Cruciate Ligament

heidi has got a cruciate ligament has anyone else dog had this,we are thinking of getting a second opinon do you agree

Very painful, and your dog should be reluctant to put that leg to the ground??? Why are you thinking of a 2nd opinion at another vet then?? This is quite a common condition, they're easily damaged. Hope that helps some? It's a long healing process too, and I hope they've given him some painkillers? All the best, sorry I'mnot much help am I!

Thank You,we are thinking of getting a second opinon because a lot of people have not been happy with them plus they were thinking of operating putting a false ligament there

Oh, if you're concerned about an operation, although sometimes that is the only way, then go ahead and get a 2nd opinion, especially if you think they might be a bit suspect? Is she pretty bad on it then? Have they tried the option with drugs, rest and whatever else is involved then? I've only had it in my horse, never in a dog, so I'm not much of a help! We always managed to heal this up though with bandaging, rest and anti inflammatory drugs, can't say if this is the same with a dog though? I wish you all the very best for her, so good luck.

thank you,but we were a bit silly not getting her insured this has happened to her before and within a few weeks she was back to herself

I had a SBT that had both done, not at the same time though. It is a long healing process, the worst being that whilst recovering you have to lead exercise in small amounts....which for him was tiresome as he wanted to run. But he recovered brilliantly and never had any trouble afterwards.

Good luck with yours, you'll notice a real improvement once he's all healed.

Well if it's happened before, try doing whatever you did then to get her back on track yourself without the need for an op?? Can you use a bandage with padding underneath to help ease her pain when moving around? Like I said, I only know about how to deal with a horse with this condition, but somebody might know! Poor little mite, I expect she's in a lot of pain, but you must try and keep her quiet and resting, that will give the ligament time to heal, otherwise, as soon as it starts the healing process, it will be torn again in no time. Good luck

With a cruciate ligament rupture, the dog will be very reluctant to put any weight through the leg at all. They often sometimes seem to improve with the weight bearing, although they rapidly go back to putting no weight through the leg. The stifle joint will feel very loose, and when manipulated, the vet should be able to move the joint from side to side, although this is often only done under GA as it will be very painful.

In very young dogs, it is often recommended that no op is performed, as it can in the long run make the situation worse. For these dogs the only option is strict rest, and lots of it!

In older dogs although it will depend on the individual cases, surgery is often the best option. There are two kinds of surgery. The most commonly performed is where an artificial ligament is placed into the joint. The second surgery is what is known as a TPLO, and this tends to be performed at referral centres. TPLO surgery involves cutting and re-aligning of the tibia to stabilise the joint. This is the more expensive of the two and is a more major procedure, although it is sometimes better for the dog, particularly in larger dogs or more active dogs. This will depend on the individual case and should be discussed with your vet.

Rehabilitation and total recovery can take many many weeks, sometimes even months, and lots of rest is the key. The recovery made is almost always extremely good, provided the correct aftercare is given.

Some dogs benefit from physio or hydrotherapy following the surgery.

Over the years I've had a whippet and great dane rupture their cruciate ligaments. The whippet had the op and had to have a groove cut into her knee and a new ligament put in. She recovered brilliantly and lived to a ripe old age without any further problems.

The Great Dane was referred to a specialist and also had the op. His recovery was longer than the whippet, but I guess that was because of his size. Once he had started healing we took him to hydrotherapy sessions which seemed to help. Once he was fully healed he was absolutely fine and never had any other problems with it.

As already said, the worst part about ruptured cruciate ligaments is the rest and then the lead exercise only afterwards Once they start recovering they want to be galloping around again, but obviously this can't be allowed to happen.

So both my experiences with the operation were happy with successful outcomes Good luck with your dog, I hope you get her sorted

thank you for all your help,but we have not got her insured and it is to late to get it,if we did get her refered it will be 1,800-2,000,so we are thinking of the second option