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Dog ACL / CCL Injury: A Non-surgical Approach
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- čas přidán 7. 06. 2017
- Old tiggerpoz site is gone but here's an archived version: web.archive.or...
My dog ruptured her ACL in March 2016 and I opted for conservative management as opposed to surgery. I took video of her over the course of one year and documented her progress in a journal.
The best source of information I found online was from
A good video as well: • Cruciate Ligament Rupt...
Two Year Update Video: • Dog ACL / CCL Injury: ...
Just got home from the vet with my 1 1/2 year old border collie.
the vet said that surgery is probably the ONLY thing that will work for his CCL tear. We don't have the extra $2500 laying around for surgery, so I totally broke down in the car. I cannot put him down. Thanks for this encouraging video. I will do everything I can to make sure he heals properly.
I admire you that you are brave and that you are going to research this. I agree with you that you can help your beautiful Border to heal. It will take time and it will not be without some expense, but you will accomplish your goal. Doggy prayer, for YOU! Please post how he is doing, thanks.
@@larnakeane3815 It's been 3 weeks of absolute NO jumping or running. We are lucky enough to be able to take him to a swimming pool every day for him to swim for about 15 minutes, we've recently bumped the swim time up to 30 minutes. He's also been on joint supplements.
Thus far, his lameness has decreased dramatically. He no longer walks with a limp, but he continues to lift his leg up slightly when standing up. Thank you for the encouragement!
@@joshuabell7422 Hurrah. So happy to hear.
This breaks my heart! Please be strong! There's so much on this subject and surgery is NOT the only way. We have a number of videos on this, and tomorrow we're publishing a big update video. I know a lot of the information we have will be helpful to you and your dog. PLEASE don't let this break you down. Your dog needs you to be strong. YOU CAN DO THIS!
The Vet told me that too. Only Surgery will fix it. $6000! Bullshit, I nursed my dog back to health. It took a year and she is 100% Rest, no jumping (even to the couch), on leash for a year. Massage twice a day. Initially ice (especially during the first few days) warmth (make sure it's moist heat. usually a damp towel and then a heat pack over it.) Basically what you would do for a sprain in a Human. They will heal.
Hurrah! My dog is now officially 100% healed. Thanks so much for all the wonderful information you provided.
Please give all the tips possible 😭
@@sn5255 First thing is to get your dog to a vet to get diagnosed. That is the most important thing to do. If the vet diagnoses your dog with ACL, then follow this video, don't let your dog run or jump, and only take him/her on short, slow walks just to relieve themselves. This takes time and you cannot rush anything. I still do not allow my dog to run and jump even though she looks like she is fully healed, but we do go on much longer walks now. Hope this helps.
@@Bossmanrocks That is great! I would like to ask you how did you keep your dog entertained? Are sniff matts okay? My dog is a small breed and is used to move around the house, jump on furniture, and terrorize the neighbors. I moved my bed and furniture to the floor, restricting her to one room, and a smaller one when I have to leave the room. Do you think it is enough restriction? No walks except 5-7 min just so she releases herself.
Also, what about car rides? How do we keep them restrained in the car? I am sorry for the many questions, but I would appreciate any help I can get.
@@sn5255 If she is small, I would use a pet carrier in the car to keep her confined to one space, so she doesn't bounce around. I don't know about sniff mats, so I can't help you there. Seems like you are doing as much as you can. I have a bigger dog who was never allowed to jump on furniture in the first place, so she always knows to go to her bed. She is not confined but is allowed to walk around the first floor of the house. No stairs.
@@Bossmanrocks please did you give him any medicament or massage or anything else ?
It's people like you Steve that make the world-go-round. Thanks for the video, the information and your kindness.
We did the TPLO surgery just yesterday after a month of no improvement for our dog. I'm confident in her quick recovery, at 8 she has some good years left. Our dog was 98 lbs at the time of injury. She's lost 8 lbs in a month and we are so proud of her. Prayers for Chloe's quick recovery!
I hope the surgery went well and your dog is on her way to full recovery. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I just did the TPLO yesterday too. She is only 7 so expensive but I think necessary.
I'm so happy to hear this.
My baby is 8 and about the same weight. She is a lab. I'm deathly worried about surgery. Her consult isn't until July 9th.
This gives me hope.
Thank you so much for this video. My dog fully recovered from a CCL tear in her right leg, took a full year to recover. & now just found out that she has a partial tear in her left leg. The vets appointment made it even worse today, which like you said when they stimulate that injured joint, it causes even more pain. This gives me hope again that she will get better again. I’m glad your dog is doing well ♥️
Seems like the scar tissue envelopes around the joint and ostensibly causes the lameness to subside but if the dog gets excited and puts weight on the injured knee it makes the joint worse.
what did you do to help your dog recover?
thank you for this. It was awesome to see her recovery. My dog had TPLO and got a really bad infection so I am doing conservative management on the second knee. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video! 5 yrs ago my Dutch Shepherd tore her ACL. I opted for the surgery. The vet pressured me for the surgery. Now she's 13 yrs old and has a half tear in the other leg. This vet didn't pressure me. She said limited activity for the next few months..pain killers and we'll go from there. I looked at alot of videos on youtube with no surgery and yours is by far the best. Thank you so much for this information! I'll let ya know how it goes..
My first dog had a TPLO on both her knees at separate times when she was 5. She recovered quickly and could run and do everything normal which was great, but the surgery certainly took a toll on her. She passed away earlier this year at 12 years old from a liver disease. Her brother is now suffering the same condition as yours in this video. This time I am doing my best to do non-surgical as well, because he is much higher energy than daisy and it would make recovery very challenging. God bless your journey and thank you for spending all that time to put together such an informative video. You reminded me I'm not alone in this journey and I really needed that.
My Mabel (7yo) just had TPLO yesterday. She’s in severe pain. It’s hard to watch her suffer but I’m hoping this improves quality of life in her later years. I pray she never tears the other one but I know it’s a possibility.
Same. Happy to find this video. Gives me hope!
Same here.
The pain killer the vet gave to my pug suppressed the pain too well. It made my dog walk and jump like normal, and became so hard to keep her restrained from movement. After 2 weeks, her back leg is painful again and even worse. Beware of it, the pain killer just gives a illusion that your dog is ok, but it's not, it makes everything worse. I am trying holistic way to heal her now. Hope it will work.
Same experience is happening to me. What holistic measures did u take and did it help?
Thank you for posting this video. My baby (17 lb) was just diagnosed with a ruptured CCL today. The Ortho surgeon actually recommended the same instruction that you stated (Pain meds, joint supplements, rest, no activity and weight loss). I was skeptical at first by this approach because I wanted her to be her usual self. After seeing your video and your baby's progress, it was very encouraging. Thank you again and I hope you are both doing well today :)
May I ask what supplements your baby was on? My dog is also small (around 25lbs)
This is such a similar story to my dog. He is definitely up and down in his recovery which is very frustrating. Thank you for sharing such detailed information. It is rough to see my guy limping and I wish this were a sooner fix but I am thankful for your story and sharing what has worked for you.
Hope your pooch is getting along better now :)
Hii is he ok now?
@@rishub_1 Hey! Thanks for asking and following up. Unfortunately, going up 3 steps, he completely tore his other leg's crucial ligament. It is so disappointing because we were doing everything possible to preserve and help the originally injured knee (left knee which is just a partial tear) and now the right one is completely torn...completely devastating, he needs surgery for the right knee. The left one has held up and is doing a lot better.
@@amandaros3 soo sorry for your pooch hope he will get well soon. 4 days ago my labrador Tony had an accident and now his ligaments are torn. I don't even know if it's partially or completely but I am definitely not able to adopt a surgery my vet told me that in that case try to give him conservative support so now my only option is to stick with that and pray
@@rishub_1 how's your hound doin now if I may ask? Mine is goin on a month now. Showing small improvements but I still worry for how much he favors the other leg while turning around and going to the bathroom.
Thank you so much for this video. My Yorkshire Terrier had his right leg operated on a year ago. As you said, recovery protocol was reduced excercise, no running or hills, over time building to short 5 minute walks then increase walk duration gradually. About 6 weeks ago, his left leg went. We went to thet vet and Xrays showed it was ACL again. He was booked in for an operation, but we had to delay for a fortnight as their best surgeon was on holiday. By the time we went in for the operation, after complete rest, he was no longer limping and seemed much improved. The Vet, commendably, advised that we should now not have the surgery, and we are now seeing a nurse for regular physio advice and had two weeks of Laser treament to loosen and stimulate his muscles (this didn't hurt him). We are following the same sort of protocol as stated earlier and he is doing so well. We realise now that when previously we had noticed some lameness, and then had rested him until he seemed ok, we were resuming taking him on his normal 3-4 mile walks. This is the big error we made. But now, he is restricted to 5 min walks between 3 and 8 times a day, plus toddling around the house of course. We will gradually build on the walk durations over months and hope that maybe a year from now we will be back to the longer walks, but we will not rush it no matter how 'well' he seems to be doing. We also met a couple with an 11 year old yorkie/russell the other day, and they told us they had done exactly as you did Steve, a few years ago, and now their dog does 7 mile walks regularly! I'm not sure our Yorkie has ever done a 7 mile walk in his life so I was pretty blown away lol!
