Cruciate tears?
With his structure, I'm surprised it hasn't happened before......can we say straight rear legs? Is surgery successful or is it about equal to R&R, rest and Rimadyl (or some other )? Having put Sam though a TPLO, I'd rather not do that again! If he goes to an orthopod, you know they will want to operate. They cant pay their staff turning away patients. Harry is not crying out in pain, but he's not his usual happy self with the nonstop tail. He just wants to be alone or close by me. susan |
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| What timing....I just had Genevieve x-rayed yesterday for this very thing! She does have a very small tear in her right rear knee, but the vet did not recommend surgery. She's on Rimadyl for the rest of the week and told me to keep her "quiet" this week, too. But, hopefully, it will heal on it's own.
Jil said that Kayli had to have her knees done, too. Perhaps she can tell you more about it. |
| Keeping Harry quiet in this house will mean hog-tieing him. I fear with his other questionable leg, the strain of getting up and hopping to bark at........everything......will tear the other knee. What a pickle that would be! |
It is a challenge to keep them quiet, that's for sure! Can you crate him? You don't want it to get worse, that would be awful.  |
| Actually he self crates when outside.......the crate is in the garage, but the door is always open.
I'll have to think of something, even putting him in the bathroom. First, my challenge will be getting him into the car.............he hates car rides probably from being dumped by previous owners. Time to go start that wrestle match. s. |
Bless your heart, Susan! At least I don't have that battle. 
Keep us posted! |
| Baxter tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) when he was about a year old. The doctor put him on 1 month rest....no running, no jumping, no walks except to pee or poop, no chasing the cats, squirrels etc. If we didn't or weren't able to keep him quiet, he would have had to have surgery.
He did recover, but it was miserable keeping him quiet ALL the time (and the cats weren't helping as they wanted to play with him). When we were home and able to supervise, he was kept by one of us on a short leash. When we weren't home, he was in his crate. From what I understand, it depends on the severity of the tear whether your dog will need surgery or rest. Good luck and please let us know how he is doing. Jennifer, Baxter, Cassiopia and Sharkey |
| A friend mine's basset tore his about a year ago. He was 6 yrs old at the time, and a bit overweight. They opted for rest and holistic treatments. It took about 10 months to totally heal (no limp or weakness). But he did heal up just fine! |
| That's what Kelsey did susan, operation to repair the ligament is very time intensive and a long long process of getting them up and mobile again.
Kelsey because of the age factor the vet decided against it. She was crated instead, given a course of cartrophen injections, on metacam for the pain factor and confined with total rest. Then on a lead to potty, and a slow build up of small walks after 6 weeks, now she is back pretty much normal. It was only a partial tear so I am still very careful with her. Hoping you only have a partial tear and all goes well at the vets. |
Two years ago we did the surgery for a owner turned in rescue dog. She limped terribly and of cource we were told that "it must have just happened". Vet records showed she'd been limping for a year 
There was a 70% chance of sucess, and now she is fine. She was terribly obese, so was put on a crash diet first, as the vet didn't want her to strain the other knee while recuperating. It depends on the dog's age, general health, what other issues the dog may have that may impede healing. Also, the length of time the ligament has been torm. She had 6 weeks of crate time and leash walks only. She then went swimming twice a week to strenghten the muscles, and now you would never know she had a problem. Still goes swimming, too. |
| What great input! Such
I hope Harry feels better soon! And Tammy, good luck keeping Gen quiet with that little Treasure running around! |
| Since it was late in the day, the vet asked if we could do Xrays tomorrow. No problem. So I brought Harry inside immediately. He was fine until husband drove up and then he was up and climbing on the windowsill......guess MO taught him that trick (see camera).......so complete rest will require either a crate or piggin' string.
susan |
| So you have to wrestle him into the car again today and go back for x-rays, Susan?
I'm hoping it does not require surgery, too! The vet told me 4-6 weeks of crate rest for recovery if we had to do the surgery. I am so glad she didn't have to have it. Valerie wrote: And Tammy, good luck keeping Gen quiet with that little Treasure running around!
You are so right! Good luck is exactly what I need.  |
| Harry has been such a good sport about getting in and out of the car. I don't think he'll be so willing after I bring him home this afternoon. He was abandoned and has had serious problems with cars in the past.
I'm holding out hopes the problem is arthritis. Strange as that seeems, with a cruiciate tear there's the agony of surgery/no surgery, long rest, and then the joint often ends up with arthritis anyway. I'm thinking Harry is about 7 or so. Now it's time to worry about Glacier again. She has terrible fly strikes on her nose. Super gross. Asked the vet who understood all my problems; any medicine applied gets wiped on the walls, bandages don't stay on at all, etc. Today Glacier didn't want to eat!!!! That is not the Google-dog. I'll have to bring her and Fox back inside here shortly to keep them away from the flies........which is all the vet could offer, other than warm wet compresses to keep the grossness wet and not crusty. Next time we are not praying for rain........it has brought the fly invasion! |
| Susan - I've never experienced the fly problem with dogs, but it causes me to wonder if someone makes a "fly mask" for dogs like is available for horses? |
| trying to fix the lawn mower Sunday afternoon, I was ready to rip one off our neighbor's horses and wear it myself!! I doubt Glacier will let a mask over her face, but it would be quite the fashion statement! |
| Just talked to the vet. Hrumph! The left leg has a cruciate tear; however, the right side hip has major arthritis. For the left side to heal he will have to bear more weight on the right side. The vet can do a cruciate repair but suggested looking at a more extensive TPLO on that side because of the weakness he'll continue to have with the deteriorating right side.
