Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture

[readers]

We have a 14 month old, little 9 lb shih tzu that are vet says has a CCL tear. Xrays were done today and the hips and knees look fine, but he said there is a lot of looseness in the the left knee area which indicates a CCL tear. Because she is so young, he has put her on Carprofen and rest to see if this will improve. He mentioned surgery, but said she is not old enough yet for the growth plates to have closed, and is thus contraindicated. Our puppy seems to be somewhat in pain, limps a little, and basically refuses to walk right now; she is also having some difficulty squatting when piddling. I have never had a dog with this problem and the reading I'm doing today suggests this is a problem with big dogs, not little ones. Does anyone have a story to share or some suggestions. We have a number of months before the growth plates close, and I'm worried about doing surgery on her even after that. Is there anything that might help diet wise (fortunately she is on the slim side and the vet wants her to stay that way)?