Thank you for making this video! Sharing yours and your dogs journey through this gives me hope. Its nice to hear someone say its going to talk a long time to recover. Instead of “she’ll be fine in a few weeks”
That's the type of information I was seeking when going through this too.
Thank you for your video and I hope your dog continues to show improvement. I did opt for the TPLO surgery on my first Boxer. She had a full tear on her rear knee when she was 4 or 5 yrs old. As she aged the disability became more pronounced. When she was 8, with consultation from our vet/surgeon, I began researching the TPLO procedure....it was a little overwhelming. Due to my complete trust in my vet, I finally agreed to it. I was expecting 9 months to a year of rehab. I began noticing tremendous improvement in her mobility and ease of motion within the first month. After 3 months of working with her, I allowed her to go off lead for the first time. She looked like her old self, running happily.
I've heard stories from others who did not have the same positive results.
There is a risk to be sure, when performed by a skilled surgeon, the results can be life changing for the better.
Thanks for sharing and that is great news about your Boxer. A agree that a skilled surgeon can make all the difference.
My Dexter’s story is similar. It went from a partial tear to full tear. He is a 90 pound lab mixed, only 3. Injury started in July of 2016. Conservative therapy, followed the rules to a T! Crated when I wasn’t home, leashed when I was, no running/jumping. It killed both of us. Like you I slept downstairs for three months on the couch to be with him. It has been a long slow slow recovery. He looks normal to most now, Runs up and down the stairs, jumps on a very high bed, jumps to catch things, swims, runs BUT it is all in much smaller doses. He used to go for 2-3 hours nonstop, my dog is extremely high energy. Now we go for 2 10 minute walks a day. Maybe once a week I’ll take them to the beach for a longer play/swim, but this is when you can see it the most. He overdoes it… And he pays for it. The difference now is he’s off the pain pills and anti-inflammatories, we did this for about only the first six months. Now he gets by with just a couple aspirins when he overdoes it. TPLO surgery would of been the best, Especially with Dexter being such a young active dog. To be honest I cannot afford it. I am a single mother just got my daughter to college.. There priorities in our family unfortunately. Dexter is about 85% of the Dog I had.. and that’s OK. He is otherwise a healthy dog, he plays, swims, runs, And most importantly is pain-free now. I feel if anyone takes this on, conservative therapy, you still need to seek out a vet to help you with prescriptions and advice. Dexter and I have impressed several vets who doubted I’d get him to where he is with his size, age and activity level. People need to know though your dog will never be 100%. But this could happen with surgery and your dog will still not be 100%.. Plus after surgery 50% of dogs and up with the other leg going within a year! We saw four vets all together..Only one would he even tell us about conservative therapy… All the others said TPLO was my only choice, and it is not! My advice to anybody who sees their dog start limping, start conservative therapy immediately. If I knew everything I knew now I would’ve done this, once it is a full tear there is no complete healing of the animal.
You’ve done really well with your dog. Great video of your journey. Dexter and I are still on ours.. but he continues to improve.
You write that Dexter overdoes it sometimes and pays the price for it, which to me sounds like maybe he is doing a little too much too soon. In my non-professional opinion, 6 months is a fairly long time to take pain pills and anti-inflammatory drugs as they mask the pain allowing the dog to overuse the unstable joint. Also, I wouldn't want to put a ceiling on the potential for the dog to recover to only 85%, even though this may be enough for many owners as well as for the dog to be happy and pain free. I am still noticing improvements with my dog, mostly in terms of muscle mass returning to the injured leg and also that I am able to increase her activity without seeing any detrimental effects. She is not back to 100% of what she used to do, and maybe she won't ever be, but I have not yet capped her potential to continue to improve.
For a 90 pound, active young dog you really had your work cut out for you. I hope he continues to improve.
Steve Scarantino I’ll clarify a few things. I didn’t have him on full doses for six months. It was a weening off process and given only when needed on medication. The last 3 months he only used a one months prescription. If your dog needs it though, he needs it.
I still see improvement in Dexter. I can also he his stance in the back. Surgery or no surgery Dexter is at risk of other issues because of this injury like arthritis.
Dexter overdoing it is something that is part of being Dexter. He is extremely active! He is also a water dog, it’s in his DNA. He loves the water and I’ll not deny him that love. We go to the ocean and nature trails to the marsh to swim. These outings take usually about an hour even when kept short.. that is a bit too much.. just a bit. He is getting stronger and maybe he will build to sixty minutes of running/swimming, he is not there yet. I’m also not going to stop.. he loves too much. He is normal again the next morning, just soar for a few hours. He is young and still wants to have fun.
Awesome to hear he improving more and he gets to have so much fun. Thanks for the clarification on the pain meds as I think the weening off is a great idea. That would have been better than stopping cold turkey like I did.
I assume some arthritis is a given with these types of injures, but hopefully the degree of it is something that can be controlled.
I also agree with your earlier comment about preventing this from happening in the first place as soon as it's noticeable the dog has that on again off again limp. This would be the best time to do conservative management! Even worse I think some vets recommend surgery at times when it is only a partial tear and would get better in a matter of weeks if properly rested. I guess when you know better you do better!
Thanks for posting on here for other people to learn from.
I want to thank you. You've made my mind up for me. I'll be getting the surgery. I respect your decisions and the choices you had to make but my dog is young enough and we have been hiking partners for long enough that I know for a fact now that I must get the surgery for her. Our life would not be the same if we could not do those things.
Best of luck to you and to steve, and I hope your dogs do well with the regimine I know you have lovingly set up for them. Anyone who sleeps out of their bed to help their dog be comfortable can know for sure they are doing everything within their means to do right by their fur family. I'll be taking the surgery route, but I thank my lucky stars that I am in a position to make that decision.
Good information, Thanks. I'm doing the conservative treatment but also doing laser treatments and some PT at my Vets office to help things out. I read a lot of good things about this. The injury just happened to my dog about 10 days ago, went directly to the Vet, got x-rays and full exam. Drawer motion was noted so she's on small doses of anti inflammatory and pain meds, LOTS of rest and very short walks, to do her business, alternating ice and heat packs with massage 4 times a day. Hoping for a good outcome but I know most of all it takes time and patience. She's in great health otherwise...
Thank you for this!!🙌 My lab started limping like this a few days ago and I was worried that if he had to have surgery he wouldn't wake up as he is 12 and a half. This gives me hope that he'll be okay even without intrusive surgery 🤞🤞also thank you to everyone in the comments who suggested different natural anti-inflammatories. He has rejected prescription ones in the past.
I'm sorry to hear about your dogs injury. I realize your post was 7 months ago , so I at least I hope things are going well for you and your dog. My dog is younger but had an injury 6 years ago , possibly just over exerting, he didn't stand up for most of the next day, but then got back to normal the next day. Even then I was hesitant to have him sedated for X-rays. I always thought it was a back injury, he never once limped or showed signs it was his leg. Recently he started limping and after a month I decided to get X-rays, they say it's a CCL injury, so now I'm in this new world of concerned pet owners and CCL injuries, it's a big world. That was a lot but was curious how things are going and wanted to share , green lipped muscle oil extract. If you hadn't heard that yet, I sure you have but it could be helpful. Hope your doing well .
Thank you. The exact thing has happened to my Australian Shepherd. She had a limp and then one day while she was outside, I heard her yelp and it was so much worse. Took her to the vet and she has a torn knee. She on medication, but just like your dog she gets better and then has set backs. I'm encouraged with your video. Now, I know she needs to rest more.... so hard with an Aussie. She wants to run.
How is she doing now?
@@mrs.i.one12 she's doing well. She does have arthritis in that leg now. It bothers her more as winter sets in. She has a prescription for Rimadyl from the vet, but I have been trying green lipped muscle powder in her food for the inflammation.
It really seems to be making a big difference.
She will be 11 years old on Dec.6th.
My girl was playing catch with me and she jumped off the bed yelped and started the same exact thing with her leg. I'm so glad this was my first video to watch. She is doing better but still limps on her bad side but now I know it's a bit of a long recovery. Thank you!!!! All the best to your pup ❤
Your dog is lucky to have such a concerned and attentive owner. Thanks for the info - give me hope for my dog.
He did it all wrong
Did your dog recover without surgery?
@@davidduonghau5332 Full recovery, she does not limp or favor either leg. It took a while to heal.
@@kathyverderame3641 amazing. Thanks for the response and hope
Thank you so much for making this video. As a recent grad, money is hard to come by. When I sussed out that my first dog was having joint problems, it scared the hell out of me. I will certainly try using this conservative management technique along with fish oil supplements. I'll be monitoring his progress and will consider surgery as a last ditch effort.
Thank you so much for this video , I’m 2 weeks in with my beagle , vets wanted 8k for surgery and told me it was the only way out , I was so worry crying in the car knowing I won’t be able to afford his surgery … knowing a lot of people go through it .. vets made like that was the only way out , and the recovery is so so so painful and long …. Thank you , you have giving me hope 🤍
How did you go ?
