Blown ACL :-( - Page 2

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by hodie on 10 April 2010 - 21:04

JFA,

If you cannot easily get to a pool after the surgery, let me know. We might be able to work out something if you want to drive south a little. I have a pool for canines here.

DenWolf, I remember poor Westy the cat. Do you know what happened to the cat? I believe it survived and hope it lived or is living a decent life. Sorry to hear about your dog. And yes, leave your dog with a professional kennel. I just had a dog from up your way for about 2 months. He just went home happy and healthy.

bearbear

by bearbear on 10 April 2010 - 21:04

JFA,
I'm sorry to hear about your dog's ACL, but take heart.  Our 7yo male blew out his left ACL about two years ago and shortly thereafter, the right one too (apparently after they blow one, the other usually goes within a year).  Bear could hardly walk there for a while and wouldn't run at all.  We had a TPLO done on the left one at Kansas State in August 2008 and a TTA done on the right one this past January.  He is too big for the surgeons to do them both at the same time, so we had to space them out quite a bit.

Recovery from the TPLO took about 14 weeks, compared to about ten weeks for the TTA, but I'm happy to report that Bear feels great now, runs and plays like a pup.  He's still building strength in the right leg and drags his toe slightly as a result, but all in all is in much better shape than he's been in for two years.

I would echo the others' comments to use physical therapy to help your dog recover.  We live in the middle of nowhere and don't have access to a dog PT center like you would in a city, but we swam Bear in a stock tank, used hot and cold packs, massage, and stretching exercises (and just old-fashioned common sense) and he recovered well.

Best wishes to you and your dog!

Kathy

by hodie on 10 April 2010 - 22:04

 Hi Kathy,

I assume you are keeping your dog very lean......but it is good to hear he is doing well. I am curious about his blowing out both ACLs in a short time. Is that really common? In any case, are you certain his dragging his toes is a result of weak muscles and not the beginning signs of DM? I hope not, but at his age, it is certainly possible.

by AIR on 11 April 2010 - 01:04

The vet I work for does cruciate repairs fairly frequently. They are usually large dogs (she has done cats as well) and there are at least a few that she had originally done and because of the stress, the cruciate on their second leg went. Fairly common from what she says. It's a long surgery, but within a couple of weeks they should be starting to put a bit of weight down. Good luck!

DebiSue

by DebiSue on 11 April 2010 - 11:04

Justiceforall,
Sorry to hear about your pups injury and I hope all goes well with the surgery.  It sucks when they get hurt.
Denwolf,
Damn!  What a surprise to come home to...I wouldn't be friends with the house-sitter anymore either.  Sounds to me like she kicked your dog for him to get an injury like that.  Grrrrr.

JusticeForAll

by JusticeForAll on 13 April 2010 - 23:04

 Thank you to everyone for your well wishes.  The appointment has been made.  Surgery is Wednesday the 21st.  We show up at 0815 for our consult and then surgery the same day.  Barring any complications, he can come home Thursday.  Now for another question...Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions on how to occupy a year old high drive pup that is and will be crated ~23 hours a day for a while?  It has been less than a week that he has been crated and we are both going crazy.  I gave him a Galileo bone, a Nylabone and a kong.  He did have a couple tennis balls to knaw on but he though it would be fun to drop them in the little hole of his spill proof (not) water dish, proceed to bark at it, and then just play with the dish until all water and the ball came out.  Wet dog, wet crate, wet rug...yeah.  Does anyone have any ideas?

DebiSue

by DebiSue on 14 April 2010 - 01:04

Stuff a kong with peanut butter and freeze it over nite.  It won't last all that long but it will give him something to do.  I wouldn't give it to him more than once a day.  Be sure to keep him on a leash when you take him out to go potty.  Keep us posted.

AKGeorgias mom

by AKGeorgias mom on 14 April 2010 - 02:04

Years ago we had a shepherd mix that blew her ACL.  We had to build her a ramp to get down off the deck to go potty, but otherwise she did very well.  I only regret that we didn't do any follow-up therapy with her and she developed arthritis in that knee as she aged.  If it's available definitely do hydrotherapy.  Best of luck.


Opal

JusticeForAll

by JusticeForAll on 14 April 2010 - 03:04

 I plan on doing hydrotherapy.  I just found out today, a lady about 30 miles away has an "aquapaws?" treadmill for PT for dogs.  Has anyone heard of this?  She said it's an underwater treadmill and she used it on her lab that also had TPLO.

DenWolf

by DenWolf on 14 April 2010 - 04:04

Justice,

The facility near Denver has something like that... Here is the website.
There is a lot of information on it.

www.dog-swim.com/

I used the therapy on Dante with great success. Definitely worth it.

I used a tall exercise pen to keep him in after his surgery. I padded the bottom and sides with foam, and hung a small water bucket from the corner.
It was critical in the first several weeks after his surgery that he be kept very still.. I pretty much stayed home with him for weeks. I kept giving him a constant rotaion of diferent toys  (not all at once).  Also fed him a lot of raw diet, so he would have to go out less, and walk less.
They hurt after surgery, and usually keep pretty quiet, but I do recall really enforcing the down command. He would mainly be fussy and bored.. but as long as I was there in the room, he would keep pretty quiet.
I am sure the vet will go over all of the things you need to do.
Let me know if you need any help.. I live about a mile from the Wheat Ridge clinic.









 


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