Cruciate Ligament

[stealth 0]

Hi my 2 year old patterdale damaged his leg about 4-5 months ago running in the garden, the vet did all the usual checks and told me he has damaged his cruciate ligament and his knee will keep dislocating but he should be able to have a normal life with it.

 

I cant help but think i should fix it though, he limps on it most days and occasionally limps on his walks, he was always running round (hence how he did it in the first place), but since then he hardly ever just sprints off anymore.

 

Has anyone else had any experience with this problem, apparently it is quite common with small dogs? has anyones dog actually had the surgery and would you recommmend it?

 

any help will be much appriciated.

 

Thanks.

[stealth 0]

Hi my 2 year old patterdale damaged his leg about 4-5 months ago running in the garden, the vet did all the usual checks and told me he has damaged his cruciate ligament and his knee will keep dislocating but he should be able to have a normal life with it.

 

I cant help but think i should fix it though, he limps on it most days and occasionally limps on his walks, he was always running round (hence how he did it in the first place), but since then he hardly ever just sprints off anymore.

 

Has anyone else had any experience with this problem, apparently it is quite common with small dogs? has anyones dog actually had the surgery and would you recommmend it?

 

any help will be much appriciated.

 

Thanks.

 

 

BUMP!

[JDFrain 1]

Sorry to here about the dog,

 

Its a difficult one, in my opinion i dont like dogs getting operated on due to athritis, the dog never being the same again etc, but one thing is that the dog is young and if strong enough it would hopefully fully recover if you took the operation route.

 

Alternatively rest the dog up as much as possible keeping it on its lead at all times if possible. but i aint no Vet.

 

All the best JDF

[michaelw5753 0]

i dont know if the operation works well on dogs but my cousin has had the operation twice on his knee and its still not right so i think a dog would be more likely to rupture it again with the way they run about all the time

[skycat 6,172]

Things like Rottweilers often have to have their cruciate ligaments operated on as the groove that the ligament fits into isn't sometimes deep enough so it keeps slipping out (inherited breed fault)

 

Sometimes seen in terriers with no bend of stifle as well: (straight knees). In the few that I've seen operated on the leg has been a little stiff but no problem to the animal and didn't seem to cause any pain.

 

If you want to give the dog a chance and you have the money then go for the operation but there's no guarantee it will sort if: if the dog's quality of life is not good at the moment then I'd have it done if it were mine and as it is only a small not very heavy dog then I wouldn't have thought that the problems would be as great as in a big heavy dog like a Rottie.

 

Not much use as information: sorry. Why not Google the problem and read up more?

[lilvixen 26]

I echo much of the above - good advice but I'll give you my experience too. I have a 3 year old Terrier bitch that has damaged her cruciates on both patella (knee) joints due to over-exercise as a puppy She hops on either back leg, one more so than the other but she doesn't seem to be in any pain and she races round as much as ever. I had her operated on about a year ago (a £1k insurance bill ) and I can honestly say it has made no difference. (We are assuming this as she is hopping as much BUT we do wonder if she hops as much out of habit than anything now!)

 

However what I would totally recommend for these cases and older arthritic dogs are glucosomine/chondroitin capsules daily and bioflow magnetic collars - godsend - worked wonders on older dogs I've had which were stiff after walks before wearing them, since wearing them they were different dogs. The vet doing the op commented after performing it that it appeared the ligament had started to heal itself..... the bitch had been on the capsules for about 2/3 months prior to the op and he put it down to this.

 

Terrier 'hop' is well known and is actually the patellas slipping (condition called slipping patellas).

 

Hope this helps, best of luck lilvixen

 

ps. the glucosomine capsules are no rip-off vet jobs, I just ordered human ones on-line

Edited May 23, 2009 by lilvixen

[mad al 146]

So much of a risk, only you can make the decision. I've a Shar Pei with a limp that I spotted as soon as I walked him, his previous owner hadn't noticed it.