I had a $6000 emergency bill and got a CareCredit card to pay for it. They usually offer 0% interest but if you do that be sure to pay it off in time or the rate skyrockets and they charge a bunch of interest. My dog would've died though. Now he has this problem and his vet appointment is in a month. $8k sounds kind of high to me. I heard the surgery is more like $4k or $5k. I hope your dog heals without it but if you do get the surgery maybe shop around a little 🤷♀️
@@KatrinaDancer Depends on where you live. My sister paid over 12K for the surgery for her dog in NY but that also included the physical therapy afterwards. In Rutland, VT the same surgery including the after therapy is any anywhere from $2,700 to $3,600 depending on what procedure is done which is up to the surgeon on what he thinks is best.
Any update on your doggo?
Thank you so much for posting this video! I too am using a non surgical approach for my dog that has torn his CCL. His vet recommended surgery and said He would not heal without it. Its been a slow process but he is better now than when we first started. Thank you so much again! I was starting to feel like my efforts just weren't good enough! Good luck with your adorable dog!
Wow, I am going through this exact roller coaster with my eight-year old Great Dane. This was so helpful knowing I am not the only one. When you are in the moment, you don't know what is the right thing to do. The details you gave were very helpful. Good job!
May I ask how your baby is doing?
Thank you so much for sharing this information with us. We are currently facing a similar situation with a young athletic cattle dog.
czcams.com/video/Msw5JmK9knU/video.html
Expected Recovery Time:
- 4-6 months
STRICT REST FOR 8 WEEKS MINIMUM
*After 8 weeks, if improvement is evident - short walks and SWIMMING will help with recovery
NO:
RUNNING/JOGGING
JUMPING
WALKING UP OR DOWN STAIRS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE (towel)
PEEING/POOPING WITHOUT LEASH
Medication after 3-5 days
Daily:
- Fish oil for joint and tissue healing
- Less food - because less activity will lead to weight gain
Scar tissue must form inside and outside of knee to stabilize
Exercise:
!!!SWIMMING!!!
*Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat - flotation vest for swimming*
*SNIFF & STROLL*
DIET & SUPPLEMENTS:
ALL MEAT *NO GRAINS*
GLUCOSAMINE (1000 MG)
CHONDROITIN (800 MG)
@@joshuabell7422 what is the downside of having surgery? I don't own a dog. Just curious.
@@joshuabell7422 c.f. v
My cattle dog/cattahoula did the same thing
Giving lots of sardines in the diet really helps too. I had 2 dogs recover without surgery by simply rest and sardines. Sounds weird but true. 👍👍👍🐶🐶🐩🐩
What sardins do??
Plz tell me my dog also affected this problem
@@bigejike95 omega 3s baby!
Any type of fish is packed full of mercury, so you're going to be helping them heal the injury with the fish oil, from the sardines but at the same time you're going to cause them neurological damage with the Mercury. If you don't know how insanely poisonous Mercury can be you might look into it. There's a lot of research on the subject. You might try a high quality CBD oil, coconut oil and different kind of algies that have the EPA and DHA that you're looking for inside of the fish oil.
@@davidcarter3976 mercury effects humans cause were alive much longer. I can’t imagine its as bad for something that only lives a little over a decade anyway
This video means so much - my 11 yr old is dealing with a minor tear that may have gotten worse. Good to know patience will go a long way with this.
At any point did your dog’s knee begin making a popping sound while stepping?
Yes my 7 year old is making popping noise when she walks...
My vet just diagnosed my malamute / shepherd with a full tear ACL and he is no where near as bad as your dog looked in the beginning stages. He is a little gimpy but he is putting both feet on the ground with a slight limp that you might not even notice if you were not looking for it. They want me to have a $4,000 surgery. So glad I found this. Wish us luck!
Good luck!
The exact same scenario as my dog. Literally. 2 months prior she was limping on and off and today I heard a yelp in the yard. We are going to try a conservative approach as well. Hoping for the best. Thank you so much for this video.
Any updates?
What a great video, and I hope your beautiful furbaby is continuing to show progress.My 8 year old mutt had a complete acl tear on his right knee. As I was preparing to lift him into my suv for a scheduled vet appointment concerning his knee, before I could stop him, he tried to jump up into the back seat as he normally would. Needless to say, he missed and the pained yelp when he landed back on the ground was heart wrenching. He had torn the acl on his left knee.I absolutely adore my vet. I assumed surgery would really be the only way to go, but she didn't want to go that route. He's on a mild pain medication and I give him an adequan injection once a week. My vet told me that basically she would like to actually build up some scar tissue in the knees which would help stabilize them a bit. I thought that was strange, but it's working. He no longer does the "bunny hop" when walking or running (though his activity is still restricted), and is generally not in any visible pain.He's about 5 months post injury (he injured the second knee within a few weeks of the first one) and his progress is steadily improving. I still have to remind him that he's injured from time to time, but luckily he's sort of a lazy guy. I'm so, so happy that my vet isn't one of those who pushes surgery.
Thank you so much for this video. My dog hurt himself today and I have a feeling we might be dealing with something similar so was looking around to educate myself before we go to the vets. Very helpful!
How is ur pooch doing now ? 2yrs later
I'm in the same boat right now
My dog 80lbs pity/ shepherd. He got TPLO surgery a year ago.. and I have a new dog! he's 8 now and still bounces around like he always has. He can't jump as high as he used to but he doesn't need to anymore. But no limping no nothing anymore.. recovery time is at least 6 months. Loved this video. you love your pup! My other dog who's 5 needs both legs TPLO'd but she is not as active as the older dog but it makes me think that her legs have always been sore and now its gotten worse, she has good days and bad but mostly bad. short walks you can noticeably see her struggle to keep up, and looks very fatigued even a minute or 2 into the walk. Im getting her a doggie stroller ( she's also 80lbs ish) but can go on longer walks and she will be able to rest and not walk the whole time! Best of luck to everyone out there looking after their pups! 5000$ for one dog leg can be a lot!
My guy is suffering with this, on antibiotics and anti inflammatory ,have watched loads of videos but this was by far the most helpful and informative, am sleeping with him downstairs for a month and will sleep beside him for as long as it takes or one of us dies..he is my best m8!! Vet says 2 more weeks with no improvement might mean surgery but fingers crossed!! Hope you and that beautiful character are doing well,I know the video is from a while back and life can change so fast but 5 million Irish send you their very best wishes! Thank you for the help..noel & houdini
Same here. My 12 year old whippet just suffered cruciate snap. No surgery allowed as she’s on heart tabs and too elderly. I am considering a brace for her for the future. This has been a real blow to me - my anxiety levels way up there. She, too, is the love of my life.
@@sallynolan5928 hey Sally, sorry to hear about you old pal, it's heartbreaking but we have to remember the great life we have with them and they have with us, old age can b a terrible thing for most creatures, I am now giving "houdini" cbd oil Ince a day also,luckily he seems to b in no pain as I have been all over that leg,I maggage it and use an infrared light and just got a blow up bed aftern5 weeks on d floor..lol.. Will stay with him as much as I possibly can for as long as it takes. Hope your pal picks up and maybe gets another lease of life!
Hi Steve, Just wanted to say thank you very much for sharing your experiences and for this follow up video, very decent thing to do. You've helped a lot of people here, not least myself to get an idea of how to help manage this tricky injury. We've just started on our road to recovery with our 12 year old dog and with your very valuable information she's already showing signs of recovering. Will be trying hydro therapy in a about 6 weeks or so and hopefully no surgery (its a partial tear) I'll let you and people here know how it works out for us. Best of luck to all, stay positive and patient & thanks again to yourself and Kim, hope she's doing very well. Gary
gary oneill how did you know your dog had a partial tear? Did you get confirmation from a vet? MRI?
We have 2 Goldens. Our older golden (8) tore her right back ACL in April 2018. After not knowing she had a tear it wasn’t getting better. We brought her to our vet and was told it was an ACL tear. We went to a reputable vet surgeon and had an X-ray done and discussed surgery or not. After talking about it we decided on the surgery and 1 week after setting the surgery date she tore her other ACL. It was probably due to the fact she is a 85lb dog that was way over using her good leg and injured that due to the already injured one. It is now December 5, 2018 and our younger golden (2) just tore his ACL. We will be doing surgery on this dog as well as the outcome of surgery from our first dog was a success. Yes it is expensive and hard to see your dog go through it but I would not wait and see if the dog gets better when I know the surgery works.
I had the exact same thing happen with my dog. Her other knee blew 6 months after the first. She now has 2 metal knees is almost 10 and doing great. Now our other dog blew her knee, she is 10. It's scary to put her through surgery at this age. It's been 3 weeks but getting better. She's depressed from lack of walks and it's another 2 weeks for a consult with the surgeon. At this point I'm scared she is going to hurt her other leg. It's a $4000 operation here and I don't want to risk her hurting her other leg. I'm not sure how I'm going to even pay for it. It's good to know some dogs get better without surgery but the risk of injuring her other leg is driving my direction. I carry her up the stairs at night, down in the morning. Carry her out for a pee. She is not light. Hopefully she will recover quickly after it's fixed. I would love to try alternatives but I know the surgery works.. and long term.
Thank you for making this video.
I'm going through this now with my 9 year old shepherd and was weighing the surgery option.
