Looks like my dog might have a torn ACL or meniscus.

He is a 4 yr old yellow lab.

We had x-rays and everything looks good. He is on house arrest for another 10 days. If he is still lame the vet suggested MRI as a next step.



Ayy advice is appreciated.

Poor Guy

Depends were you live, but I had taken my Rott to this place for a limp he had when he was a pup. Turned out to be more growing pain than anything but still. Its really hard to keep a dog from doing to much. The best thing is not to give him to much pain reliever, the dog will think he' s better and do more damage.


http://www.animalmedcenter.com/

We have him on Rimadyl which is for pain an inflammation. He was on house arrest last week and after 7 days was doing well until he couldn't take the inactivity and went crazy. After a few hot laps he went right back to limping.


Right now I am in IL.

It shouldn't hurt to get a second opinion if you are worried it's growing pains - it's just gonna cost a little dough.

However surgery for a torn ACL will also cost a chunk of change.

I had an older dog that tore his ACL. After refusing to walk for several days I took him, got the diagnosis. I made an appointment a few days later, during which time he still refused to walk or put any weight on that leg, so I still feel confident that leg was seriously EFFED and I did the right thing. The vet discussed our options, I don't remember specifics but there were 2 different types of surgery. One was more expensive but generally held things together longer, the other was cheaper but wasn't as good a fix. Since he was already approximately 12 I went for the latter, he was never much of a mover and a shaker.
I agree with what was said about the pain medicine. Bubba got home from surgery and was happy as a lark, wanted to run amok all over. I dialed the pain med back considerably. I felt bad about letting him be in pain to keep him from moving, but I couldn't exactly reason with him either
Be prepared for some serious rehab though. Some people do those treadmills while the dog is mostly submerged in water - $$$$$ I just took things easy on him. We'd go for short walks and when he gave me the "I'm done" look I'd pick him up and put him on his bed. I just slowly increased the length of our walks and eventually he was back to where he had been pre-surgery/ACL tear.

Thanks for all the info.

This is my first dog, do dogs still have growing pains at 4.5 yrs?

My dog is very active and I feel in my gut this is something serious.

I will most certainly get a second opinion for sure.

My poor puppy.

I would think not at 4.5 years, but I could be wrong. I've only ever had smaller breeds *Next dog is gonna be a big short haired breed

I thought I heard somewhere this was common with labs, I just googled a few different sites and unfortunately labs are one of the more common breeds.

I read your post closer, and it seems your dog is still walking, at least able to do a few hot lops Is he putting any weight on the leg with the torn acl? If he is maybe look into nonsurgical treatment. My dog went almost a week without putting any weight at all on that leg. I could prop him into a 'stand' for bathroom duties and that was it. He ate/drank lying down for that week. There was no way I was going to get him to even start using it to rehabilitate, as he screamed if I touched it.

I'm thinking if your dog is able to put some weight on that leg if an option other than surgery may be the answer.
Try googling "canine acl treatment" or "canine acl non surgical treatment" to get started. Speak to your vet more, and perhaps have just a consultation with another vet. I don't see why you couldn't take the X-rays from the first vet to the second vet for another opinion. And FYI I don't remember having to do an MRI for my dog. He had X-Rays done and then I ok'd the surgery since it was very evident something was seriously wrong with that knee.

My sister in law's lab tore her ACL, cost something like 5k, but she is good to go know.

He is putting some weight on it at times and other times he is not. He does not make any sounds when you touch his leg from the paw to the hip.

All your advice seems pretty dead on. My vet gave me the disc with the pics and said to take it to a surgeon if the problem persist.

As far as the MRI I am in your camp with the ok for surgery without the MRI. I couldn't agree more and was going to suggest that option with the surgeon.

Made an appointment for him on Monday morning. he is lipping today and it's just time to make a decision. I will do those google searches you recommended and research various options between now and Monday.

My main concern now is that he does not injure his other leg for over compensating.


Thanks for all the info!










Can you ask her what surgery she picked? I know there are a few different types.

Thanks

At the surgeon getting TPLO.

Poor baby!!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure if this is an option, but 1)because he is a Lab and 2)it is great exercise w/out putting weight on the injury can you do swimming with him as part of his exercise?

If you were in AZ, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Dr. Weinacker and staff @ Paradise Valley Animal hospital. They did wonders with my dogs paw injury (cut his paw pad in half down to the bone) and for about 200.00 did the surgery to completely close the wound, pain meds, antibiotics and 4 follow up-rewrap the wound appts. My dog, Turbo, also scoffed at the pain meds, I gave him the maximum amount and it killed the pain, but did not slow him down much. Poor guy.