I'm not sure we want to dump all the $$$$ involved in a TPLO on a dog who's right side is also going. What, then we'd have to do a total hip replacement on the right side? Sorry, our pockets aren't deep. Retirement is at hand. |
| That's really unfortunate news. What are you going to do? |
| I personally would just go with the total rest and pain meds first and see if there is any improvement over the weeks It could not hurt to try that approach rather then opting for the op to repair the cruciate or hip replacement. Is it a total tear or partial on the cruciate ligament?
See also if you can get a course of cartrophen injections too, you call it something else over there, but it helps the arthritis in the hips especially as yours is weight bearing on that side because of the tear at the moment. Kelsey tore her cruciate and has arthritis in the opposite hip too. 11 1/2 years old and she is doing great after treatment. I had no option for an operation as due to the age factor. She gets around great, but, yes the strength in her back end will never be the same again but she moves around,gets up good and does not shake in pain like she did. Also no metacam for her now as she does not need it at the moment and been through winter with no dosing her at all. Might have to down the track but at the moment all is good. I have an appointment next month for a booster shot of the cartrpohen and that is every 6 months to help the arthritis in the hip and to check her cruciate. My vet at the time Kelsey did hers said if the treatment did not improve her then maybe we have to take a risk with her age and operate on the cruciate. But the treatment worked and no need for the op & her hip with the arthritis in it is greatly improved there too. 
so hoping all will work out good for your fur baby too.  |
| I agree with Lisa, Susan. Ask the vet for an alternative to the surgery to try first. |
| Thanks guys. I see the vet this a.m. re: Glacier's awful looking nose.
While Harry slept on the floor beside me last night, this a.m. after husband was up and dressed, Harry climbed onto Paul's bed.....it is somehwat lower than mine. This is a.m. when I tried to quietly let Jack out for 1st pee, Harry came bounding down the hall. I'll ask if there's any immediate rush to do surgery or can it wait. susan. |
| Well, forgot to ask the vet everything........CRS, Old-Timer's Disease, whatever it is, I've got it.
Glacier is having an allergic reaction to the fly bites or perhaps pollen allergy. So in additon to the gooey mess around her black nose, the muzzle is swollenm weepy and rock hard. Steroids and anti biotics for her. Got lots of sympathy from office and vet. Having not been to the vet in months, we made up for it these past few weeks. |
 Poor Glacier.
You have my sympathy on the old timers...it's happening to me too. |
| Well, update:
Remember Harry and his cruciate tear and arthritis? I sat down with him and explained we could not afford surgery, but I would give him pain pills to keep him comfortable. He sat there and listened, licked my hand and hobbled off on 3 legs. After an uncomfortable night, he rewarded me by blowing out the front door to chase cars, four legs on the ground pumping in his own peculiar way. Since then all for feet are on the ground. ARGH! I want my money back from the vet! Second Glacier: Her awful nose is healing, though the swelling remains. I guess that's going to take awhile. But while she heals she has suddenly become incontinent! I'm assuming the prednisone. Better believe I'll be happy to be off that! With her maximum hair, she leaves big puddles and they drips are she moves away........and of course she thinks she should be allowed on the furniture. LOL! LOL! It's always something with these guys. |
| I am happy to hear about Harry feeling better.
I hope Glacier is back to herself soon.  |
Just be careful that harry does not worsen the problem with charging around, at the moment he is feeling great (spaced out man) with the pain meds. Try and keep him quiet & no charging around for a few weeks. 
Hope glacier settles a bit, probably won't stop leaking till off the predisone. Monitor her water intake as it gives them a increased thirst and what goes in must leak out  |
| I would just ask the vet for a good anti inflammatory to have on hand, and when his leg (s) bothers him just use pain and anti inflammatory meds and rest....
I hope Glacier's nose heals quickly too, that sounds sore. |
lisaoes wrote: See also if you can get a course of cartrophen injections too, you call it something else over there, but it helps the arthritis in the hips especially as yours is weight bearing on that side because of the tear at the moment.
I am giving Chumley Adequan (liquid glucosamine) injections for the arthritis in her hips. I am also giving her DL-Phenylalinine (an amino acid). It was prescribed by the vet but is available from natural food stores. Apparently it has painkiller properties. It is definitely helping. Her comfort has increased, less leg shaking, and she is less sensitive about being touched near her hips. I hope Glacier and Harry are both improving. Sounds like alot to manage. . . |
| Harry is now getting Adequan, like MO. I most definately will look into cartrophen! At first I thought you had misspelled carpofen. No, cartrophen sounds like something I'd like for my knees too. |
| Just thought you might want to know about what the Cartrophen Injections do. You have a course of 1 injection each week for 4 weeks. Then from then on a booster shot of 1 injection every 6 month or 12 months depending on how bad the arthritis is.
Kelsey goes in 2 weeks for hers and just received a reminder that one is due. Thought this might be of interest what exactly these injections do, they were developed in Australia and are imported to the rest of the world, my vet says they are available in the USA. Inhibiting enzymes that break down cartilage in arthritic joints, stimulates the production of synovial fluid (joint librication) and improves blood supply through arthritic joints. So be interesting to see if it is the same as Vals chumley had too, I am not sure if it is just a liquid glucosamine injection, but will ask my vet when I see him. |
| Poor Harry!! Poor Glacier!! I hope Harry continues to show improvement. Poor guy! We've spent the last week in a daze trying to absorb and deal with Ty's problems and he's only 6 LBS!!! I can't imagine trying to keep a sheepie quiet, LOTS OF LUCK. |
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