Thank you again.
I declined my vets strong advice to have £3.5 k surgical repair of my 42kilo old tyme bulldogs ACL rupture even though he said she may not walk again because I did some research (im a doctor with 40 years experience) and found no evidence that it was any better than resting and gentle reintroduction of exercise. Sure enough after about eight weeks, she was running around again, almost like normal . a few months later, she ruptured her other cruciate ligament which is not uncommon. This one took a little longer, about 12 weeks, but again she made a full recovery. It’s now been 3 years and she has a full and normal life. I think the shape of her rear legs has altered slightly to accommodate the new anatomy but so glad I didn’t put her through this major surgery .
Thanks Steve we really appreciate your videos. Watching them helped us make our decision not to do surgery and to document Brody's journey on our youtube channel. It's been a few weeks since he injured his second leg and it's going well so far.
Having both legs injured looks like a tough road ahead. You seemed dedicated to making it work so I wish you the best and look forward to your follow-up videos.
How did it go?
@@algae_rhythms it worked out great. Brody passed away from other issues about 4yrs after he hurt his knees. but the knees healed and he was able to walk & run. he was never 100% but certainly worth the effort. check our channel we got a 5 part series on his progress.
I opted for the TPLO Surgery 2.5 years ago. It is really important to find a skilled surgeon that has a good record of doing this kind of surgery. The recovery was 16 weeks as per the surgeons recommendation. Dog made a full recovery, the procedure did not seem to bother him and within a week he seemed fine. The worst part for us was the rehabilitation, crating and restricting an energetic Border Collie is not an easy task! Back to today and this week the other leg is now showing symptoms of a torn ACL. This time I am going to try and rest the dog for a couple of months and see how we go. Having two dogs does make this more difficult though.. I do personally think that TPLO surgery is the way to go if you can afford it and this will probably be what I will do in the New Year if there are no improvements.
Thanks for sharing your experience and helping others who read it. Hope your dog is doing well.
My Judy just tore her ACL she's 61lbs and the vet did say that the surgery would be best. But I really really appreciate this video !!!!!!! This gives me a lot of hope on my baby healing the right way. I just have to make sure we stick the the SCRIP OF HEALING HER SAFELY
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO
Thank you for the video! Your commentary is helping me deal with similar situation in my Jack Russell who is 13 years old. She injured herself (right hind leg) slipping on our tile floors 10 days ago. I took her to emergency and the told me it was soft tissue injury . I did notice she limped more after the visit so they must have aggravated the injury while diagnosing the injury. I proceeded to go the vet about 5 days later as instructed and he advised me that there may be an ACL injury so we have visit this week to confirm. She is beginning to improve very little putting weight on the leg for a few seconds and is able to potty by squatting without issue. Yesterday she sat on my lap and had both back legs in the same position. She was a very active jumper and runner. I can tell she is bit depressed missing her activity but I know it is best to rest her and limit her activity level. I hoping for the best on our next visit. Thanks to your video and the website tiggerpoz I realized there is no rush on a surgery. I can take my time to make a decision as long her activity is limited .
Having similar problems with my dog. She's 9 and hurt her rear right leg at the kennel in excitement. It was on yhe day we were picking her up. She's missing her usual activities like going to the park and so on. Recently I've taken her in the front at times i know dogs won't be out and about. She's easily excitable and I'm worried somethinv will happen if she sees another dog. At the moment we're wondering whether or not to go through with the surgery. In the meantime I'm going to make sure she's in one room when I'm out.
Latest research on ligament tears show that anti inflammatory's shouldn't be used. It's not a good idea to take the pain away as the dog will stress the injury further. More importantly, the original inflammation at the start of the injury is for the body to protect the injury and remove any pathogens, this inflammation changes within a week to a healing inflammation that creates joins between the torn ligament, this last for 8 weeks while the ligament rebuilds itself and forms a sort of callous around the injury. This shows as stiffness in the leg and very gentle exercise is needed for the new ligament to learn how to align itself. The callous will start to break down after 8 week and takes about a year to fully disappear and the new ligament should then have a good amount of elasticity. The amount of elasticity depends on how bad the tear was but it can fully heal.
Source: www.peraspenberg.com/texts/how-do-tendons-and-ligaments-heal/
Your link does not work can you repost this with a working link? I would love to read this-ThankYou.
I concur with you. I live in the Gambia and i have gone on an intern in a vet clinic. The vet who's a German would always advice against giving dogs pain killers. That's because when the pain is gone, they would use the leg again and that's not good because they will add more stress to the injury.
Thanks for the info. It makes a lot of sense, but as the other person mentioned, you link is not working. Perhaps it's missing letters or characters. I'd be very interested in it if you don't mind reposting it .
Thank you for the info and link!
Tb500 helps promote faster repair
Thank you, Steve.
I just paid 1700$ to fix a complete cruciate ligament rupture and yes, it began as a seemingly small "tweak", I believe that was the beginning in Jan of 2020...and it seemed to get better then would revisit until it became obvious something was wrong. I was fortunate to have the ability to pay it, and it has been amazing...but my dog is, by dna testing and obvious physical traits 50% Australian Cattle Dog...he is 7 years old and a whirlwind of activity, and I do not believe he would ever have recovered on his own...just my view of it... and now I have to monitor his other rear leg...I believe is like 60 -75% of the time the opposite leg will have same issue. we shall see, and I am So glad You got by without surgery but you may be the exception...Thanks so much for sharing!
What a brilliant account. You’re like the best nurse.
I followed extremely strict guidelines to help my 3 year old border collie Woodie recover 100% from his tear!!! Incredible. He has been active and back to how he was before the tear!
thanks for sharing.
my 4 yrs border collie Oreo just got his left hind leg limping. looks not severe symptom. can I got your guidelines to help him recover.
Thanks
Ian
@@ianzhaoo Expected Recovery Time:
- 4-6 months
STRICT REST FOR 8 WEEKS MINIMUM
*After 8 weeks, if improvement is evident - short walks and SWIMMING will help with recovery
NO:
RUNNING/JOGGING
JUMPING
WALKING UP OR DOWN STAIRS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE (towel)
PEEING/POOPING WITHOUT LEASH
Medication after 3-5 days
Daily:
- Fish oil for joint and tissue healing
- Less food - because less activity will lead to weight gain
Scar tissue must form inside and outside of knee to stabilize
Exercise:
!!!SWIMMING!!!
*Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat - flotation vest for swimming*
*SNIFF & STROLL*
DIET & SUPPLEMENTS:
ALL MEAT *NO GRAINS*
GLUCOSAMINE (1000 MG)
CHONDROITIN (800 MG)
@@joshuabell7422 Thanks a lot. I will follow them.
Appreciate this. I wish vets really let you know how important rest is at the beginning. Like you stated they said the dog needs rest but they don't make it clear that really your dog should be in a kennel and allowed out only to use the bathroom. That is how serious this is. Like you, I noticed glimmers of recovery and thought that an increase in exercise would be ok as I could tell my very active dog was going stir crazy. It was a big mistake and set me back to step 1. I have given it another month of strict rest and my lab is still not placing weight on the back right leg. I have pet insurance but was not wanting such an invasive surgery. After doing some research on TPLO and the success rate and considering I have the insurance I have decided to move forward with the surgery. Thank you for sharing this video.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope the surgery and recovery went well.
@@stevestrike6867 the TPLO was a game changer. My dog is 100%! Get pet insurance folks!
@@tmcdermottg thank you for sharing. I’m considering surgery also bc we’ve already spent about 2 months trying conservative treatment with not much luck. He has been limping for about 7 months now, but his previous vet misdiagnosed his tear with arthritis. I’m afraid if we don’t take care of it sooner rather than later his other CCL will tear too since he’s been favoring that leg. Glad to know the surgery went well for you guys. Im wanting to do the Tightrope procedure with him. 🤞
Thank you, thank you , thank you!!! Our Belgian Sheepdog who will be 10 years old in May, injured her back right leg a few weeks ago while exercising. It was slippery around the area where our dogs run , we believe she hurt it running on the patches of ice. Took her to the Vet about 5 days later to have her diagnosed. She said she either pulled or tore the ligament. Were given anti inflammatory's which did make her feel better. Now after hearing what you stated and a commentor mentioned we are wondering if it did more harm than good. Thank goodness we found your video. We realize that time and limited activity is pertinent to her healing completely. We also were second guessing the care of our wonderful dog and were very concerned she might not heal fully due to her advancing age. Finding your video gives us hope.
My dog just started doing this. We adopted her as a rescue and she has favored the leg ever sense. At this moment she's favoring it ALOT. Thank you for this info..
Very educational; thank you for this story. We are now in the beginning stage of this same issue, and are looking for alternative approaches as well. Appreciate the information and links.
Thank you for posting this! Restricting activity worked for my dog, we had similar setbacks, and I would not have committed to natural healing without this video. Surgery is not always the answer.
Best advice I learned is to give your dog glucosamine/chondroitin, block places where they jump around, and limit the diet of your dog when they are not getting as much exercise!
What was the timeline for recovery? I’m at week 4 and my dog is putting partial weight but the vet was hoping for better by now.
