Non-surgical ACL treatment

[lizbud]

My Lab mix Maggie injured her tendon early this summer. She could not
put any weight on her left rear leg.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...ghlight=maggie

The Vet suggested rest & pain control meds first before considering any
surgery. She told me I wasn't a badmom to resist surgery as a only option.
She has Golden Retrievers & said she follows her own advice with them too.

It took a good two months of limited activity but she has recovered
nicely. Still takes 1/2 a 100mg Rimyadil tablet each morning with blood
tests every 3-4 months & she gets around fine.(knock wood )

[chocolatepuppy]

Never heard of that. My RB Lacey's ligaments where both torn in half, so I doubt anything but surgery would have helped her.

[MonicanHonda]

Yes I have. There is a magazine called Dogs Naturally (I believe its from Chicago) It just had an article about Ligament recovery without surgery.

[Taz_Zoee]

Thanks for the replies!
I think I will try the treatment on this website first. If that doesn't appear to be working then we might try those supplements Amy suggests. I'll try anything and rule it out before surgery.

I know her knee is not completely blown since she does use it sometimes. But my mom is limiting her activity down to just walking and not even a lot of that. She can't come home until we know its healed. That could even take a year....it just depends on the dog. Poor Taggart is missing her so much. All he does is mope around. We also miss her a lot!

[chocolatepuppy]

I know her knee is not completely blown since she does use it sometimes.

Are you sure that's a sign it's not blown out? Seems Lacey could use her leg when we tried the 'resting' it for months. Not to be a party pooper, just trying to save you possible wasted months of trying to have it get better.

[Taz_Zoee]

Are you sure that's a sign it's not blown out? Seems Lacey could use her leg when we tried the 'resting' it for months. Not to be a party pooper, just trying to save you possible wasted months of trying to have it get better.

Well the vet didn't really say it was blown. Just that it was the ACL...whatever that means. If the rest or supplements do not seem to be helping we will take her to another vet for a second opinion. The vet was not forcefully pushing surgery on me either. She just prescribed Previcox and Tramadol for her. I figured if it was severe the vet would be insisting surgery. The vet also knows she is at my moms on rest.

I know, the thought keeps crossing my mind that it could get worse if we don't do something about it NOW. But I do feel comfortable that my mom is limiting her activity enough that further injury should not happen.

[lizbud]

Cindy, did your Vet actually do a hands on manipulation of the knee?
They can usually tell the amount of damage from that alone.

[chocolatepuppy]

I know, the thought keeps crossing my mind that it could get worse if we don't do something about it NOW. But I do feel comfortable that my mom is limiting her activity enough that further injury should not happen.

Oh no, I'm not saying you could be wasting time and it might get worse. With Lacey's first one, we kept her on leash and on meds, it didn't get better and when we did have the surgery done, the vet said it never would have healed on it's own. So we wasted a couple of months trying to get it to heal and it never would have. But if your vet manipulated it and took xrays I'm sure you're doing the right thing. I hope Zoee doesn't have to have surgery.