Torn Cruciate

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

My last Rottweiler tore one cruciate, but not the other. We didn't do the surgery for her, our vet said it would heal just as good without it and he was right. I'd talk to your vet about it though and if your dog tore both, maybe surgery would be a better option for you. Good luck! I hope she's back to normal quickly.

Welcome to PT, by the way!

[GoetheMommy]

Thanks, the vet recommended surgery for the right one which is torn. But she also said that while she is recovering from surgery she could tear the other one beacuse she will have to bear weight on the left one. I just saw the vet today, I would like to try to let the left side recover more before she goes in for surgery. She's getting Rimadyl for now.

So yours was actually torn and recovered? how long did it take?

[chocolatepuppy]

My Lacey has had both knees done, one just recently. They were both torn. The one that is torn needs to be fixed soon. From what I understand, the knee/leg can start to degenerate and quickly. If both are injured, you could be dealing with a dog that cannot walk. As for the other one tearing, the odds are good that it's going to anyway. Please reconsider your vets advice. Good luck and please keep us updated.

[manda99]

I went through this with Smokey. He had the surgery and it was a rough recovery period of 3 months bed rest. I think it was the best thing for him, though, as he doesn't limp and doesn't seem to be in pain (sometimes he seems a little stiff after laying or playing for a while). He gets Glucosamine daily to help with the joints. So far the second knee has held up.

Good luck!

[K9karen]

Thanks, the vet recommended surgery for the right one which is torn. But she also said that while she is recovering from surgery she could tear the other one beacuse she will have to bear weight on the left one. I just saw the vet today, I would like to try to let the left side recover more before she goes in for surgery. She's getting Rimadyl for now.

So yours was actually torn and recovered? how long did it take?

I'm so sorry to hear about the cruciate tear. My beloved Cody tore his right one first and as your vet said, tore the left because of the weight bearing. I had no choice but have his right leg operated on. It took about 6 weeks of complete rest and gated in our downstairs family room which has a door so he could easily go out. I played it safe and used a towel around his waist to hold him up so he wouldn't bend his knees. He wasn't happy but eventually got used to it. Thankfully there was someone home all the time so he was never alone. I waited 6 months to have his left leg done. He seemed to realize what was going on and remarkably "took it easy". He also was on Rimydal intermittently. I also used buffered aspirin. We started taking him for short walks after his surgeries. He also had hip dysplasia, but he fully recovered from is ACL surgeries. I will tell you, it is sad and heartbreaking to see them shaved and cut and it can be hard to keep them calm, but it is one of the most common surgeries done. IMO, to avoid further damage, I would have the surgery done ASAP. Good luck! Goethe will be just fine and you'll feel better too, seeing her well again! PM me if you want.

[chocolatepuppy]

Laceys surgeries were around $1,000.00 each. She doesn't take any meds for this now, but we are going to put her on Glucosomine.

[lv4dogs]

(forgive me if some technical terms are incorrect, this is all coming from my memory LOL)

Raustyk has had both cruciates on both back legs repaired, both were torn. The first leg I opted for the cheaper surgery, (ACL repair if I remember correctly, if not it was the CCL) where they use natural tissue from the stifle, large suture material &/or surgical wire to pretty much connect the tissue & help stabalize it. The complete total for this surgery (including pre& post op care, x-rays, etc...) was about $900. This happened when the newer surgery was just coming out (TPLO I *think*) so most vets would only perform this type of surgery anyways. Total recovery period was about 6 months, but she will always be affected by this.

A year later her other cruciate was torn. Knowing that the other leg would never be right again, and it would be unfair if both back legs were not very stable (as her other leg was only repaired & arthritis had already set in), I opted for the better surgery, (TPLO if I remember correctly), where they actually file down the bone to make a better, more stabalized fit of the tibial plateau or fibular head. They then help connect the tissue via natural tissue from the stifle, large suture material &/or surgical wire. This surgery was about $1500 total and well worth the cost. The healing preiod was much shorter and less painful as well. And recovery is just absolutely wonderful, it's almost like she never ever had a problem with that leg before. Total recovery time for this surgery was about 3 months & she is not bothered by this what so ever.

After seeing her go through both surgeries I would never ever reccomend the first surgery. It's well worth the extra few hundred dollars, and in the long run you'd probably end up saving thousands in additional vet care, meds & supplements not to mention their activity level with the first surgery will be decreased and will always have to be monitored more closely.

I do not reccomend NOT doing surgery, that is a very painful injury and I could not imagine living with that day in & day out.

[GoetheMommy]

For me, $1800 for each leg, is a lot of money. It's a little overwhelming. I am encouraged though, by the information I've gathered on braces and leg sleeves, and by the stories I've heard of other dogs recovering from this injury. I work at home so I am able to be with her 24hrs a day. And while 6 months of intensive care is a lot of work, I am happy to do this. I got her when she was 2 weeks old, her mother had stopped nursing the puppies. So for the first few months of her life we were never seperated. I love her very much and I want her to have a happy pain-free life. While I understand that this surgery may repair the injury, I also know that many dogs have recovered without the surgery.

I want to see what things are like for a week. The injury only happened yesterday as she was jumping up to get on the bed for her afternoon nap. She's getting complete down time in a pen in the living room, right next to me, I don't even let her stand, and even though she's 60 lbs I carry her to the yard and back to the recovery den.

[GoetheMommy]

I'm still weighing options. I just need a couple of days to find out if there are any alternatives, talk to as many people about it as I can, figure out how to come up with the money. I just have to be convinced that this is the only-only option.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

So yours was actually torn and recovered? how long did it take?

Yes, I think it took roughly 6 months or so until she was completely back to normal but she was able to put some weight on it before then. She wasn't allowed to run around though and wasn't able to get a whole lot of exercise, which was fine by her as she wasn't an active dog.