@@racheltenerelli41how’s your pup? I’m going through the early stages of healing wondering how long it will take before my boy makes a full recovery if at all 😩
@@Hunterbenx my boy ended up tearing the other leg unfortunately. He’s 36 lbs and he’s a pittie mix with little dog legs. The extra weight was just too much for his body type. I got the tplo surgery on both legs and he’s made a full recovery. It was expensive but he’s only 2 years old and the implants last for the rest of his life. He’s very active so making him rest and heal naturally was really challenging. If the dog had a mellow temperament with a less stocky frame, natural healing is easier.
Steve Scarantino , thank you for this post as my girl just recently done the same thing (2 weeks ago ) we tried treating her during that time and saw improvement ,but we didn't know the exact problem , finally took her to the vet and she's got the same issue I dont know why it took me two weeks to actually come here to CZcams for some knowledge . And you were the very first video to show . Right now almost 2 a.m. and like wife and I are almost taking shifts , we are it seems the mirror image of you your girl situation and have been making the same efforts , some improvement yes but things can go south really quick / Wishing your girl a speedy recovery and the two of you many more years of happiness together ,we have a long way to go ourselves being just two weeks into a long recovery
Steve , just finished your video and I would feel blessed to see the same improvements in our Cozmo .The artritis dysplasia onset started 6 months ago ,the prescribed anti inflames weren' helping but started her on CDB oil and in less than 2 weeks ,major improvements and in 45 days we were almost back to our aging falling apart selves , then this happened but I have faith we 'll over come this as well . Surgery will be the last option and Im going to follow your lead on this .And more or less have been so far m She's wanting to stay outside in the yard or on the porch a lot more than coming inside , thru the cold I think dogs know something most of us 2 leggers dont ,as I have been worried about jer spending so much ti,me outside in the cold ,given I live in Las Vegas cold isn't C O L D I think she knows ,right now that limiting here movements is whats best and needed , plus going top the bathroom is just a around the corner ,I keep her covered and even a oil type radiator heater I place where ever she choose s to lay . Ive built two wheel chair mobility things for dogs , if or when we get to that stage , evren then it will be a gamble whether she'll use it to begin with but like my last late great dog , what my dog wont use I donate to others . Ive got two wheel chairs almost done and will give one away .... but right now at this point I'll do more damage to her moving her her ,up and down trying to fit her to the chair than any gains . I just want to be prepared for the worst scenario Right now getting her weight down and keeping her inactive and happy will be the hurdles , Dogs are the most resilient of Gods creatures and a lot smarter than any people I personally know
@@eddgong I pray your sweet Cozmo recovers completely really fast! Much love ♥️
@@lakithamaratunga7423 She's doing great for an old gal , now if I could stop these idiots with giant firecrackers going off at all hours of the night . to stop...... ,it's freaking her the hell out , she comes to me and I get on the floor and cover her with my body and hold her ears i used foam ear plugs but she shakes them off after a few minutes . Turn the TV on 10 and then I run that thru a Bass rig ...payback to the neighbors with boom boom stereos , some bluegrass coming out an Ampeg SVT, 350 tube watts and 8, 10's and a 15 ....take that a**wipes .......dont make me drag out the PA
@@eddgong I'm really glad to hear that Cozmo is doing well! :D And about the situation you are currently facing...sigh it is so sad to know that such selfish people exist!! Have you tried telling them to lower it down or just limit the hours to some earlier time? I am pretty sure you must have... Hope they stop with all the booming noise soon.
Sending love to Cosmo ❤️
Ty for this. My 4yo pup has a partial tear. In watching and reading comments I feel better about my pup. She's already has bad hind legs. Had bilateral lunation surgeries. First at 20 months, next 6 Months has later. The left they had to break the tibia to fix her leg as well as the Patel's. Now she has osteoarthritis and a partial cruciate tear. My vet said she is not a surgical candidate for a standard repair but a tplo by a specialist at 3500 instead. 😵😲. I don't have that kind of money. Instead they suggest because her legs are bad a custom molded CCL/ACL brace. Ok, that's better at 800-1200. But will still take a bit to save, as I'm disabled, so limited income. So the comments, website referral and this video gave me hope that I can help my pup who helps me every day. Thank you so much for this. And tink ( my pup) says ty
My dog is going through this right now and hasn't put his leg down since the vet manipulated his joint about 4 weeks ago. Having suffered an ACL tear of my own early on in life and having it heal without surgery, I know it can be done with proper management and work.
did the manipulation hurt the dog even more?
You made it sound like the vet injured your dog more? When you say manipulate do you mean they performed the drawer test and made it worse?
Thank you for making this video… It was very informative. Good luck to all my fellow pet parents in their recovery journey
Thanks for your comment.
My GSD tore his ACL just about two weeks before he turned 1 year old. It’s been about 8 weeks since his injury and I’ve taken the Non-Surgical route as well. I’ve seen the same patterns as you have where there will be weeks of improvement and then occasional set backs due to increased activity. I also experienced the same issue with anti-inflammatories and decided to take him off of them. There’s nothing more difficult for me than to see him go through the pain, I’m continually researching how to help his recovery go as smoothly and quickly as possible but it can be so disheartening sometimes. Thank you so much for the advice and wishing the best to you and your pup! ❤️
Hey I’ve literally just had the same problem how’s your pup now? I’m considering doing the TPLO surgery
Hi same happened to my pup. Please give us an update on the progress
@@JPerer hello! It’s been roughly a year and a half I believe, since I wrote this. To this day, my GSD still has not had any surgery. He is very energetic and is a happy dog but his leg does trouble him after too much exercise. Unfortunately, I can’t run with him and he doesn’t run much in general. Although, I try to take him to the dog park as much as possible to socialize and exert energy, or we go for frequent walks. After his injury he gained weight, but it’s important to do our best to keep the extra weight off of them since they already have leg injuries. I usually put carrots and green beans mixed into his dog food to make him think he’s eating more but really it’s low calorie. I hope your pup is okay! 💞
@@yep9657 hello! Sorry, I did not see your message. it’s been maybe a year and a half since I wrote this. My pup still has not had any surgery. He’s happy and healthy but cannot exercise for extended periods of time otherwise his leg will start to bother him. I hope you pup is okay! 💞
My pup is around 15 months old but I’m worried about long term complications following the conservative management process because he’s injured it at an early age. Surgery also sounds terrifying, cutting the bone to fix a ligament issue. It’s like creating a new problem to solve another problem. No guarantees there either. OA is inevitable. Looks like his quality of life will be impacted either way :(
Thank you for this video 🙏 I know this was posted 4 years ago and you may not even be active anymore. But my 8 year old chihuahua just had this injury. I cannot afford the surgery as of right now due to family medical issues and hospital bills, but my vet also told me that the surgery is not usually 100% successful either. I have also received a lot of pressure from other vets to go ahead with the surgery, and I was unsure on that. Thank you
Smaller dogs fair much better than bigger ones so if it were me I would lean towards not doing the surgery and proceed with conservative management.
@@stevestrike6867 Thanks for your response, it’s been about 2 weeks since the initial injury and she’s actually doing better. Still not completely using the leg, but she’s willing to put weight on it now. We’ve been super careful and helped her with stairs and such so I think that’s helped. I’m hopeful that she won’t need surgery
Thank you for taking the time to do this!!
Our dog (Oreo, an Australian / blue heeler cattle dog, 14 yoa, female) has this now. I don't plan to do surgery. She is too old, and I don't want to take risk of losing her in a surgery. So, I could go on forever on the topic, but we walk her daily before and she started having a little limp on left back leg. We thought it was a little weird, but I figured she stubbed her toe or maybe was sore in the foot. But, it got better after about a week. However, our other dog had a vet appointment so we took Oreo too, and I wasn't even going to take her -- because it was not noticeable (to me). I thought she was better; well, they wanted to do a $500 xray (of course). So, we did that, then found that she had a CCL / ligament injury in the back left. Now, they didn't say if it was a small tear, full, etc. But, to find that, you'd have to do a MRI which is $700/$800. So, I didn't want to do that, because they just suggested to do a TPLO at $4000 or a rope-surgery (? sorry I don't know real name ?) for $2500.
Well, I think that I am going to do like you did and see if I can get it healed normally. One thing that we did, which seems to help TREMENDOUSLY, is starting to do taping. Look at this video. It might be too late to help your dog heal, but this is helping OReo alot ...
czcams.com/video/of2g36emBg0/video.html
We got Rock athletic tape off Amazon for $12 bucks, and are trying to learn how to tape it. We are taping it, and she is treating it like normal. And, crazy, she can jump up on bed without problem now. She can't get up on 2 mattress bed that is raised like before, but she can get on 1 mattress bed down on ground. So, we make her sleep with my wife, and I sleep in other room where Oreo has room. We made it cushy comforters so she can get comfortable and just rest.
Also, we ordered a brace from OrthoDogs, which will arrive soon (I hope). They have a fair-priced one for CCL injuries. Best price that I could find. Here is link ...
orthodog.com/index.cfm/products/cruciate-care-knee-brace/
So, we are gonna tape her and use that brace. So, I am hoping that she will develop scar tissue to make it stabilize. And, we plan to MANAGE IT. That is our goal right now. She used to love a daily mile walk EVERY SINGLE NIGHT for months (unless it rained, of course). But, we'll get back to that or do a little shorter one. We haven't got the Ortho CCL brace yet, but if we get that and it doesn't impact her much, we might do a shorter walk -- until she heals.