Same thing happened to my parents lab. Cost 6k for the sugery. Now the other leg is bad because he has been favoring his good leg and putting most of his weight on it. Not a easy situation. Good luck.

I hope to get him on the treadmill water therapy program, there are two places near me that have aquatic doggy therapy facilities. Thanks for the Dr. referral unfortunately I am in the IL area. To complicate this situation. My wife and I trying to relocate out west within the next few months. This does not work well for my plan.

Turbo is a great name. My wife and I both love it.



Thanks for the wishes. As you have seen and heard this is a long recovery. Thankfully the success rate for this procedure is high and he should regain at least 95%+. As far as the other leg, he will need that done in the future. This tends to be a genetic issue at least for labs from what I have read and heard.




Long day already. We went to the surgeon this morning at 8. After doing the drawer test and a few extra pictures the decision was made to have the surgery done immediately. I was not expecting that. Came home and started to set up the ICU for his return.

Took out his old crate.
Cleaned anything and everything he might come into contact with.
Went to Menard's for some cheap carpet (with a rubber bottom). Our entire house his all hard wood floors except the laundry area. Thankfully we are in a ranch.
Will be making some carpet paths for him to get around if we need him to.




There goes the supermotard. My dog is great though, I am lucky my wife and I can afford this for him right now.

Wow! What a first day after surgery.

Since he got home yesterday he was crying and moaning. Wouldn't eat or drink, pain meds seemed to be doing nothing.

Finally, this morning around 6AM my wife took him outside, this time she took him near his favorite tree (on the other side of the house of course) and he unloaded a tanker size pee. We have tried to limit his movement as much as possible. I guess the tree marks the spot.

Poor dog, held his piss in for nearly 24 hrs. We had no clue he would only pee there. Normally, he will pee anywhere. I took him out 3x's between 3AM and 4:30AM.

Now he is asleep without a peep like a baby.

How amazing are dogs? After all he was through he still wouldn't go in the house. I feel so bad for not knowing.

for you and your wife and your wonderful dog! Here's to a speedy recovery for him!

Thanks. I don't think we were prepared for all this.


DOH!

Thanks for the updates! If you can afford it the water treadmill is an awesome way to help him rehabilitate. I didn't have the $$ back when my dog had to undergo surgery.

If it makes you feel any better about the surgery right when you are planning to move - I was in the same boat. Moved from Phx to Yuma a month after he had surgery. It was kinda akward going from one vet to the next, but I just made sure I had all the paperwork and kept in touch with the Phx vet for awhile after the move.

Good luck with everything! My dog was a pomeranian so it was a lot easier for me to pick up and move to help with bathroom duties than a lab, so I guess I lucked out there. Be patient with the rehab. When you are actually going through it - it feels like FOREVER for them to start using the injured leg more and more. Then one day you'll be walking along beside him and realize things are getting pretty close to normal and then they are like their old self again.

Watch his weight though! My dog bulked up due to inactivity. He was a rescue that was overweight when I got him, I had just got him to a healthy weight when his knee gave out DOH then he put on weight during the recovery. I should have been more strict with portion control but he loved food so much and he was so sorry looking with his shaved leg and having trouble moving around. I totally caved Took awhile to shed the weight a second time.

Good luck 2D's.

We've been there, done that....twice!

Our boy also needed surgery for his torn ACL, but when we picked him up something didn't look right. Suddenly it dawned on me, THEY DID THE WRONG LEG! We took him in for right leg but they the performed surgery on his left leg! So now he's still got a bum right leg and fresh surgery on his left leg....poor guy! Seeing him that way nearly broke my wife's heart. So after a 3 month recovery for the first leg we took him in for the second leg, and did the whole thing over again! That was one long year of doggy maintenance!
Good news is he's 99% fine now, and runs and plays like a pup. Silver lining for us is the the first surgery was free, and statistics say that 35-40% of the dogs with torn ACL will suffer rupture in the opposite leg as well, so we are covered.

So hang in there, things will get better soon. Just do't let him start using it too early. Dogs are pretty tough and will starting using it before they're ready.

To anyone facing this surgery, shop around. Prices and vet experience varies greatly! TPLO is an excellent time-tested procedure for torn ACL, but we decided to go with the newer TTA surgery, primarily because the recovery time is shorter and easier. Our pup was able to walk on his leg first day out of surgery, which makes bathroom breaks a lot easier. We stated leash walks after 3 weeks and was he good to go in about 10 weeks, without any special therapy.