Cruciate help....please

Holly, our PRT (will be 9y at Christmas) damaged her cruciate yesterday...we saw the orthopaedic vet last night and she's booked in for a repair today. He knows Holly well - she is a very full on little dog and he feels that waiting will just see her hurting/re-hurting the leg over and over. Having had a year which saw her on restricted exercise for a bicepital tendinitis problem - this is gutting. We were due to go away on holiday with the dogs on Saturday.

It's years since I've had a dog with a cruciate repair. Can anyone tell me what to expect in the days/weeks post surgery? I am worried sick about her as she's not a dog who ever stops.

I am going to use a crate as we have other dogs and a puppy. There are two steps going down into the garden - should she be carried up/down these? Thankfully there are no steps in the house.

She gets omega 3 fish oils every day - what other supplements would help?

Help!

Thanks xx

No experience of this, so no advice, but wanted to wish you well and Holly and quick recovery.

Hugs xx

I'm sorry. You are so right to take rapid action...I waited two months, and I regret that now. Hope the op goes well..do you know which procedure is being done?

There is plenty of good advice on old threads about this...Dogsey got me through the four months since my pointer had a TPLO. Basically the first 6 weeks are the most important, as that is when the repair is still vulnerable. That's when she will need to be contained and restrained the most. After that is about gradually building up strength in the leg, so you slowly give her more exercise and freedom in the house and garden.

Listen to your vet, and apply the advice sensibly to your dog. Try to avoid any excitement and obvious dangers. For instance if you have slippery floors, try and cover them. If there is a time of day when the dogs usually play, make sure they are separate, and distract Holly with games or clicker training. I had to take Saba round the garden on a short lead several more times a day than was recommended, because I judged that she was less likely to harm herself than going nuts inside. You know your dog and have to judge how to reduce her chances of jumping, twisting or falling. In my opinion your 2 steps won't be a problem if she takes them calmly.

On the positive side, you will become much closer to Holly, and it is a chance to learn or improve her clicker training.

I would also recommend getting a Cani X harness for you and Holly, as you are going to be doing a lot of lead walking in the next few months, and it makes it much more comfortable and secure for you.

Good luck.

Thanks for your replies.

I work for the vets who are doing the op - the one I've asked to do it is the ortho specialist. He is doing the method where the strong nylon suture is used to re-stabilise the joint.

Holly apparently bounced in this morning (loves the vets) and despite being very sore was trying to use the leg.

From previous lameness problems, she is very difficult to keep calm - she has one speed and it's top speed.

Although I work for the vets, it's great to hear people's first hand experiences with their dogs and any tips/hints.

A few questions...

1) to begin with is it crate rest 24/7 bar toilet breaks?
2) can she be allowed to walk around in the house at all?
3) we have 2 stone steps going down into the garden should she be carried up/down these?
4) is there any physical therapy I can do with her?

Thanks in advance xx

1) Mine was confined to a very very small room with nothing to jump on/off of and certainly not enough room to do zoomies etc. I had to keep the windows covered incase of squirrels/cats outside.

2) Probably depends on the dog. If mine went anywhere else other than the aforementioned small room he was on a lead at all times as anything will set him off racing to the window or frontdoor (doorbell, post coming through letterbox, car doors slamming, voices outside, etc).

3) Yes. We only have one step out of the back door but I was told that even this was one too many so had to use a ramp (bit difficult to carry a Dobermann!).

4) Some specialists recommend this and some don't. Mine didn't (not much help there then sorry!).

My dog had TPLO.

Good luck!

Holly is round from the GA - she had a full rupture. I'm to collect her at 3pm - thanks for all the advice/help xx

Mt Dog had a TTA and at first he was crated for the first 6 weeks just out for toilet breaks into the garden on lead - occassional quiet time out of the crate in the kitchen whilst I sat reading, I have a step that he had to go over from the plastic of french doors he then had 1 step down into the garden - he was weight bearing from day 1
when he was re-xrayed and follow uo assessment he could go for 3x5mins walk gradualy building this up
after this period he had to do hill work or stairs to get him to lift the leg during walking - I followed the vets instructions to the letter
once he is over the op you could try a water treadmill to help build muscle up

If the vet does advise Hydro make sure that any therapist is registered with NARCH as they are trained to know exactly what is indiacted and what is contra indicated with the various Cruciate ligament injuries.

There are different hydrotherapy protocols required post cruciate ligament repair, depending on whether it is an extracapsular or TPLO/TTA.

http://www.narch.org.uk/

Great that she's through the op....and you definitely did the right thing in taking such quick action if it was a full rupture.

Make sure you get everything prepared before she gets home, because once she's home you won't have any time to yourself.

I also kept Saba in a small room with no furniture to jump on to, but all the cushions from the garden furniture on the floor so that we could go and sit with her. My vet believed that a bit of motion is better than none, so wanted her to have space to get up and stretch and walk around.

Is Holly food motivated? If so, Kongs and those wooden puzzles for dogs will give her something to do when you can't be with her. Pieces of roast chicken wrapped up in cardboard (I used empty pasta boxes) are great for getting rid a bit of pent-up energy.

Aloe Vera gel is good for rubbing on the leg as the hair is regrowing.

And get yourself a pile of books/knitting/podcasts/etc to make you feel that you are doing something when you are sitting with her!

Your specialist should of given you a specific instruction sheet but going on mine.

My dog had TPLO on both legs within 6 weeks so could be different being as it's a stronger method but....

1. Yes apart from 10 minute lead walks a few times a day to stop muscle wastage getting longer as the weeks go on.

2. Apart from lead walks keep her in the crate.

3. No she'll be fine just hold her towel under her tummy to support her to start with.

4. Hydrotherapy is good but not a route i personally went down and my dog's done great.