Cruciate Ligament Rupture

[Birdie'sMom]

My husband let Birdie out this morning and she took off after a bunny. He heard her yelp and she limped back to the house. She wasn't putting any weight on her back left leg. I took her to the vet and they said she ruptured her cruciate ligament. She is only allowed outside on a leash for potty breaks, no steps, and limited movement inside. I have 5 days worth of pain meds and the vet said if she is still limping in 2 weeks I have to bring her back for x-rays and possible surgery. She told me that little dogs sometimes heal on their own, but large dogs usually end up needing surgery. My question is - is it standard to wait 2 weeks to decide about surgery?

[Miabella]

Hi Jennine, so sorry to hear about Birdie girl's knee! I don't know if this was your regular vet, but every orthopedist I've spoken to has told me that cruciate tears definitely don't heal on their own. The only way to fix it is to perform surgery to stabilize the joint, either with TPLO, which resculpts the bone to change the angle of the joint, or a traditional repair, which uses surgical line to simulate the torn ligament. Without surgery, their is nothing holding the tibia and femur secure, and they will rub against each other. This leads to arthritis, and it can develop very quickly. I wouldn't wait 2 weeks, seek another opinion from a board certified orthopedist ASAP.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!!

[Birdie'sMom]

Thanks, Laurie. Waiting 2 weeks just didn't sound right to me. This is a new vet at the place we take her to. We don't have a regular vet, we usually just see whoever is available and haven't had a problem with any of them. I will look for an ortopedist tonight. Thanks for your help!

[spidey]

I don't think I'd be comfortable waiting two weeks either, I think you're right to question it. The longer you let a dog walk around on an unstable joint (not matter how much you restrict exercise), the more you're increasing the chances of arthritis in there. Some things warrant a conservative approach, but IMO a cruciate rupture in a big dog isn't one of them. I'd talk to another vet if I were in your shoes and/or do what you're doing and look for an ortho vet. Sorry to hear about poor Birdie.

[Birdie'sMom]

Just for my own information - can any of you tell me what kind of expenses I will be looking at for surgery? This will not keep her from getting surgery, I just want to prepare myself and my husband. Thanks!

[Bucky's Mom]

I would guess the cost will vary by area but here is a thread with lots of information:

http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/sho...gament+Rupture

[Canadianrotti]

I just had a lengthy conversation with our vet about this, after I mentioned agility. He gave us an article about the injury, common causes and cures.

It is caused by the knee moving in a direction other than what it was designed for. This usually happens with a sudden stop, or a fast turn that places to much pressure on the joint.

According to the article, small dogs (less than 40 lb or so) can heal on thier own in some cases, but for larger dogs surgery is required. The recovery period is very long as well, with little exercise for many months. Arthitis is also very common with the after effects of this injury.

During the recovery period, be carefull about the dogs weight. The extra weight will slow the recovery process. The favouring of one leg will also put additional strain on the opposite leg.

I would definatley get another oppinion about this. Proper testing for this injury is also difficult, and may require pain meds, or sedation, to test for it properly. I would call your regular vet and discuss this befor your visit, just in case you have to sedate, and not feed the night before.

Good luck and speedee recovery for Birdy.

[Birdie'sMom]

I am trying to keep her lying down. A friend borrowed our crate a while ago and I am getting it back from her tomorrow, but for now I am doing my best to keep her from walking. The thing is, when she lies down she always lies on the side where her bad leg is and it hurts her. I can't get her to lie on the other side. Anyone have any ideas on how to keep her still until I get the crate tomorrow? This stinks!!

[Bucky's Mom]

Originally Posted by Birdie'sMom

Anyone have any ideas on how to keep her still until I get the crate tomorrow? This stinks!!

Can you baby-gate off a small area where she feels like she is still with you but contained? Would she get agitated in a bathroom area gated off? - THIS may sound really silly - but is the playpen available? - Just some random thoughts.

[Birdie'sMom]

Originally Posted by Bucky's Mom

Can you baby-gate off a small area where she feels like she is still with you but contained? Would she get agitated in a bathroom area gated off? - THIS may sound really silly - but is the playpen available? - Just some random thoughts.

