gets the chance.
how dare you deprive your vet of $4k!!!
My saluki x ruptured his cruciate a week ago. our Vet favours Vetlig replacement so he is booked in for that in two weeks. Far less invasive & with much faster weight bearing & recovery time. Tplo is a fall back option. He did say that recent research suggests that early neutering is a contributory factor in cruciate ligament failure in later life. Our dog is entire, with him its just one of those things!
My dog had ACL/CCL surgery in August last year. He tore the ACL on the other knee on wednesday. He's having surgery in 2 days. He recovered just fine last year :)
It's 2200 pounds pr knee here in Norway
I hope this surgery goes just as smoothly!
Your video was more helpful than my vet. My vet postponed surgery prescribed Librela injections which gave my miniature poodle less pain and more confidence to run and jump a month after injury. I didn't see this info, vet did not tell me to limit her activities, no instructions and she felt better and moved better.i wish I would have watched your video. It's 7 months later, she continued getting a Librela injections, a 2nd vet prescribed Cytopoint injection for allergies, one if the 2 injections caused severe dermatitis on back with red rash on belly developed into bacterial infection was difficult to treat. I stopped injections, tried conventional pain meds but she gets aggressive on them. She tolerates Librela much better but it looks like he doomed her to arthritis and pain. She's laying around now, not playful and not happy. I wish I knew what to do.
@@Kathy-jl2eb find a rehab center near you. We do a lot of cold laser therapy on dogs with incredible results. We show clients how to use them and then rent them or sell them a unit. Gabapentin , Tramadol , and Galliprant has been a good drug combo. For joint support I recommend Dog Is Human , Rejensa, or Dasuquin Advanced. The first one is great for skin allergies too. Great stuff !
I recommend a supplement called Dog Is Human. It’s been a game changer for many of my patients. You have to order it direct from their online store. Great for skin allergies and joints. Find a rehab center near you to help with the joints. I highly recommend cold laser therapy which you can do at home. Search for HD-Cure laser in dogs on RUclips. This works well for ablating pain and reducing inflammation. Adequan injections twice a week have helped many dogs. Gabapentin , Tramadol and Galliprant have helped reduce pain and inflammation as well. Find out which pain med caused the aggression and just avoid that one. Don’t give up on the others. Galliprant has helped millions of patients feel better and be more active.
Veterinarians say large breed dogs can avoid surgery but the treatment takes time. Recovery from surgery is just as long if not longer for large dogs. I hope people don’t necessarily take your word as the only advice. There are options besides surgery but non surgical therapy takes time.
It is pretty much universally recognised that a non-surgical approach in large breed dogs leads to a significantly worse long-term outlook in terms of recovery from lameness and arthritis development. Yes, they can do OK with a more conservative treatment, and it is certainly an option if surgery is not possible (for whatever reason), but that doesn't make the treatment options comparable. This is not just my opinion, all the evidence out there points in this direction. Of course, people need to discuss all this with their vet to work out what is best for their individual dog
This happens way too often in dogs when it shouldn't. It's time to find the source of the issue. Dr. Will Falconer has ideas.
@@DE-ss5ks who is Dr Falconer?
@@DE-ss5ks okay so nevermind on the question. I just got my answer by tapping on the vet advice thing. Realized we were on the comments and replies from the video. Sorry
My 6-year old blue heeler just had double TPLO surgery 4 days ago. I know it's early, and I am following the directions, confined space, short leashed walks, etc. But I am afraid that what happens if he ends up just as bad or worse. i have heard good stories about this particular procedure but I've heard horror stories as well.
I'm looking at TPLO and getting confused as to whether a dog can actually recover from a complete rupture?
Some people sell braces and that's what they prophes others sell surgery and that's all they belive in.
I have used Adequan for my dog and it was remarkable 8 shots over 4 weeks 2 x's a week. It's relatively rare to get a vet to do it. Have you heard of it?
Do they need medication even after two weeks? She's mentally better and very happy and wants to run & jump hence I stopped medicine. But what would you suggest?
Thanks for the info.
Our 12 year old staff had a torn ACL, i was wondering if you still suggested the operation for older dogs?
