Dog Tore His Knee

[aristocrat]

Ok, not having good luck with dogs lately. Our 14 year old puggle had a stroke we think cause she went about blind overnight so likely going to put her down shortly as she’s also deaf and that’s no life.

 

Last night my pit I think tore his knee. No pressure on it at all. Thing is when he was a pup his previous owner broke his other leg trying to use him as a bait dog. That leg is at best 50 percent if that. 
 

He’s 10-11 years old70 lbs and if has surgery can’t use the repaired leg at all so it doesn’t tear. But can’t use the other too much. Likely would just tear again.

 

has anyone here just not had the surgery and how was the dog after? How long did it take?  

[TheCockSportif]

12 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

has anyone here just not had the surgery and how was the dog after? How long did it take?  

Our then ~6 year old yellow lab had the TPLO surgery in 2017, and while old now, fully recovered in a month or two.  Until then the dog would not put any weight on her hind leg, and the doctor feared that a tear would result in the other hind leg -- so surgery it was.

 

It was expensive, and took a LOT of diligence on our part to keep the dog to be calm (good luck with a fun lovin' lab like this one).  But in the end, it was worth it, and she went back to her retrieving and swimming activities at full speed.

[muppy]

YES. My dog a 60 pound pittie tore her ACL so badly that her kneecap was opposite of where it should be. Really bad.

 

Luckily we know a veterinary surgeon from my church who is an expert. My dog ended up having the TPLO surgery. Crate rested recovery. We used a towel on each side of her belly under her back legs to help her potty. I slept on an air mattress near by to be there to administer meds for pain. Plus shes a big baby and Im her momma.

 they say that the chances of a dog reinjuring herself after one tear is approx 50%. Ack. Luckily my dog only tore hers once. I think age is a factor in slowing her down . Today she is 13.

 u know pitbulls. They are either really high energy or theyre not. I hope yours does well. I would also get estimates because it is pricey.

 

Best to you and pibble

 

m

Edited June 18, 2022 by muppy

[qwksilver]

Sorry to hear that. I had a 80lb lab that blew out her knee chasing a ball. Our Vet said not to get the surgery due to cost, and age of Daisy and likely chance the same knee would tear again. Plus he said there was a greater chance she would tear her other knee because they favor the good knee. He was right. The other knee went sometime after that (I can't remember the amount of time in between tears as this was 12+ years ago).

We tried to keep her immobilized for a few weeks as the knee healed. She hobbled a little less in about a few weeks. She was on anti inflammatory the rest of her life as the scar tissue causes arthritis.

 

You have a different issue because of the other leg's issue. Hopefully you have a good vet you can trust.

 

Your pup sounds like a trooper (as most pups are), hopefully it works out no matter what you decide.  

[aristocrat]

3 minutes ago, TheCockSportif said:

Our then ~6 year old yellow lab had the TPLO surgery in 2017, and while old now, fully recovered in a month or two.  Until then the dog would not put any weight on her hind leg, and the doctor feared that a tear would result in the other hind leg -- so surgery it was.

 

It was expensive, and took a LOT of diligence on our part to keep the dog to be calm (good luck with a fun lovin' lab like this one).  But in the end, it was worth it, and she went back to her retrieving and swimming activities at full speed.

Our puggle had it two years ago and was good in a few months.  I just don’t know how he won’t tear it again. I’m carrying him around right now cause his hind legs just give out. 

[qwksilver]

2 minutes ago, muppy said:

 We used a towel on each side of her belly under her back legs to help her potty

 

 

Thanks Muppy, I forgot to mention this. In the beginning she wouldn't put weight on her bad leg, so we did the towel thing as well.

[muppy]

1 minute ago, qwksilver said:

Thanks Muppy, I forgot to mention this. In the beginning she wouldn't put weight on her bad leg, so we did the towel thing as well.

its a two person operation. My dog endured the surgery aftermath pretty well. She was 7 when she tore hers. Hasn't slowed her down at all since.

[Augie]

17 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

Ok, not having good luck with dogs lately. Our 14 year old puggle had a stroke we think cause she went about blind overnight so likely going to put her down shortly as she’s also deaf and that’s no life.

 

Last night my pit I think tore his knee. No pressure on it at all. Thing is when he was a pup his previous owner broke his other leg trying to use him as a bait dog. That leg is at best 50 percent if that. 
 

He’s 10-11 years old70 lbs and if has surgery can’t use the repaired leg at all so it doesn’t tear. But can’t use the other too much. Likely would just tear again.

 

has anyone here just not had the surgery and how was the dog after? How long did it take?  

