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dlawson14 December
2008 ago

I have a dog that injured his back leg after a

I have a dog that injured his back leg after a jump. The dog is part Lab and part Setter. I am told that he has a acl tear and surgery was recommended by the vet clinic. The dog is 9 and 1/2 years old. I am a medical doctor and I would not recommend surgery for a 68 year old patient of mine. But that is for humans. Is it different for dogs and will he still recover if we don't do surgery but just limit his running and jumping?

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Dr.Kate January
2009 ago Report Abuse

Cranial cruciate ligament injury in dogs is very common, in larger breeds especially. While humans walk upright, dogs have a constant bend in the knee, even when standing at rest. Because of this, there is always strain on the CCL, and therefore, constant pain from an injury to that ligament. Every time the dog puts weight on that leg, the tibia is thrust forward in relation to the femur and that sliding motion is painful. The meniscus may also be pinched, causing pain as well. If there is a partial tear to the ligament, strict rest and anti-inflammatory medication prescribed by your vet may be acceptable. If the dog is not weight-bearing, however, surgery is important to stabilize the joint, provide pain relief, and prevent the development of future knee arthritis. The older method of joint stabilization was to place heavy-duty suture material across the stifle to act as a false CCL. While this method is acceptable, the suture can wear out over time and possible break. Suture reactions can also occur in which the implanted suture must be removed. A more permenant fix can be achieved via a newer surgerical procedure called a TPLO, Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy. In this procedure, an arc-shaped bone saw is used to cut the tibial crest. The tibial crest is then rotated to create a 0 degree angle when the dog is standing. A specialized bone plate is then placed to stabilze the tibial crest. In essence, this procedure makes the dog knee into a human one so that there is no tibial thrust when the dog is standing. This a permenant fix but is costly and must be performed by a veterinary surgeon trained to do TPLO sugery. Also, just like with any bone plate, there is a rick of infection and/or possible future implant removal. The biggest risk of not doing a knee-stablizing surgery is the inevitable development of debilitating osteoarthritis in the knee later in life.

AlexG March
2009 ago Report Abuse

Your dog still has a few years to go yet, if your not doing the surgery,they make a medicine for animals for arthritis,for relieving the inflammation and discomfort,good luck to you.

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