If not what else could i do to make sure she is not in pain, as she never shows her pain.
I wondered the sane, my dog is 12 as well
how do i find the episode discussing knee brace
My dog tore hers and was put on bedrest and anti-inflammatories and pain meds. 6 months later she's not doing better so I'm going to go through with an xray and finding a surgeon. I've tried braces but I don't believe it was truly helpful. (She's 5 years old, larger dog, got it from running along the fence with the neighbor's dog).
You mentioned that smaller dogs might do well with a conservative treatment plan. I suspect my dog has a partial tear as a result of a very small jump last week. He is 20 pounds and I am keeping our walks limited to short bathroom breaks right now. He can use the leg just fine while walking although he is a little stiff upon rising from bed. I will try to continue this for six weeks and if there is no improvement then we will go to an Osteo for a second opinion.
Turns out it was just a sprain!
My small 12 lb baby is having same issue. I will follow your plan.
My dog is a 60lb shelter dog. They checked out his limp and found nothing then he was not limping after. Now about month later he is limping. The paper says he may have a soft tissue trauma. What can I do at home without vet? We have no money. We have 2 other dogs we don't have crate he loves 2 play with other dogs and excited when I get hm. How do u suggest to keep dog calm
@@trishiaking1917 ho is your dog doing now
@@carolshang well we started giving him glucosamine supplements for a awhile maybe few months. He got better. We stopped giving the supplements after the 2nd time and he has been doing great since then. Just like when my female got attacked by the 5yr old shelter dog we adopted 5mos previously then he got ahold of my girl. The wounds were open and I was able to heal her. So we had to surrender that boy after he tried again and my son was lucky to get him off her head. So we now have the one that doesn't have limp anymore and 3 other dogs that love each other. 3 shelter and 1 not shelter. We are so blessed to have these amazing fur babies.
My dog tore hers and vet said she was to old and wouldn't survive the surgery so we went for laser therapy with fantastic results
How old was ur dog? Mine is 12 is she to old?
Are you basically saying all large dogs must have surgery? I have a 130 Rottie/Shep mix and has a partially torn ACL. We've been going to a vet and he's been on gaberpintin/duramexx for about 3 weeks. Integrating CBD/CBDA capsules until gaberpintin is done this week. I do not think surgery is the best after having a consultation with the surgeon. He's also on MSM/Glucosomine/Condroitin called Pain Away, which started about a week ago and he'll stay on this for life, it's holistic with devil's claw in it as well. He's on lazer therapy and acupuncture and once that is done I'm buying a red light pad for him to use a couple of times a week. He's sleeping most of the day, just walking about to move to another spot or drink and eat. Outside only to leash walk to potty and maybe a short 5 minute walk for some physio. The surgeon says he'll get arthritis anyway just not as soon. I'm so confused by all the information and just want my dog to be pain free. I ice his knee a few times a day after some physio movements and just leave him be to be quiet. What else can I do? He's been doing really well but then today, he's limping a bit more. Time for physio and ice. Thank you for any help.
No, a larger dog doesn't have to have surgery but it does seem that on average there is a significant difference between those who have surgery and those managed without in terms of short and long term recovery from this injury. Of course, there will always be outliers. For those not having surgery then using a full multimodal approach as you are describing is very important to maximize the chance of a successful outcome. You might find this video helpful - ruclips.net/video/6cn6QYi_Znc/видео.html
My female German Shepard ripped her right ACL. And is scheduled for surgery in 2 weeks. I’m not too sure surgery is the best route to go
How did her recovery go?
My husky/collie mix has this injury, I have been unsuccessful with her bed rest so far as she is so easily triggered to run. Bird, cat, car goes by. This dog was born to run ! I may have to put her in a cage for the 8 weeks which I know will be torture for her and I just feel so bad for her.
We asked our vet for anxiety meds after her surgery and it helps keep them tired and she just slept all day
STORY TIME: It's a 2 year time span after the first tear occurs that the other acl can tear or re-injury to the same one. My aunt's past yorkie had 3 acl surgeries. 2 on one knee because it was done in the winter and the dog slipped on ice causing them to fix the same leg and 1 on the other. My dog tore her left acl 2 years ago and we just found out today that she did indeed injure the other leg. You have to be SO CAREFUL and watch them like a hawk.
