Non-surgical ACL treatment

**chocolatepuppy** · 01-08-2012, 06:14 PM

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** · 01-08-2012, 10:28 PM

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** · 01-08-2012, 11:42 PM

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** · 01-09-2012, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by Taz_Zoee

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** · 01-09-2012, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by chocolatepuppy

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** · 01-09-2012, 10:27 AM

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

**Taz_Zoee** · 01-09-2012, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

Yes she did. She didn't feel anything. That's why she took an xray. And when she looked at the xray she thought it was arthritis. But then when the xray tech looked they said ACL and that she needed surgery. I don't think the vet agreed with that 100%, like I said.
Another hard thing is...Zoee is so stoic when she's at the vet. She doesn't even flinch in pain when the leg is being manipulated so it's difficult to tell what hurts her.

**chocolatepuppy** · 01-09-2012, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Taz_Zoee

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.

**Taz_Zoee** · 01-09-2012, 06:40 PM

We actually decided (this past Friday) the best way to do this would be to take her off all meds (Previcox and Tramadol). This way we can see true results and the pain won't be masked by meds (there is a section on the website explaining this). Of course if she is showing extreme pain my mom will give her the Tramadol at night. We are taking it day by day and will do whatever is best for her as far as pain goes. Just in the two weeks she's been there my mom said she is not limping as bad as the first week she was there. So there already seems to be improvement. And this was before we decided on the stricter limited activity plan! So I am hopeful.

Thanks so much everyone for your support! It means the world to me.

I will get to see her this Sunday when I go to drop off Taggart for a week. Then again on on the 23rd when I go to pick Taggart up.