We don't have a playpen, we have a travel crib and it's not big enough to hold her. I have her contained in the office with me right now. When I go to bed my husband will carry her up and put her on her dog bed. She usually stays put at night until we get up in the morning. The only problem I am having is that she wants to follow my husband and I around the house. I can close the door to the office, but she scratches and bites at the door. I guess a new door will be a lot cheaper then more surgeries.

[flyballmom]

Jennine, sorry, I'm trying to catch up with posts from being gone for the weekend. Thanks, Lisa for giving her that link. OK...SOOOO...big deep breath is in order. While, for a Rottweiler, I absolutely 100% agree that surgery is in order, the TYPE of surgery is a totally personal one that should take into account the age of the dog, activity level, as well as the financial ability of the owner. No one wants to say "I just can't afford such and such"...but sometimes finances do come into play. From a Rottweiler standpoint...I'd think TPLO best for younger active dogs. Or older VERY active dogs. Traditional might work well for a young couch potato or an older less active dog. Prices are totally region dependent. For me, TPLO was appx. $2500 per knee, traditional with the ortho surgeon $800, with my reg vet traditional $500. A friend in the SF Bay Area spent $3500 per knee on her dog for TPLO...but that also included some PT follow-up.
Waiting a couple weeks WILL NOT HURT! As long as she's keep on restricted activity, meaning walks on leash and no explosive activity. Hang in there. There are lots of us here that have experienced CCL injuries and different surgeries. No matter what you hear, as long as you have done your research and made the best choice possible for you and your dog...it is the "right" choice. For whatever reason, canine orthopedics evokes a level of emotion not seen elsewhere. Apologies in advance for typos.....

Edited to say....waiting a couple weeks is NOT going to do harm. It may take you that long to decide WHAT you want to do, much less get an appt. with a specialist. Just keep her to leash walks only and you girls will do just fine.

[StephanieandToby]

Whenever I needed to keep Toby still I just attached his leash to something sturdy, like a sofa leg...but somewhere he could see what was going on. I gave him a toy and a blanket and that was that. (I never had a crate for him...)
I'm sorry your dog was injured. That's just lousy.I'm surprised at how many dogs tear their ACL...I see/hear about it all the time. I'm grateful it never happened to me.

[bettic]

My dog has had both knees done...$1,000 each (we're in Maine). Our vet has done many of these ACL surgeries and was able to diagnose him right away. After surgery, crate rest for 6 weeks, only out on leash to go potty. Then another 4 weeks of very short walks, on leash at all times and still in the crate. In order to keep him part of the family we used one of those folding exercise pens. We wrapped it around his largest dog bed and moved it from room to room so he could be with us. Weight is a huge issue! We cut his food back but kept him busy while confined with sterilized bones, filled with Wysong and frozen. It would take him a long time to lick the food out of the frozen bone and by the time he got it out, he was tired enough to snooze. We also used the Kong with a treat inside. And whenever anyone watched TV they would lay on his bed with him and keep him company. It worked very well and the 6 weeks flew by. His knees are like new now.....a very successful surgery.

[Birdie'sMom]

I just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to give me advice and answer my questions. I am still looking into my options and I will let you know what we decide. Right now she is being confined to our office, which is very small. I also put her bed in there to take up even more room. I will be getting her crate today. She is eating and drinking this morning, which is a relief because I think she was in too much pain to eat yesterday. We have had her on a leash for potty breaks and my poor husband has been carrying her up and down the steps so she can be with us when we are upstairs.

[BostonRott]

Banja's TPLO was $2500 here in the Boston area. A friend recently went to Angell Memorial (not where we went) in Boston and was quoted $3600, I think that's extreme. Most TPLO's are quoted in the $1500-2500 range.

This is something that needs to be seen by a board certified orthopedist, and I personally would not wait any longer than necessary to make your decision and get the appointments made for whatever route you decide to follow. Two weeks certainly is NOT needed for a definitive diagnosis.

I think you're right in getting right on this and going for a specialists opinion ASAP.

If the dog leads any type of active life, and is young with a lot of life still to live, I'd highly recommmend the TPLO. Banja is back to agility competitions (and placements in classes) at 6mos post surgery.