I hope she recovers from this second injury quickly
Any advice other than weight loss to prevent the second CCL from rupturing after the first surgery?
a couple of good ones: exercise management - avoid twisting/accellerating/jumping such as happens when chasing a ball, physio to help keep strength and mobility and correct any change in gait that could be present because of the first one going. Weight is also super important as you say
How minimise muscle loss when the dog is crated for 3 months rest?
My dog is a beagle , and has a complete rupture ACL, the vets recommends TPLO surgery , it seems pretty invasive, but as you mention if I decide the conservative treatment and a brace knee it won't be as good enough as a TPLO surgery? my dog is 6 years old
the lighter the dog, the more likely conservative treatment is to have an acceptable outcome. In pretty much all cases though, the best (but not guaranteed) option is surgery in my opinion
Hello, i would like to ask how much time does it take for a dog to step and walk on its operated leg post operated!
It depends on the type of surgery. for the lateral suture surgery, it is not uncommon for a dog to hold the leg up for a week or 2, with the more advanced techniques though, they are often walking really well on the leg even the next day. either way, it is important that a dog's activity levels are closely controlled for 6 weeks at least post-surgery as specified by the operating vet, otherwise the surgery could fail
My pup tore is MCL, CrCL, CdCL AND I picked him up 12 hours post op and he’s already walking on it (with a limp) it depends on the surgery, injury, and ofcourse Pup.
I have a 1 year old rottweiler with an acl tear . As he is growing will the surgery affect his growth ?? And which method will be the best ?
hi, i’m not a vet, but from experience, my close family friend’s dog had a torn acl and they got surgery for her (she was around 5 years when she tore hers) and they saw that after a year of recovery from surgery, she had tore her other acl. hope this helps, my dog recently got a torn acl so i’m trying to figure out what options are best for her. best of luck!
Updates? I commented above currently in the same situation
Mann i wish I would have seen this earlier. I did everything I could for guy until finally the vet said it was time for surgery it has been the toughest sixth months ever and he has ten days left of cage rest until he's finally finished with his recovery. Should I start the process of building his muscles back for a few months before I let him run free?
Yes, rehab is really important to optimize recovery. I have actually got a podcast episode about this here - ourpetshealth.com/podcast/physical-therapy-for-dogs (the video will be out in a month or two)
6 months of rehab? What?!
Got a dog who had a completely torn ccl. She’s about 100 pounds and I got the surgery. She was a big time wrestler with her brothers will she be able to do that again and if so how early should I wait?
My vet said No pain meds. Took my ausie in today. Giving it about 3 wks to see hows shes doing before we talk surgery..Said if they had no pain they would use it more and cause more damage instead of hopefully healing
I'm going to make a video about this in the next week or so because in my opinion this is old fashioned thinking that needs to go the way of the dinosaur. We are able to control our pet's activity levels through confinement and use of leads/harnesses to avoid overuse so I don't believe there is any excuse to leave them in pain which is also detrimental to healing and wellbeing in it's own right
What are your thoughts on simultaneous bilateral TPLO surgery?
Depends on individual, severity of disease and surgeon comfort but I would normally suggest staging each surgery over an 8-12 week period
@@OurPetsHealth thank you for the reply. My 75lb pit mix has blown out both his ccl's per the surgeons recent exam. Since I work from home and can spend 24/7 with him the surgeon suggested simultaneous bilateral TPLO surgery. Does the likelihood of a successful surgery and recovery significantly decrease when they are done simultaneously?
@@sfoote08 what did you end up doing? I’m in the same situation.
@@TheTiesThatBind88 we did simultaneous bilateral TPLO at the end of May. I think it was the right choice but we haven't been without or setbacks.
FWIW, orthopedic surgeon I consulted 2 weeks ago did not recommend bilateral surgery, preferred to go with staged surgeries. Timing to be determined by x-rays that show how healed the bones are after the first tplo.