But, thanks for the video. I wish I had video skills like you, and I would show people what we are doing. But, Oreo really doesn't have the PRONOUNCED, VISIBLE LIMP that your Dogster did. Oreo acts like her foot is tender once in 20 to 30 steps, nothing really visible unless you know what to look for. So, I don't even think it would help people like your video is / has.
Anyway, thank you for posting your video. Maybe I could keep in touch and let you know what happens. Would you like that? Okay, maybe post a video and show us how your dog is walking now. I would sure be curious.
Thanks ...
Thanks a MILLION. We're just now having to contend with everything you so well mentioned and explained . A lot of TIME and effort went into making this
for all of us. "THANKYOU" hardly seems adequate. I TOO............. firmly believe now that "our" vets were quick to want to have us think surgery is the only
option. I've made THE SAME observations to date. I too have every good reason to believe that joint manipulations/exams are always a set back - and cause
undo upset, pain and even mild trauma. My current understanding is that arthroscopy diagnosis is the ONLY way in which to determine how serious or mild
the ACL damage really is. Radiographs with today's amazing technologies are amazing in so many ways - but are always "too general" to make accurate damage assessments. THANKS SO MUCH...........I hope too that MANY, many will view this and find benefits and support that today's small animal veterinarians often choose not to promote. .... and then again, choose not to for good reason in some cases. Bottom line seems to be finding out the extent of the damage to the ACL - as best one can before making any decisions regarding surgery and the weeks and expenses of post surgical therapy and care. TY agian.
Yeah, we spent $500 for xrays, and we only got a diagnosis that it was a POSSIBLE ligament injury. But, they weren't specific. So, we need to do a $800+ MRI to know exactly. Well, I think I will do what SteveS has done and do conversative management. That's my approach now.
Thankyou for this.
My border collie was playing in a dog park 3 weeks ago suddenly she was limping. She is 23kgs
I took her to vet, I couldn’t afford the $800 dollar X-ray
She was in pain meds for a week.
I put ice packs on her leg and her knee area.
She is laying down and getting up reasonably ok.
The vet who saw her said she thinks she dislocated her hip but I thought not.
So I’ve been doing a lot of research on CZcams.
Vets on CZcams are saying walk the dog 30 minutes a day.. I’m not going to.
It’s been three weeks only. She’s resting a lot want to play fetch with her buddy dogs at home but that’s not happening.
She is slowly started to put her foot, left back foot on the ground.
I am doing a very light massage just a few minutes a couple of times a day.
I rescued her 8 years ago. She had 20 pups before she was 2. She has a broken tail, completely broken, she has digestive issues and has had five tumours removed from front legs, she now has more 😢
I love my girl, she’s one of 10 rescues I have. They are all very well cared for, desexed, microchipped well fed loved..
all inside pets. But right now my life has become very tough financially so I cannot afford her X-ray.
However your beautiful dog, limping just like my Bella does reinforce my belief that she has torn an acl..
With lots of quiet time, outside toilet on her own she I’m hoping will be ok.. Thankyou for your video 🙏❤️
thank you for taking the time to do this.
Thank you for helping me understand this condition. It's very much appreciated.
Thank you for making this video. My first dog torn her acl. One vet recommended surgery, a second vet said dont do anything but rest . Any way
like your dog, mine got better over time.
Thanks for sharing your experience as well.
Ken: I hope my dog gets better too. Just happened around 5-15-2020. So, now, I am gonna try to naturally heal her like SteveS did in this video.
We just came back from the vet with our 6 year old bull mastiff.whom just tore her ACL running after our 1.5 year old bulldog. There was a lot of pressure for her to have the surgery- completely overwhelmed, I said I cannot make an immediate decision. Thank you so much for posting your video, it allows me to slow the world down, knowing there are options!
Very sorry to hear that. I'm glad you did not give in to the pressure and make a decision on the spot. Good luck to you and your girl.
Thanks very much for this Steve, our girl has what we think is a torn ACL and would prefer this approach to having surgery. Hope you're dog is pretty much ok now.
Your video gave me so much hope. My dog's tear is not as bad as in your opening clip. Thank you so much for the video and link! I have a black lab too. You are awesome. The vet manipulated him again 2 days ago and it's caused a setback which caused me to find your video.
Hopefully as you say it's not as bad as my dog's was and recovery will be a little speedier. Best to you and your lab.
Thank you so much for posting this. I'm glad I came across your video during my research. Over Christmas holiday and being out of town, I found myself at an ER animal hospital after a loud yelp from my dog after jumping off the hotel bed. Since then, my dog has not been putting weight on his hind leg. Surgery was suggested by the ER Vet and I have been calling around for orthopedic specialists in my hometown to get a second opinion. Our journeys are very similar. After watching this, I will only walk my dog around my home. Again, thank you!
Curious if you ever had the surgery?
That is soooo sweet when you said you started sleeping downstairs so your dog wouldn't have to come up....awweeee.
My dog came downstairs last night, let out a big yelp and today vet said, after xrays, could be a ccl tear but said we won't know until after a week....he said if she starts putting her leg back down, then it's a soft tissue injury....if she doesn't its ccl and surgery is required. I'm glad to know theres options
Thank you for sharing. This is very helpful. We just went to the vet and my dog was diagnosed with partial ACL tear. Her symptoms are the same as your dog’s. She always goes up and down the stairs and after watching your video I will definitely place a baby fence to keep her downstairs. I’m glad your dog got better and I hope mine will be following your advice. Thanks!
Thank you, this gives me hope! Thanks again!
You're welcome! When I was going through this with my dog I was always looking for a video that showed a realistic portrayal of how challenging this injury can be along with the ups and downs during recovery. Good luck!
Hey Steve. Thank you for sharing this story. My boyfriend and I have adopted a Rottweiler when she was three, and she’s now 11, struggling with joint issues. Her latest struggle has been her shoulder has such little muscle tone, it keeps popping out of joint. We talked with the animal hospital and the vet with different ideas, one being the hospital stated the option of plates and screws to stabilize the joint, but not recommended due to her age (which I agree). She has a lot of spunk and loves to visit with people, it’s hard to see her push through pain each day. The documentation of each bad and good moment is very relatable as we choose the next steps for our Lexie.
Do you give fish oil? When my mastiff showed signs of arthritis two years ago I started her on it and it worked like a charm. 2000 mg per day. She does have a tear now, but I'm going to try to treat it with a brace instead of surgery. Dogs are troopers compared to their wimpy human counterparts.
Thanks! My Lab (profile photo blonde) tore hers this week and the exact same "yelp" she cried out. I got the same answer and diagnosis from the vet and also she told me I can try alternative methods like you. I was wanting to see how it resulted and it looks hopeful. I purchased her a brace that came in today and we tried it for about an hour. Short times and work up into it more. She is amazing and I love her completely, but the cost I was told was at least $6K. I cannot handle that and I lost my wife January almost a year ago. I have got to get her back to walking and not with surgery.
I'm a veterinarian and I can tell you from 20+ years experience that I can tell when a dog has had a CCL injury that hasn't been repaired surgically when I see them and lay my hands on them. There is always subtle to overt lameness in the limb (even if the owner reports none), significant muscle atrophy (indicating chronic disuse due to discomfort), physical enlargement of the knee (medial buttress formation and arthritic changes), and a decreased range of motion. Non-surgical treatment has another name - denial and neglect.
You are quite smug, sir. Don't go judging people. Surg. is not always the answer. I too speak from experience. Larna Keane Norridge, Illinois
@@larnakeane3815 One could argue that a trained veterinarian that sees 20+ different dogs 4 days a week, month after month, for 22 years would have an opinion that might carry more weight than most other people that have commented on this video. Some might perceive that as "smug."
@@johnhill9595 John: Don't think so little of people who strive to care for their animals. Don't 'talk down' to me either. You are one of the smug Vets out there who has a head way too large. No one is belittling you. You however just bc you have a license to practice Vet Medicine don't have the right to make anyone who cannot afford an expensive operation, or who seeks a HOLISTIC APPROACH rather than an invasive procedure costing $$$. shame on you, Dr..!! I surely hope you can attain some humility during your experiences as an Animal Doc.
@@larnakeane3815 I get it. I encounter people that may not be able to afford the best treatment (11 years emergency medicine) and if they can't, I always try to offer realistic options for that pet's recovery or at least comfort. I just take umbrage to someone saying that this is the best way to treat the problem. I fear that people that might otherwise be persuaded to get the best treatment will be fooled into thinking that rest is as good a treatment as surgery. Despite some people's opinion, it isn't. That's just the truth.
@@johnhill9595 Thank you for that. And each case is unique. Good Luck with your Practice.
Thank you! They told me surgery too. I don’t have an issue with the money I just don’t want to put her through that if she could heal with strict rest. It happen yesterday to mine and I’m crating her and carrying her in and outside. Oh my back lol. Thanks for the vid!!
