Possible ACL Surgery

My friend's Akita just went through it. I'll ask him the details.

What about acupuncture for now? It fixed me up and mom swears it's wonderful stuff. Maybe he could try that first if the vet says it's ok.

I am not sure what it cost for dogs like us, but my mom tore her ACL completly, her MCL and shredded her Meniscus in her left knee about three weeks ago and is theropy now, she will find out when her surgery is on the 27th of Feb. It makes me sad because I wont get to see or play with her for a least a few days. Sorry to hear about your boyfreind, I hope it is a sprang.
Stormy

Our little Yorkie mix had the surgery years ago. Andy is now in doggy heaven. Back then for his size it was $700.
He couldn't walk for a while so we had to carry him around. To keep him calm, I bought a baby play pen so he wouldn't run around.
We were playing ball. I threw the ball in the kitchen (we have a kitchen carpet), he went after it and came back with his leg just swinging back and forth. Somehow he tore his ACL.
I want to put in a wooden floor in the kitchen but I'm sooo afraid Daisy will do the same thing. She plays ball all through the house and the kitchen is her favorite place.
I'm afraid her "sliding" will, in time, tear her ACL.
Good luck. Andy's leg was just fine after it healed but we wouldn't let him jump up on the furniture anymore.

I twisted my back knee chasing a bird (imagine that). I was given anti-inflamatories and had to be on a leash outside so I wouldn't run after critters in my yard. It eventually got better. The bad thing is that it's more suseptible for re-injury.

My friend just went through this same thing with her large catahoula mix. He tore his (he is predisposed anyway her vet said) and then did a pain management protocol before going in for surgery. The vet was pretty sure he was still going to need surgery anyway--a brand new knee actually! Anway, much to their surprise, the pain management protocol worked (it's like at least a month long) and he now has use of that leg again. However, since he's predisposed, he'll probaby tear the other knee too and pain managment might work, but it might not. At least he doesn't need surgery right now. I think the pain managment relieves the pain in the leg and allows the dog's other tendons in that leg to strengthen, thus providing support for the knee. It also give time for the damaged tendon to repair itself. The dog has to be confined for several weeks and leashed walked, obviously.

Thank you very much guys! I'll let you all know how it goes with Big B!

I had this surgery in early January; that is why my mom made me wear this lamp shade! I had the TPLO surgery. My surgery was six weeks ago and I am going to be able to run and jump and do everything in two more weeks. It has been hard for my mom to keep me quiet and entertained. My brother Butch had surgery for an ACL tear in September too. His repair was a suture repair. Mine was more expensive, but I'm younger and weigh more so the doctor thought the surgery I had would be better for me.

I had surgery for an ACL tear in September. My mom said that for a couple of weeks before she took me to the doctor I would sometimes hold my leg up and sometimes I would walk like normal. She said she didn't see any difference in how I held my leg based on activity level so it was hard to figure out what was causing the problem. That is because the ligament slowly tears over time. She was very nervouse about the surgery, and what kind I should have. The surgery can be very expensive and the recovery can also take a month or two. Someone told her about Dr. Lee in Anderson so we went out there and my mom liked him right away! Three months later my sister started limping the same way and my mom took her back to Dr. Lee who said it was probably a partial tear. Audrey had to have surgery three weeks later. Audrey had a different kind of repair surgery because she is younger and bigger than me! My mom really liked Dr. Lee; he is at the Northwood Vet Hospital. A friend of my moms took her dog there for the same surgery a couple of weeks ago.

Good Luck!