I have a 4 year old Schauzer/Cattle Dog mix. We moved to a new house and he had a back yard for the first time. During a particularly intense running/zoomie session he yelped and pulled up, and our vet confirmed ACL tear. Is the high likelihood of him tearing the other ACL the same when it’s an acute event? Is it because he’ll be compensating and using the other leg more?
the risk of the other leg being affected is because in a lot of cases there is an in-built genetic weakness in the ligament or problem with the knee joint biomechanics. For those dogs who tear their ACL because of a recognised traumatic event (like getting caught up jumping a fence, possibly foot-in-a-hole while running injury - although it needs a lot of force to tear an otherwise healthy ligament) then chances are only that one will be affected - unless they have another similar event. Hope your dog is on the road to recovery very soon
@@OurPetsHealth it’s a brand new house so the backyard is pretty uneven and undeveloped, so I’m hoping it is a case that he just stepped into a divot. Prior to this he would often run 3-4 miles with me without issue. Thanks a lot for the information!
I have a 6 years old , 85lb, golden doodle with a suspected ACL rupture. He’s older so he’s not too crazy active so what do you think I should do? I have the patience and time off due to COVID to keep an eye on him and physically move him if I have too. Thanks for reading.
Try tor natural route!! Give it a try!
@@nancyorkeithm1518 but I thought you said if they’re over 15 kilo’s surgery is better.
@@gemmagillen8726 that’s what o read too....but my dog is74 lbs and 15+ years old. Docs say no more surgeries.... we are 5 weeks into natural healing and she is doing better.... she can walk about 10 steps alone on flat surfaces but I use a handicap harness for her for potty and going up and down stairs
@@nancyorkeithm1518 awe hope your dog gets better and I’m glad you see improvement! So there’s hope. I don’t want to spend 4K but if I have to I will. But I’ll try natural first and he just had his second Cortizone shot in two weeks he doesn’t seem to be in pain because I gave him carprofen and something else the doctor said that I can give him in conjunction with the carprofen.
I feel bad because he wants to play and take his long walks again but right now he can’t and I can’t even explain to him because he’s a dog. Lol. But I’m doing my best
@@gemmagillen8726 ask doc to Trazadone or tramadol to help keep him down ... I also read to get one of those baby gate things that make a circle to keep dogs confined. My dog won’t have it but the trazadone and tramadol keeps her movements minimal
I had my 9 year old, 34 lb lab mix on house rest for nearly 2 months. She seemed 100% better, so I let her out to run with my other dog for a couple minutes. The next day, totally lame. So surgery time.
Any update on yours? My shiba is the same age and weight and is in a similar boat. We are only 3 wks in and she’d already gotten much better, but ran at the door to bark today and slipped on the wood floor. Total setback
Oh shoots. Sorry to hear. How did the surgery and recovery go?
My puggle is 50 lbs he’s over weight but larger then most other puggles. I went and got an X-ray but Vet does not know if it’s completely ruptured or partially. He stands on it but hops when he walks. It’s only been two weeks I’ve kept him resting and changed his food in hopes he loses weight but now he’s not active. The vet said he needs scar tissue to build up to help heal. What do you think?
Might be worth getting the xrays sent to a radiologist. Even a partial tear is better off with surgery if it is not improving relatively quickly. Weight loss and then arthritis management are going to be really important steps to take as well
I've posted a comment above of what I'm doing to help my Bully, best of luck. Any updates on your pup
Tplo is a cash cow for vets who would rather slice and dice 10 + patients in a day at 4-6k each than spend real time with dogs and owners.
Ccl/ACL tear/rupture has become a default diagnosis. I've seen dogs "diagnosed" by a glance from the vet (not even a drawer test).