Thank you this experience will give me patients in the healing process
So glad you posted this. My dogs injury occurred in August. It is now November 7th. He has not had surgery.... but I have just begun using the OrthoDog Cruciate brace... it's a bit of a struggle for me to get the brace on as it is far easier with 2 people, and I live alone. Nonetheless, after initial adjustment with help, I've been able to get it on him myself. My big thing is how much "walking" is too much, or not enough.... it's a crap shoot. He will put weight on the leg if I leash him short, but if I give him enuf lead, he increases his momentum to a hop on 3 legs.
Anyway, I found your video encouraging in that recovery is a long process over time with improvements and setbacks both, and not to get discouraged! I found a few other videos with "physical therapy" guidelines also. Again, thank you for posting!
To answer the question how much walking, I feel at first you only want to walk enough for bathrooms and slowly increase activity over time. You will know if it is too much because the dog with be sore afterwards or the next day.
My 6 year old hound mix recently sustained a full ACL tear, confirmed by X-ray and exam at the vet's. Of course, the first recommendation from my vet was surgery. Ironically, two years ago I sustained this exact same injury - sports-related knee fracture plus full ACL tear - only to discover that none of the ortho surgeons in my 3-county area would accept my Medicare Advantage insurance plan. At the suggestion of a friend - and as a last resort to getting help with my injury - I visited his chiropractor, who used a series of cold laser light treatments on my knee and leg, which resulted in full repair of the ligament in an amazingly short period of time. When I mentioned this to the vet tech on the way out, she said that THEY also offered laser therapy (was surprised that the vet hadn't brought it up as an alternative option!). I immediately set Woody up on a 10-treatment package, $225. We did 3 sessions the first two weeks, with two sessions per week for the remaining treatments. Improvement was obvious after the first 3 sessions. Woody favored his right rear leg much less than he had after the injury. After session #6 he was seldom lifting his back right leg anymore. He shows no indication of any pain, and - amazingly for him - looks forward to going to the vet's for his treatment! My plan is to purchase one more 10-week treatment package to ensure optimal healing. I'd really suggest researching the benefits of canine cold laser treatment for leg injuries before committing to expensive and invasive surgical procedures. There are now a wealth of articles/videos on line which show and explain this treatment option.
Medicare? So does that mean you're in Australia? Where abouts? I'm in WA and my 9 yr old husky has a cruciate ligament, we're wondering whether to go through with a surgery or not.
Evie, no. I am a Senior in the US, covered under Medicare. The example I gave was to show how I'd had the exact same injury my dog now has; my Medicare Advantage plan did not have any ortho surgeons in my area (which is basically the same as no insurance for vet bills/high surgical costs); and how, as a result, I became familiar with laser light treatments, which ultimately completely healed my completely torn ACL. That was how I knew to ask the vet about the possibility of laser treatment on my dog, as an alternative to expensive and invasive surgery. As an update, my dog, Woody, is doing very well now, after his series of laser treatments. He no longer favors the back paw; gives no indication of any pain; and has pretty much returned to his normal pre-injury life.
There is a Vet by the name of Dr.Bill and he has trained 4,000 Vets on the laser technology know as VOM. You can go to VOMTECH.COM and here is his youtube video czcams.com/video/pC8YwQPlCnw/video.html I called him for advice because my vet recommended surgery for my 10 yr old lab and I am going the non surgical route but I am only days in. I just ordered a brace from Orthodog.com to assist with the healing. My dog is really good on listening and staying put most of the time.
I was thinking of buying a Cold Laser devise since I could use it forever. Has anyone bought a unit and what brand and cost. My five year old Pomeranian has a partial tear (no xrays, yet, just manipulation) and is on pain/anti-inflammation meds. I had an LED hand-held anti-aging devise that I used on his knee and he seem better after. Any input would be appreciated as I would rather not do surgery and go more natural. Thank you
Hi, can I just ask how the laser can help if something is tore? Does it grow back or what is the "system of healing" ? Please help, cause my dog has the same problem and I can't decide :-/
My fur baby, a-4-year old golden has tore his ALC. Thank you for sharing your experiences , it cheered me up a lot.
Sorry about your golden and I hope he gets back on all fours soon!
Hi, my cocker spaniel has been dealing with an CCL/ACL issue this year. He is 10 years old like Steve's dog, so he is also an older dog. One of the reasons I decided not to go with the surgery was his age and the recovery time and possible injury to his other leg's CCL (this is like a little over 40% chance of occurrence). One surgery would be a lot for him to go through and pretty good chance to need it twice. I don't think having him go through that much time with surgeries and recovery time was worth it at his age. Worth it to the doggie surgeon but not to my dog who really isn't going to run, jump, or hunt anymore now even with the surgery.
Now your lab has a lot of active years left, if I had the same age with my dog I think that might change my mind and have the surgery done. You might want to reconsider, it is possible he heals on his own then again without the surgery he might reinjure himself over and over again. I have resigned to limiting my older dog's activity permanently due to his injury. Not sure if Steve expects a full recovery but I don't even with the surgery and my dog doesn't seem to be as badly injured.
Oh Steve, I had setbacks too. When I went in for my annual checkup the vet said he had a CCL issue. The staff was more interested in checking me out in the computer than getting the Vet out to explain her diagnosis to me. Never said we needed to do an x-ray or anything. When I finally got their staff to get the Vet to talk to me, she prescribed some pain meds and anti-inflammatories which I did NOT give him as I did not trust her at that point and they had mentioned he could get liver/kidney damage from taking the anti-inflammatory. He slowly got better to the point I thought he was ok and I sent him after a rabbit at which time he came back holding that leg in the air. Again he slowly got better but much more slowly until one day he seems anxious and distressed while we were camping.
I took him back to the animal hospital where I seen another vet. This one was more interested in his problem. Read his chart, took an x-ray, and did the little thing Steve was talking about where he like manipulated the joint (YES this did make my dog much worse afterward). Recommended I give him the anti-inflammatories daily, pain meds as needed, and that he have the TPLO surgery. I gave him the meds and two days later it was like he was cured. He was jumping on the bed, he was going up and down the stairs, he was not constantly wanting to be right by me, and it was like a miracle. A few days later I came home and he was limping again like he aggravated the injury while I was gone. Not sure how I feel about the constant anti-inflammatories as it seems to make him feel like he is better only to give him a false sense of ability then hurt himself again.
Anyway at his age, I am not crazy about them cutting his bone in two then erector setting it back together. I should crate him now without the surgery and if I do the surgery he would definitely need to be crated. The crating part as his age almost seems cruel especially if I am not in the room with him during.
@@jcmo69 How is your Pupper now? Same happened to my dog, and Vet was starting to charge, charge, charge. So, I am gonna try conservative approach like SteveS.
@@PoeLemic He's going ok for being like 13 now. You wouldn't know he needed surgery but there was six months of carrying him up and down stares. No running outside, I would check for squirrels and rabbits before letting him out. He's lucky, he's not ever going to be 100% but he could have healed and injured himself over and over too so good that never happened.
Thank you so very much for your story. My Chloe Michelle is a 7-month-old lab. About 3 months ago I noticed her limping and I thought maybe she slept wrong and needed extra exercise. Foolishly, I bought a Frisbee and took her to the park to help her exercise and notice the next day she was limping on three legs. I immediately took her to the emergency room and they did the x-rays and said that it was a soft tissue injury and to put her on crate restriction for 2 weeks after the two weeks she was still limping so I took her to her vet who put her on crate restriction for an additional 2 weeks. Chloe Michelle did not seem to be getting better so I scheduled a visit to go take her to rehab in hopes of getting water therapy. It took a month for that appointment so that meant she was on crate restriction for a whole another month making it 2 months. At the rehabilitation center they needed to do a comprehensive examination that also included additional X-rays. That is when they told me that she had a torn ACL and would require surgery. Imagine my frustration and hurt because Chloe was not having any quality of life being only a puppy. I am still waiting yet another month for Chloe to see the surgeon and to schedule her surgery. It's been a little over 3 months now and Chloe is limping more and more just like your precious one in the video. I am hopeful that the surgery will help repair her ACL as the crate restriction has increased her weight to 78 lb for a 7 month old lab and I know this is only adding to her injury. Thank you again so much for your enlightening story.
no exercise is not good, ive had thae same thing happen to my dog, shes on her second injury. they need to be walked to retain muscle on the leg. there a brace you can buy for the knee and several other things you can do, check out husky squad on youtube
@@DJRS2178 I'm sorry I'm just seeing this. Thanks so much for that response because that's been my concern. I noticed that her injured leg is a little smaller than the other and my daughter told me the same thing. We are seeing a new Vet on Tuesday to establish care and discuss options. Wish us luck.
Your video helped us immensely. We have followed the tiggerpoz story and your video and we are delighted that our young female Great Pyrenees is healing so well from a partial tear. It is 8 months since she injured herself and she walks well with no sign of a limp. Following rest we have been rehabilitating her carefully with short walks and small hill walking. She is on glucosamine supplements. It requires lots of patience, but the body is a great healer and allowing it to heal naturally results in the best possible outcome. Thank you for posting this wonderful video of your beautiful girl.
