Julie, My yellow lab/gldn ret mix tore his
crusia ligmaments in both knees during a running/play session. We thought it was his hips again, but after a week of rest and medication,he was again unable to get up, but seemed to walk fairly well. By putting his body weight on his "good" knee, he tore the other so he was operated on 3 months apart. It was hard keeping him gated in 1 room all that time but well worth the time,patience and money, and he seemed to understand, he was a real trooper. We have kept his body weight down to prevent it from happening again too (he lost 25 lbs-he was trained on treats)This condition, according to my vet, is frequently misdiagnosed at first, because they sometimes seem "better".
Hope your pup gets better soon!..Karen

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k9luver