I have a 14 month old American Bully who has a left CCL rupture. It didn't happen through trauma, it occurred when on a lead out for her first wee. I panicked got her checked and confirmed it was a CCL via drawer test (which can often cause more damage to the knee, and has the potential to make a partial tear become a full rupture). Vets pushed for TPLO straight away. X rays and joint test showed no other issue or autoimmune disease / arthritis. I've spent hours researching pros cons of the surgery, but the percentage alone of the risk of the other CCL to blow post op is what really held me back. In the meanwhile, she's on strict rest, supplements including tumeric, joint support blend, MSM etc - no zoomies, running, foam tiles to prevent slips, and short lead toilet breaks offloading her back end with a sling. She is currently on her 5th week of CM and she is honestly surprising me, but everybody else too. She is weight bearing on the leg, no toe touching, no stiffness or difficulty rising, posture has improved (no frog leg) and she comfortably sleeps or lays on either side, finally reduced pain meds (no NSAIDS). She is due to start hydrotherapy next week, and a very gentle session after 6 weeks of limited activity. Then I will get started on Cold laser therapy. Long story short - her insurance policy is enough to get the procedure done 3 times over, however I'm all for individual circumstance. She is doing absolutely brilliantly and I highly recommend to any owner, if you have the time and put in the effort, changing the mechanics of your dogs leg permanently just might not be necessary.
@@teamtruth my gsd has injured her back left leg 4 days ago. I called vet and have to wait 4 days to get appt. I have her on rest and is taking turmeric etc like yours. I'm in a panic. She is only 1 Yr 6 months. I have registered for another vet as my one dont do cm and looks down at me for even giving joint supplements previously. Today is her appt with the vet, I'm nervous. I have tried locating the injured area but she is great at hiding it. I have read lots about surgery and outcomes and cm. I hope its not serious and a sprain than a acl etc. I hope your fluff has made a full recovery and doing well. It will be nice if you can update on how everything is going. I'm at the beginning of my journey and apprehensive. Take care and may get a reply.
@@teamtruth result after 3 xrays?the vet dont know. This vet is supposed to be a soft tissue injury specialist. Came in especially for this appointment. I had to stop his examination at one point as he was extremely heavy handed when performing the drawer test. I heard clunking like it was a drum kit and he was some starving lunatic trying to break apart a chicken thigh quarter to split it in two. I could say how the equipment looked like it came out from a skip and the stretcher he used only had 3 handles, worn out and had dark red marks that looked like blood. There was so much more that happened there during the consultation that got to me. He wanted to sedate her out on the street, he got the sedative dose wrong because he couldn't be bothered to wait for me to weigh her, he then had to give more as she was still awake, when she fell asleep he left her on the waiting room floor while other people came in, he didn't want us in the consulting room where we could have done this in private, the force he used when injecting into her bum muscle was far too forceful, it was like he was playing darts. I found old reviews about them online and it sounds like they describe him. Meanwhile I still have a dog in pain, uncomfortable and still on 3 legs. I pray your dog and all the others that have this injury get the help, support and care they need and vets that dont want to listen to us parents should be ratted / flushed out as they are not for the care of the animsl, yesterday it was about emptying my bank. He didn't even do physical palpation of the muscles, just the drawer test really violently 😤😡
One very upset dog parent here, sorry 😞
My dog can't have surgery due to her age at 12 years. Her leg is very heavy and large. She puts no pressure on it at all. Is there anything I can do?
Custom braces are an option along with medical management, ie antiinflammatories and pain control.
My dog is a yellow lab and she is 6 she was 4 when she hurt her leg is it ok for her to go bird hunting
Exercise is important but don’t overdo things. Short and regular is best as well as avoiding movements with high impact like jumping and rapid stopping or changing direction
Thank you for this video, it’s very informative. I have a small dog, he weighs around 20 pounds and is 13. He’s an older dog, but I want to do what’s best for him, surgery or not. Unfortunately he was not in my care when he hurt his back leg and it’s been 10 weeks or so since he hurt his leg. In your video, you say it’s best to have the surgery sooner than later. My concern is my dogs age. He is healthy with no other underlying health conditions and is a healthy weight for his breed. Would you recommend surgery for older, small breed dogs? My concern is his age and the risk of surgery.
Similar and the vet said they would never operate on my dog due to her age and weight
Find a rehab hospital and start doing cold laser therapy.
My gsd has ccl rear right leg. Vet suggested tplo.but due to lock down because of covid 19 it has delayed for almost four month.during this days I have monitored him.his leg is shaking whenever he stand our tries to put weight on his leg.he can walk slowly. But as soon as he increases his speed
Leg shake from joint.whenever his stands his stands on his three leg.only taking minor support of his injured leg.