 

So sorry for your troubles. I know how tough it is to make these decisions. Just last night we were talking about how we often treat our pets more humanly than many people. I’m fairly certain they jacked up my father’s morphine that last night in hospice, and I have no complaints. He was never going to come back to have any kind of life. 

 

My oldest Golden dislocated a hip at a lousy doggy day care on water day when she was 2. The hip kept popping out of place and she was clearly in agony. I thought we would have to put her down, but the vet sent us to a surgeon who preformed a FHO (femoral head ostectomy) where the top of the leg is shaved down so it’s no longer a ball and joint situation. You just get her using it again ASAP and the muscle builds up to the point that you’d never know she has an issue. She had to go to physical therapy and we were regulars at an underwater treadmill that allowed her exercise while keeping weight off it. She is perfectly fine now, and turns 13 next month. 

 

The physical therapist who helped our son with his ACL/MCL tear in high school was a former college football player who tore his own ACL’s. He never had surgery and just learned to live with it. He got into mountain biking because it’s a motion that doesn’t require an ACL. 

 

Good luck with all you have going on. I know it’s rough. They are truly man’s best friend in my mind. 

[qwksilver]

4 minutes ago, muppy said:

its a two person operation. My dog endured the surgery aftermath pretty well. She was 7 when she tore hers. Hasn't slowed her down at all since.

I was able to do it alone when I had to but definitely with 2. 

The things we do for our pups.

[muppy]

2 minutes ago, qwksilver said:

I was able to do it alone when I had to but definitely with 2. 

The things we do for our pups.

wow 🙂 yeah I couldn't have but YES what we do for our pups indeed.  She has other health issues now and we treat them as they come. I have lovingly called the scoundrel dawg our "Money pit"

 

haha

 

m

Edited June 18, 2022 by muppy

[qwksilver]

41 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

has anyone here just not had the surgery and how was the dog after? How long did it take?  

Also, she was bout 8 or 9 when it happened. She would play fetch but she had a hobble to her stride afterward this when running. She would walk with no issues.  She loved to swim which was good exercise but the pool guy hated it.  

After going through this, I don't think I would get the surgery unless the dog was much younger. 

[WotAGuy]

1 hour ago, aristocrat said:

Ok, not having good luck with dogs lately.

Sorry to hear that. Dogs are like children. I have both and speak from experience. Hope you can arrive at a good outcome for all involved. 

[aristocrat]

3 hours ago, WotAGuy said:

Sorry to hear that. Dogs are like children. I have both and speak from experience. Hope you can arrive at a good outcome for all involved. 

They sure are. I’d do anything for either of em. Good news is he managed to sit and use the leg I thought he tore his acl to itch his shoulder a bit. Could tell it bothered him but if it was torn he couldn’t use the foot I think 

[UConn James]

My GSP had a knee issue about two years ago, iirc. He was off leash in the yard during winter and came back to me hobbling, not putting weight on his rear left. Thought it was a sprain / strain as it had happened many times before on ice / snow. It improved and he could put weight on it, but was still limping and it was clicking. Vet did X-ray and said it was likely a tear of some degree of the meniscus and there was a shadow that showed fluid build-up. We did a watchful wait and limited his activity (difficult for a pointer!) and walks limited to about 1/4 mile a day down from a usual 1 1/2. So it was a quite awhile of that. His knee kept clicking, sometimes with every step and I cringed at every one but he largely seemed unfazed by it. Started giving him Cosequin tablets on recommendation of cousin who raised Fidelco German shepherds that had leg issues… 2 a day for first month it said and one a day afterward. It was awhile and in like March of this year I noticed, hey, no more clicking, and he’s back to running around when the shin suits him, although at 12 1/2 he’s slowing down a bit. The Cosequin was literally the only thing we changed.

 

I mean… I had a partial tear of my own left meniscus when I was a teen and they only ordered physical therapy and it sometimes still clicks and I have some stability issues with that leg. Maybe *I* should take the Cosequin too!

Edited June 19, 2022 by UConn James

[DrDawkinstein]

On 6/18/2022 at 10:11 AM, aristocrat said:

Our puggle had it two years ago and was good in a few months.  I just don’t know how he won’t tear it again. I’m carrying him around right now cause his hind legs just give out. 

 

If you get the surgery and have it repaired, there is a chance he re-tears it.

 

If you DONT get the surgery, it is likely he tears the OTHER knee from over-compensating.

 

At 10.5years, he's pretty close to the end of the run for pitties (we just lost both our pits over the last couple of years as they hit 11, so I feel yea, brother). I think my main focus would be on managing comfort and quality of life.

