Frustrated! CL v slow to heal.

Having injured himself back in September, following crate rest etc the vet finally decided to operate on Elroy at the start of February.

(Original thread here, I didn't want to add onto it as this post might get lost in amongst it all.)

To begin healing seemed to go well, but since we've never really got beyond a 15min walk twice a day, or perhaps a 10 min walk/20min walk in a day. The vet considered perhaps a second op on the joint, but after a bit of rest he always seems to come right again.

I've worked really hard on loose leash walking and we have it down pat; but if something exciting comes along El will bounce to the end of the lead on hind legs, before returning to my side (usually into a sit).

Today's walk particularly had me pulling my hair out (whilst still being patient and pleasant in my dealing with Elroy I might add). Firstly a wee dog walking past us, then another dog in a garden barking, then round the corner and face to face with a cat, then another neighbour running up and down the street with their wee dog repeatedly, then another dog out being walked (and then beaten for daring to bark at us - but that's a whole other story...!!)

What should have been a 10min walk max turned into 20min and Elroy is home now and limping. I could cry.

He's booked for the vets again on Friday and he has his pain meds in the meanwhile. But what on earth does the future hold for us? He is such a lively fun loving dog who was always so active. This last 10 months have been destroying him.

We do training/games at home to stimulate him, frozen kongs etc as well as his two brief walks. Everything I can for him; but I'm scared it's not enough and what the future holds.

I've had 3 dogs have cruciate ops - 2 were done twice - I understand your frustration and I seemed to be back at the vets with every little twinge. Each dog took AGES to become sound, one of them I was so paranoid about the other knee going he was crated for 11 months. Exercise was extremely limited and ALWAYS on lead or away from my other dogs. Another one the vet went back in as the meniscus was involved . This might be the case with your dog so it's worth having a word with the vet who did the op. If you are able it's definitely worth doing hydrotherapy as much as is safe for the dog but it really does help and with me being over careful the other knees didn't need operating on.

Thanks for your reply.
Both ligaments in the knee went with my boy, not sure if the meniscus was damaged or not tbh. The vet that did the op is seeing him on Friday, so will ask more then.

I had intended on taking El to hydrotherapy, but the only two places that I or the vets were aware of nearby (within and hours drive) have closed down. So unless I can find an alternative, that's off the cards.

Everytime we seem to make progress we seem to end up back near square one again. I did know progress would be slow, but this is driving him (and me) slowly insane.

My neighbour's dog had the cl op and after she'd been given the all clear to start off-lead walking she immediately became very lame again (this was a good 6 months later). She was told that all the muscle bulk will have to build up again and it will happen often her limping. It's like one of us having an op and then attempting to jump etc before we've got fit again. Her dog ended up having the other leg done too and a year later she is as fit as a flea.

Good luck and I hope she continues her recovery well.

My dog had her cruciate done about a year now and only in the last few months has she shown improvement. Im finding it hard to build her muscle back up, its a long road but i can now see some light at the end of the tunnel so i hope you see that soon, some of cassies problems stem from being misdiagnosed for about a year so hopefully progress will be faster for you

Thank you both. We are back to 10min walks twice a day and so far so good. Off to the vet at 6pm!

We went to the vet on Friday and she is happy that the joint is stable and feels that the lameness he's experiencing is down to the lack of muscle.

So I'm to keep doing what I'm doing, giving him the pain meds if he needs it and judge the following day if he's able for walks etc. Just not to back off on exercise quite so quickly as he needs it to build up the muscle.

Feeling a lot happier now that I know it isn't the joint still giving him bother.

Took him out for a shady walk in the woods today and he had a bit of a splash about in the stream. Happy as a pig in the proverbial, he hasn't been able to do that in so long.

Hydrotherapy is good for this, especially the treadmill in a tank, it will build up muscles without putting a strain on them. I had a little girl who had arthritis in all 4 feet and legs, both shoulders and her spine, I was on the point of having her pts when my vets got a hydro tank. It didn't take her long to build up her muscles, she was able to run and jump which she hadn't been able to do for a couple of years. I have another fun 2 years with her.

My Greyhound had an operation on his spine, hydro helped him recover, it built up the right muscles so he could run and play again.

It is normal in my vets for dogs that have their cl operated on to have hydro, their recovery is so much quicker.

Yes, I'm aware of how good hydro can be for them and had fully intended on getting Elroy into sessions as soon as we could. Unfortunately the only two places close to us have closed down so we have had to rule it out.

I know several people who do their own hydro, they use a paddling pool, the size depends on the dog. They just walk round the paddling pool with the dog in on a lead and every so often then change direction.