So what to do.go for surgery. But I am scared of tplo.either it will be successful or not.so please help me out
His age is almost 7 years
TPLO is one of the most effective treatments. It will still help him after this time but unfortunately the longer after injury a surgery is performed, the more joint damage will have taken place and the sooner arthritis will settle in. sarveshkf1, you should check out my free arthritis course here - ourpetshealth.com/arthritisminicourse
My 15 year old Yorkie had lateral suture stabilization surgery two days ago. We had to wait 3 weeks for a consultation and two additional weeks for surgery. During that time I purchased a $10 booklet on Amazon, “Guidelines for Home Rehabilitation of Your Dog: Instead of Surgery for Torn Knee Ligament: The First Four Weeks, Basic Edition (Volume 1)” by Deborah Carroll CCRP CSCS. The book is for those who want to do conservative therapy ( no surgery) but will also help those like me, who chose surgery. If your dog is having surgery, her simple technique helps maintain muscle mass and get the best results from surgery. My surgeon said whatever I did kept my dog in great shape because he had very little muscle atrophy. Good luck to you and your pup!
What is the consequences of surgery after one year?
Because my boxer is in pain now and lift her legs. They said she got arthritis but she is only 4 years old and the pain is big suddenly, mhm no doctor have an answer. Of course.
Arthritis is an inevitability after a CCL rupture. Surgery will slow the onset and severity but is unlikely to stop it completely. In rare cases there can be either a failure of the surgery later on or something called a meniscal tear within the joint.
Heyya Dr. Alex, me again asking for a bit of advice (unfortunately!) again - we took Molly out for a decent walk in the woodland today and she was absolutely fine until we got back home, she got out the car and I immediately noticed she wasn't walking right, she's got a limp on one of her rear legs. I had to give her a shower (as she had naughtily decided to have a roll in some poo!) and whilst there I was checking all her paws, pad and in between her toes which all seemed fine. I've got her to stand and I've lifted up each rear leg in and out of extension, felt her knees and hip, and applied slight pressure from her paws upwards but she didn't really have any negative reaction - no crying, licking or seeming uncomfortable with me touching or moving anything.
But she just has this limp, which is at it's worst after first getting up where she won't hardly put pressure on the leg, then after a short while she will but I can see she's still walking a bit wonky. I was going to let her rest over tonight and see how she is tomorrow when I get home from work. I'm really hoping it's nothing serious but I am worried! :(((
I hope it is nothing serious but we have a saying that a hind limb lameness is a cruciate problem until proven otherwise - especially in a more at-risk breed. Definitely worth a check over if she's not improving quickly
@@OurPetsHealth Thanks for getting back to me, I'll definitely have to get her booked in after Bank holiday Monday if she's still limping or walking oddly. She's so chilled out right now on her bed, she stretches her legs out and seems fine, but it's when she gets up. I will update you later on how she is x
@@Bexyboo88 any update on your pup? My 1.5 y/o husky is doing exactly the same. I took him to the vet and they weren't 100% on it, but they ruled out dysplasia. They ended up giving him deramaxx to take for two weeks, and told me to bring him back if I don't see improvement for xrays and possible surgery.
@@kudzu_ I ended up making the decision to watch her over a few days for improvement. I limited her to no exercise for a few days and then very short on lead walks for the rest of the week, gradually increasing after that. She can now run around without issue again, i'm am unsure what it was, maybe a sprain or partial ligament tear? But I have said that if it happens again she'll be going straight to the vets for tests. I hope your husky has nothing serious and just a strain xx
@@Bexyboo88 Thank you for the update and well wishes, glad to hear your Molly is doing better now. The vet and I are hoping he just has a strain or minor injury as well. It's killing me and my pup not being able to let him run and jump and fetch. He is sitting normally, so hopeful it isn't acl.
i have a 9 month old american staffy on the larger side of the scale, very athletic and very active, and now he has a partial tear of the ACL in his hind left leg.. he is a medium size dog atm aprox 34kg.. i understand that this falls into the category you would consider benefited by surgery .. my question is of his age, will surgery be less successful because he is still growing and so young? or is it in fact the opposite, because he is still growing.. healing factors will be on his side, making the surgery success rate possibly higher?
