I haven't been on Pet Talk in quite a while but wanted to see if anyone else had success with no surgery for a partially torn ACL.
Vallis (who's 8.5) tore his ACL about 5 weeks ago. The vet said that some smaller dogs can recover with rest, but he might need surgery. Our other dog Marta has had surgery on both legs for ACL repair, so I know what the process is like, but Vallis had a very bad reaction to anesthesia when he was neutered (he had seizures and had to stay at the ER vet). I'd prefer not to do surgery because I don't know how well he'd react to the anesthetic.
He's been on crate rest for 5 weeks or so (actually, it's a pen so he can move around but not jump) and initially he had rimadyl and a pain medicine. He doesn't seem to need either of them now and has made a lot of improvement. He walks normally now, but I can see a limp when he tries to run (he is on a leash, so he can't go far, luckily). He had a re-check at the vet last week and they said 4 more weeks of limited activity.
Even though he has made a great deal of improvement, I'm worried that once he actually starts to be more active he will injure his leg again. Is no surgery actually an option? Has anyone had success with this?
Thanks!
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