 

Good luck and much love.

[aristocrat]

18 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

If you get the surgery and have it repaired, there is a chance he re-tears it.

 

If you DONT get the surgery, it is likely he tears the OTHER knee from over-compensating.

 

At 10.5years, he's pretty close to the end of the run for pitties (we just lost both our pits over the last couple of years as they hit 11, so I feel yea, brother). I think my main focus would be on managing comfort and quality of life.

 

Good luck and much love.

good news is he’s slightly using the leg so whatever he did it wasn’t a torn knee. Could be a partial tear or something else. 
 

bad news is he’s now treating the other dog like it’s the sick dog in the pack. Won’t go near her and when she ran into him last night he went after her a bit. Just a lot of growling. Yes this is a normal thing for dogs to do. She comes in the room he leaves the room. 

[Mike in Horseheads]

Aristo... thos sucks.  Dacshund 1 blew his acl out in both legs at a different time. Vet did surgery in his office and he was good after both surgeries. Dachshind 2 had back surgery at Cornell his recovery was little longer but one day I came home, he chewed through the kiddie gate and was happily sitting on the couch LOL. no keeping either "down and resting" when they were ready to go.  Good luck!

[teef]

On 6/18/2022 at 10:03 AM, TheCockSportif said:

Our then ~6 year old yellow lab had the TPLO surgery in 2017, and while old now, fully recovered in a month or two.  Until then the dog would not put any weight on her hind leg, and the doctor feared that a tear would result in the other hind leg -- so surgery it was.

 

It was expensive, and took a LOT of diligence on our part to keep the dog to be calm (good luck with a fun lovin' lab like this one).  But in the end, it was worth it, and she went back to her retrieving and swimming activities at full speed.

This is pretty much what happened to me.  i've done both my yellow lab's back leg...TPLO surgery.  he had one surgery when he was 9, and the other leg was this past year.  each surger was around $4200.  

 

post op was ok.  i think i'm lucky because the dog is older and not nearly as hyper as he was.  if i wasn't home i kept him crated so he didn't move around too much.  i helped him up and down steps with a sling around his waist.  i covered any slipper floors so he wouldn't slip.  i didn't make him wear a cone, but he was pretty good about not licking the incision scar.  both procedures required follow up where they sedate and scan again.

 

my man did great with both.  no longer has a limp, is still playful, and really helped his lifestyle.  my wife wasn't to sure about getting an expensive on a surgery on a dog that old but ***** that.  i love that animal.  i think i'd pay for the surgery for him before i did for my wife.

[TheCockSportif]

19 minutes ago, teef said:

This is pretty much what happened to me.  i've done both my yellow lab's back leg...TPLO surgery.  he had one surgery when he was 9, and the other leg was this past year.  each surger was around $4200.  

 

post op was ok.  i think i'm lucky because the dog is older and not nearly as hyper as he was.  if i wasn't home i kept him crated so he didn't move around too much.  i helped him up and down steps with a sling around his waist.  i covered any slipper floors so he wouldn't slip.  i didn't make him wear a cone, but he was pretty good about not licking the incision scar.  both procedures required follow up where they sedate and scan again.

 

my man did great with both.  no longer has a limp, is still playful, and really helped his lifestyle.  my wife wasn't to sure about getting an expensive on a surgery on a dog that old but ***** that.  i love that animal.  i think i'd pay for the surgery for him before i did for my wife.

Apologies to @aristocrat up front.  I gave you advice about the surgery, which I now know you are well aware of, without offering my support, and in naive terms -- because dogs are super awesome, and are family members, and in ways that many people (who don't have dogs) can't imagine.

 

In retrospect, and for pooches forward, doggie health insurance will help with the insane cost of the TPLO procedure.  It was a hit to the bank account, and while well worth it, a 10k bill up front could've been avoided should we have had the insurance.  Check the various policies, but many will pay for this procedure.

[UConn James]

Again, with the news of using the leg, I stress trying the Cosequin joint health supplements. They help with pain, increase mobility, and reduce inflammation.

 

 

 

 

My cousin's dog had the TPLO surgery and just a couple of weeks ago they had to go back in to remove the metal and screws because she was going after them. She's a small frame yellow lab and they were irritating her. Cousin said the vet reported that these are getting more common because dogs aren't being allowed to grow fully before they're spayed or neutered. Timeframe should be about 1 year, but many are doing it at 6 months, especially rescue places that have a mandatory s/n policy before they adopt pets to people. One cat rescue near me does s/n to 8 week old kittens! That's really not good for these animals' health.

Edited June 20, 2022 by UConn James