I would expect it to be higher if anything as healing will be more rapid but given his age being super aware of the potential for arthritis and taking steps to try and slow it's onset as much as possible will be important. I have a free OA course here - ourpetshealth.com/ourpetshealth/arthritisminicourse
@@OurPetsHealth thank your for your advice, it is much appreciated
My dog suddenly went lame last Friday. He is still on 3 legs now. On my channel I have recently uploaded videos
Ouch, he looks sore. I see he was having xrays - did they find out what the problem was?
Our Pets Health no vets couldn’t find anything just on exam. But they wouldn’t do x rays
Our Pets Health does it look like an ACL?
that is definitely something that I'd be wanting to rule out with examination under sedation and an xray. I hope you can get him the care he needs
@@OurPetsHealth how does the X-ray diagnose an Acl tear? My 13 year old gsd mix had an X-ray done at one vet and all they said was nothing broken and provided an anti inflammatory. I took the X-ray to another vet, but they barely glanced at it, did a drawer test and diagnosed as ACL tear. I was advised to give pain meds and anti inflammatory and not do surgery due to my dog’s age. She is 50lbs. It has been over 2 weeks since the injury. Should I get more opinions? Or do you have recommendations?
my dogs ortho surgeon said that later on in life if this condition gets left untreated, they get terrible arthritis. pls figure out how to pay for ur baby’s surgeries.
That’s poppycock. I’d get another opinion. I’d suggest a holistic vet with no ulterior motive.
Hey man, because of covid, I have to wait until jan 20th; 5 weeks before I can get his surgery done. You think that is too long of a wait time? I have him locked up and am carrying him up and down the stairs to avoid extra usage. The only time hes walking is to use the bathroom. I tried a sling but he wont walk with it. My vet said 5 weeks isnt too long of a wait time. You have some thoughts?
It's not ideal but shouldn't cause too much problem long term so long as you are keeping him rested and make sure he's comfortable. I hope the recovery goes smoothly
I think my dog grow to fast he is 7 months he torn he is ligament
Read my comment above
My dog is a mini schnauzer and he is just 1.3years so I’m so confused why at such a young age? 😞 I’m trying to make him avoid playing and jumping around
Bruh I'm about to fork out 4000 for this surgery is my dogs just other leg just gonna go after this for fucks sake he's only 1 and they want to put him down
If he had a known accident or trauma then the risk is much less otherwise there is a chance I'm afraid and it's something I mention to all of my clients
Read my comment above
My dog just tore her ccl after 8 years of hard use on badly formed hips AND badly formed knees. You can get an x-ray of the good knee from an experienced orthopedic surgeon who will tell you if your pup has genetically bad knees which are prone to this (it all depends on the angle of the knee). This is a year later but it will help if you life your dog into the car always, and make ramps for stairs, couches, etc as preventative. No unneccessary jumping is for the best long term prognosis!
Pt supervisor I spoke with mentioned that many people get a custom knee brace for the other leg to support it while the dog heals. Latest research I read indicated tears in the other knee are likely within 10 months, and the bigger the dog the shorter the time interval can be.
I had my staffy cross recently xrayed only to to told that he had torn ACLs in both back legs and that it would cost 1,600 euros per leg to have the problem corrected by surgery. I walked him home that day and he wasn't even limping. So it would cost 3,200 euros for the surgery alone and then there's the aftercare, meds, etc. I've rested him at home for the last month no walks outside just in the back garden and I haven't seen him limp or even be lame once. I honestly think he's best chance of healing is for me to take care of him at home as he's still a very young dog less then two years old. I believe his ACL injuries are minor at this point and that rest care and patience will hopefully do the trick over time. The cost of the surgery doesn't really make it a practical option for me unfortunately.
I wish mine would only cost that much... i'm looking at $5500 for one leg.
that is soooo cheap compared to american standards.
@@NeccoWecco same
No Surgery needed PERIOD….
Get to the point!
There is absolutely no fluff in this video. This is the best information on dog ACL tears I have found so far.