Partially Torn ACL UPDATED

[jmh600]

Well.... my 14 month old BLF has a partially torn acl from what the vet told me a few weeks ago.. vet says to just keep her kenneled for a month as well as give her rimadyl (I think) every day and it may heal itself. Anybody have any suggestions? I don't really know what to do.. I figured there would be some sort of brace or cast he could put her in to stabilize the leg while it heals and her still be able to walk around in the yard.

Thanks, Jonathan

[Gene]

If partially torn it is very likely to tear in near future and could result in more damage. Many people repair this surgically before it tears all the way. I've been in same boat but dog was 9. I didn't fix it and it was a mistake. Arthritis set in and she couldn't do trials or hunt any more. At 14 months an active dog will have a hard time recovering if it is a CCL tear. Dogs don't have ACL's from what I hear. I have seen dogs confined to six weeks crate or leash only to try to recover. Some I am sure do. But, many tear completely . Hope you have success. Lots of info on net about it. Try retriever training forum too. Could be it is a strain and not a partial tear. Odds are much better with a strain. Hard to call a partial tear without an MRI. I'm no vet just have had labs for years and around lots who have had ccl problems.
Wish you best of luck.
Gene

[jmh600]

Thanks, you are correct it is a ccl.

[GulfCoast]

Go ahead and get it repaired. It is going to tear if you work her. Dr. John Battley in Pascagoula does most of them in South MS, trained lots of the local vets and did my dogs. If you want TPLO, go to Auburn. Sorry to hear about your issue. I am on my second dogg with a knee issue, I understand the frusteration.

[Jay Dufour]

I have never heard of this healing itself ,even after alot of research .

[claimsadj]

It will not heal by itself, it will however tear. I wound travel to see Dr. Milton in Birmingham and let him advise. If its truly a tear he is a hell of a surgeon and has done over 10k tplo procedures. Bottom line is it absolutely won't heal itself. I would find a new vet while your at it.

[jmh600]

So this has happened to y'all's dogs? What is the recovery time? I guess even if she gets the surgery she will fight this the rest of her life? I have seen a few braces online, are those worth a caca?

[GulfCoast]

The recovery time depends on the severity of the tear. Mine was about 3.5 months, IIRC. Complete recovery. You will have to do the rehab exercises/stretching, or it will be a cluster. Be advised, if they blow one knee, they are at a much increased risk of tearing the other due to compensatory changes in the gait.

[claimsadj]

A partial tear or full tear makes no difference. Tplo restructures the knee, if I'm not mistaken they don't even repair the ligament. My dog recovered in 4 months with basic rehab. He went back to full field trial training at 5 months. No visible side effects or difference in gait.

[Jay Dufour]

This is my dog at 14 weeks post TPLO.He tore other one 9 months later....same recovery and running AA now at 5Years old with no decernable limp.South Paws in Mandeville did both surgueries and I did rehab: http://youtu.be/YnpwiT4O7WM

[jmh600]

Did yall do a MRI (or something similar) to diagnose the issue?

Also, anyone have any recommendations for a good vet in Memphis that i could get a second opinion on and a surgery performed if needed?

[Jay Dufour]

Drawer test and x ray is very telling if the dog is sedated.Not very ,if the dog is awake,and stoic to pain.

[GulfCoast]

Go see Lee Payne in Oxford, MS.

[jmh600]

Went to see Dr. Tobias at Memphis Veterinarian Specialist today to get a second opinion.. He agreed that it was in fact a partial tear and highly recommended TPLO. I have heard good things from people on DS and just researching him, my only problem was he told me the surgery and post op would cost about $4,300!!!

Is this outrageous? Anybody know what MSU vet school charges?

[GulfCoast]

Frankly, that does not sound out of line if it includes rehab. There are many different surgical options, at different price points. The guys that do TPLO are going to tend to recomend TPLO. Guys that do conventional repairs, tend to recomend conventional repairs most of the time. Its a fact of life.