Hello, I beg you for an update
Thank you for your wonderful video and all the footage of your sweet pup!! It's given me hope
Thanks for sharing your experience and all the video updates!
The yelp and the leg happened to my dog this morning! She’s been off and on limping for a few weeks and this morning she went out for a pee and was coming back inside and I heard a yelp and couldn’t put weight on her left leg.. ty for this video.. extremely helpful!!
Thank you for sharing this video. Our dog just went through this devastating injury and her gait is exactly the same as your pet. The vet is insisting on surgery, but we declined as she is eleven years old. We felt it was not right to put her through that trauma. I appreciate your insight as it gives us hope that she can gain more function in her leg and not be uncomfortable. Thank you!
Hi...our Sophie ended up experiencing ACL tears in both back legs within two months of each other. We did NOT opt for surgery. We had custom made braces for her. She wore them whenever we went outside and did so well for her that we did not do surgery.
We went to My Pets Brace in Morgantown PA and they were wonderful. If that's not convenient, I am guessing there are other providers in the country. Sophie was 12 at the time and this worked great for her.
Hope this helps.
Damn you guys cheered me up a bit
Hi Steve - thank you very much for posting this e-journal of your dog's recovery. Our dog has similar issues right now and we wanted to see if there were other options to the expensive surgery. Thanks again!
My dog has ccl tears in both hind legs and floating bones spurs. And severe arthritis she is right I can't afford surgery at 5800.00 can they heal in this way also. He said it's the worse he's seen.....
Thank you so much for your video and your detailed information.
Our dog ( 9 years, 81lbs pit-mix) injured his leg 3 days ago. We went to the vet and he said we should try it without the surgery , no reason to rush into surgery.
After I've watched your video I feel not that anxious anymore and it truly gave me confident that it will take some time but he will be fine
I'm glad the video was useful. Best wishes for your dog's recovery.
How's your dog doing? Any updates? My dog got injured recently...my heart is broken but I want to help her. The vet suggested conservative first.
thank you for this. My boy just did his a couple of days ago. He has a similar body type. I've had experience with the surgeries with my other dogs over the years and it's a very painful surgery so I did not want to go that route. Bugsy is about thirty eight pounds and is also a little overweight. I feel committed to using underwater treadmill and anything else I can. A long journey but a teaching one. Again, I express much gratitude to you for this video.
How is Bugsy doing now?
Thank you so much for this video it was very helpful with my dogs recovery as she too is getting better and than some days limps a little then shes OK again. Now I understand how long she may take to heal.
Great video, I'm on moth 2 of basically the exact same journey, glad to see it does take a lot of time, progress is slow but will get better.
Sorry to hear your have to go through this... as I am too currently. Just curious how much exercise are you allowing/doing for your pup?
Hey. Wanted to say ty for this post. It provided me with options that I think I'm going to do. Surgery is 9k now days, and that's just not in the cards for us (and most people).
This happened to my rottweiler before she was even two years old. I tried to let it heal for 2 months, but she was still favoring it somewhat. Being such a young dog, I opted for the TPLO surgery for $10,000.00 (that's not a typo). It's a very hard 12 week recovery, with only short walks in the yard, and no stairs or running, taking her out with a sling down a ramp I built. We mostly kept her isolated to one room which was really hard. Well, it did payoff in the end, as she can now run normally on the leg. You cannot tell anything was ever wrong. Unfortunately, all the vets have told me she will almost definitely need surgery on the other leg as well at some point. Thankfully, I can afford it, and it does work amazingly. Good luck to all who have this happen to their beloved dog!
Knowing I couldn't afford the $3,000 surgery for my dog, my vet told me there's a decent chance she'll recover on her own without surgery once some scar tissue builds up. My puppy is lean and athletic, which will help. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Not really "recover on her own" because if you left the dog to do whatever it wants it will continue to re-injure it and make it worse. But with proper activity restriction, diet etc. the the scar tissue can form without excess inflammation/arthritis. Good luck!
Hi. Thank you so much for the video.
My dog just recently injured his acl. It’s been only about a week and a half so I know he has a long way before full recovery.
My question is, did you use a brace at all?
that question I have too. My dog just got diagnosed, he is only 2.5 years old, super active dog. It's so sad to see! Vet prescribed only anti-inflammatory drugs. Vet told not surgery recommended at this moment, like conservative should work. I'm so worried that this injury will go to second leg...and looks like braces are recommended to take the weight from other leg. But Vet didn't tell about it.
Thank you for this video! Our dog was just diagnosed with this injury yesterday.
Thank you so much for this video. It gave us so much hope and belief for our Malamute when he tore his CCL in March 2019. We didn't want to put him through surgery (he's an old boy and a bit heavy). Your advice on this video helped us and from about November 2019 onwards (nine months of recovery) he has been himself again - a bit hobbly after a good run but he's an old boy! We started off very slowly after he injured himself with two months of no walks and no steps. We give him glucosamine treats everyday but no other medicine. Very very slowly we did flat walks, increasing distance very gradually. Nine months later he was able to do four miles again and climbs steep inclines with no trouble. Thank you for giving us this video!! 💕
my dog tore hers badly 4 years ago and after researching it over 50 hours I decided on conservative approach and she finally put her foot to the ground for first time after 2 months. I was broken hearted and felt guilty but slowly she began to touch more and more and by 6 months she was walking almost normal, I didnt let her off the leash until 9 months and her leg is 100% now... BUT last sunday she blew the other leg racing around, shes 9 now... this one is bad but not as bad, she put her foot to ground after one day and now the 4th day she will use it gingerly ... i am using fish oil, hemp oil, glucosamine, turmeric, arnica, dgp, and a couple other things as well as icing it 3x a day.... its a nightmare bc I feel so bad for her but loving your dog and showing her/him you are there at all possible times helps a ton too. I dont let her run or jump on anything, she sleeps on my bed and hoist her up. I hope your dog and everyone's dog never has to go thru this. all my best, gregg!
Thanks for posting. Super informative. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Steve for all of the information! My APBT/Shepard mix is 60lbs. She is a little over 2 years old. My girl loved to play catch with the tennis ball. Unfortunately, she was so into it that she gave 110%. The fast and aggressive running and jumping caused her to suffer this same injury. I waited a little over a week before taking her to the Vet for X-Rays. This is the first weekend I am limiting her activity and not allowing her to risk injuring it any further. My dog goes back to the Vet in 2 weeks for an assessment, but there is no way I can afford the surgery. Does anyone have any advice on a leg brace? If so, please let me know. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Take care
How did your recovery go?
@@davidduonghau5332 Good afternoon. I see I wrote this comment 3 years ago. I can't believe my girl just turned 6 yrs old! Everything is going good and she is able to get around without assistance. Shortly after healing from the first tplo tear, she tore the tplo in the other leg! Honestly, I don't know if it was a genetic issue, or just bad luck. Since day one, she has always been an extremely athletic dog. It's my belief that she was like a football player that tried to go too hard. There are videos on my channel of her playing recently. She still loves to play catch with the tennis ball, but will stop and lay down when she's had enough. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't opt for surgery and I'm happy with her recovery. That being said, the recovery time for each leg lasted several months. The fact that she had back to back tears made it really tough for a solid year. It was a lot of work, but it has paid off so far. Thank you for inquiring and I hope you have a great day.
@@ChrisfromGeorgia thanks for your response! Glad to hear your dog is back to normal. My 2 year old dog just tore his. Quite athletic too. Hope things work out
@@davidduonghau5332 Anytime. I'm glad I saw the notification. Sometimes YT doesn't show all notifications for some reason that's beyond me. I really hope your dog gets well soon. It can seem like a long recovery time and it's hard to keep them from doing things that are instinctual for them to do (like chasing squirrels). I actually created a sling to go underneath her chest/torso area by cutting a couple of old t-shirts. It took a while for her to get used to it, but it helped take pressure off of her hind legs when I would take her outside to potty. I remember watching a few videos here on that showed his to do this. Hopefully this can possibly help. Wishing you both all the best!
Take care
Orthodog brace and it works! I speak from experience for our Tibetan terrier with 2 vets confirming torn ACL
Thank you so much, I spent a bunch at the vet on those anti inflammatories & they pushed surgery which we absolutely don’t have the money for. Our dogs name is George & his a black lab/border collie mix. He’s been limping for a few months now & he’s around 8 years old. this gives me hope that we can help him, & i’ll walk him on short walks like you did because i’ve been afraid to take him on walks since he’s limping. you’ve helped me so much
Remember to go very slow with the walks. I only took my dog for short sniffs around the yard for many weeks. Eventually we resumed our full long walks around the neighborhood. Good luck.
Thanks for this vid, our spaniel had both his ACL's gone & were quoted 10k+ GBP for surgery, he was 6yo at the time. Vets were adamant he needed this. He is now 10yo still going strong no arthritis 100% recovered after 1 year without surgery. God knows what he would b like after invasive surgery. Looking at dogs that get ACL surgery arthritis rates are way above 80% after 1 year. So just a massive thanks 2u, we now have a happy dog who is not a in pain. PLZ watch b4 making a decision on invasive surgery. Dogs can heal naturally, surgery & drugs are not always the answer. 👍