Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture

[Donmar]

Our 1 year old pup came up the back stairs limping the other day and so yesterday we took her to the vet. The vet has taken X-rays and as it is currently a partial tear we are trying to rest her for 2 weeks and see if it heals. Does this make sense? She has had cortisone injections and is on glucosamine and another med.

[Donmar]

Correction. It seems it is not a torn ligament, but a strained and bruised ligament. There was not enough movement in the bones to indicate a separation and based on other symptoms the vet feels it is not torn at all. Hopefully that is the case and in 2 weeks when she has her next exam I will update this post.

[Daveyo]

Any amount of torn Cruciate Ligament ruptures require surgery.

I suggest you read the following links to get more familiar. I think the TPLO is your best bet.


Cranial Cruciate Ligament Ruptures

Extracapsular Stabilization Method

http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/ivapm/professionals/members/current_articles/budsberg.htm
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04302003-201619/
http://www.ejbjs.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/5/988

Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteolomy (TPLO).

http://vetsurgerycentral.com/tplo.htm
http://www.fvarc.com/PAGES/ARTICLES/images/fall-2004.pdf

Also freeze that dogs leg and keep it from moving it any more for now. Or you will completely tear that ligament. Immobilize that leg until time for surgery.

Your lucky compared to the others who have had complete tears. This dog might come out it much better than you think once surgery is done on it. The cost will be somewhere around 2 grand USA by the time your all done with that bill. I hope you had insurance for that dog, because many offer such insurances to help you. If you get it take the coverage that covers all the majors, like heart, kidneys, liver and cruciates and cancers etc.

When you choose the VET that does Cruciates, make sure that VET has a lot of experience on it and knowledge of it. Better to have a specialist doing it than a general practitioner.

[Donmar]

Well she seems just fine now. She has no limping and now is playing like her old self. Whew!

[Daveyo]

Be very careful OK. I strongly do suggest that you find some elastic wrap and wrap that leg up when you take it outside just to be safe. You can find this anywhere even at a drug store or pharmacy store. Not expensive. Any tear even a little bit can spread and rip open. Dogs will take off and run and then pow goes the leg especially the one that is weak already.

So do this for a month and wrap it when possible outside play time. Any partial strain or pull needs time to heal up- preferred minimum two months on dogs. If it is just a strain or pull, you don't want that condition to be aggravated any further resulting a tear. Once that happens you can end up with this big problem.

Ok

Glad to hear the good news.