 

I chose to rest him and wait and it worked but he will never run with "the crew" as I will not take the chance of him having to suffer, I tried it once.............never again

[Tel1 22]

i had the operation done on a terrier of mine, you could flick his knee off from side to side, they repaired the ligament and put some false ligaments across the knee to hold it in place while it healed,i had to keep him kenneled for 10 weeks then walked on the lead for another 4 weeks,the first time i let him off the lead he came back limping it had gone again. the op cost me 300 quid 5 years ago i personaly wouldnt have it done on another dog but best of luck to you whatever you decide to do

[Dawn B 212]

Im not sure you have two conditions confused here. "Luxating Patella" is when the kneecap slips in and out of the groove, causing the dog to "hop" or skip when he trots, they very rarely sufffer any pain and will run, jump and play as usual all their lives. There is an op which will deepen the groove, so the cap cannot slip out. Although largely successful, personally having seen hundreds of Terriers with it, usually JRTs, Id not have an op unless it was very serious and the dog was suffering because of it. If it is LP, then it wont of occured as an "accident" its an inherted genetic fault and the "knock" will just of bought it to light.

 

The second problem I think you are talking of is a "Ruptured Cruciate Ligament" This is VERY painful and if ruptured can only be repaired surgically. Prognosis is good, but whether a dog will be 100% for working is debateable, but it certainly does happen. If the cruciate is strained and not ruptured, TOTAL rest will sort the problem, but it MUST be TOTAL rest and for about 4-6 weeks. Symptoms for this will be constant lameness, the muscle will wither in the leg and the toes will be on the floor but not a flat foot.

 

Hope that helps a lttle.

 

Dawn.

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

Get the surgery done. The dog will be fine in 8 weeks. You wont even know that he ever was injured.

[stealth 0]

Im not sure you have two conditions confused here. "Luxating Patella" is when the kneecap slips in and out of the groove, causing the dog to "hop" or skip when he trots, they very rarely sufffer any pain and will run, jump and play as usual all their lives. There is an op which will deepen the groove, so the cap cannot slip out. Although largely successful, personally having seen hundreds of Terriers with it, usually JRTs, Id not have an op unless it was very serious and the dog was suffering because of it. If it is LP, then it wont of occured as an "accident" its an inherted genetic fault and the "knock" will just of bought it to light.

 

The second problem I think you are talking of is a "Ruptured Cruciate Ligament" This is VERY painful and if ruptured can only be repaired surgically. Prognosis is good, but whether a dog will be 100% for working is debateable, but it certainly does happen. If the cruciate is strained and not ruptured, TOTAL rest will sort the problem, but it MUST be TOTAL rest and for about 4-6 weeks. Symptoms for this will be constant lameness, the muscle will wither in the leg and the toes will be on the floor but not a flat foot.

 

Hope that helps a lttle.

 

Dawn.

 

It sound like combination of both your symptons, maybe leaning more towards the fisrt though I may have been mislead when searching online for knee problems. but he definately does not apply full weigh to the injured leg and there is slight muscle waste and often the foot is cold from the lack of circulation.

 

I have read online about owner getting the op done, then the other leg going or the same one going again and again. his insurance wont cover it but i would love to see him back at his peak and am torn between the pros and cons.

 

thanks for all the advice guys.

[Attack Fell Terrier 864]

I've got a terrier going in for this operation on friday.

 

He's hopping around on one back leg, and the other leg he's holding is losing muscle. It was caused on a days ratting about 4 month ago and its got no better so I'm having it sorted out.

[blaev 1]

Hi

 

I had this problem with my boxer - not a small dog but the same issue. He did his in running across a ploughed field before being fully warmed up i.e. just at the start of a walk. He limped badly until I had it repaired by a local vet. Not a small procedure and very expensive (£800) but he was insured.

 

After the op, he needed rehabilitating by 3 weeks at home, no walks, no strain on the leg, then short walks - 1 week @ 100 yards, 1 week @ 200 yards and so on, gradually up to 1 mile by which time he was fit enough to do the other side in. Another £800 op and further rehab and has been fine since (4 yrs ago). I make sure he's warmed up before letting him run just as a precaution by doing half a mile or so on the lead first, then letting him go.

 

Vet said he might get arthritis in both knee joints at some stage later on but he's showing no signs of it. No problems since and it cured the awful limping. Well worth it. Good luck with yours.

[bristol tim 135]

i had a lurcher bitch that done this, had the op and she stayed in her kennel for a bout 12 weeks, the dog carryed on limping where excerising in the garden or out walking fields, the dog was never the same so i couldnt take the chance to run her again. that was the end of her working carreer she was only 6