cruciate ligamnet

Doglover

Hi, I just wanted to say that I hope your dog isn't too down in the dumps. Sadly my lovely springer of 15 years had to be put down last Sat. Anyway, she had various ailments including a pin in her hip and arthritis and she adapted to her abilities and slowed down (springers do eventually!) so I wouldn't imagine you'd have to keep him on the lead forever. Give your springer a hug from someone who misses hers lots

There_Goes_Trouble

cazza1968 wrote: »

Well he still hasnt limped from the day i took him to the vets. They did the x-rays and went through them with my husband when he picked him up. She said he has a slight hip dysplasia, and it looks like a torn cruciate. She said an operation isnt needed at the moment ! however if it was her dog she would never let him off the lead again as it could rupture. So im 500.00 worse off and have a dog that is depressed. I am lead walking him everyday, and he is going into kennels in 10 days time for a week. We will see what he is like when he comes home, but i'm not convinced that he needs to be on the lead all the time. The morning I took him to the vet, he managed to scale an 8ft fence after a cat, and i would have thought if it was going to go, then it would have happened then. Will have to wait and see, am giving him cod liver oil and glucosamine as well.

In the vet's defense, although this is worst case scenario which may not happen, it is exactly what happened to my dog. I had her on complete rest for 2 weeks, then over a 6 week period built her up from 5 mins twice a day to an hour twice a day on an extending lead.

The day I let her off the lead, the ligament snapped.

It can happen and your vet is right to warn you. However, it is your decision and you have to take your dogs quality of life into account. It's a risk though.

Waterfalls

it might be worth getting an appointment with an orthopaedic vet to ask their opinion on the subject, or atleast asking for the xrays to be forwarded on to them for analysis.
sometimes its better the get the problem sorted before the cruciate fully tears to prevent a dejenerative joint diease and further complications.

MaximumImpact

Well he still hasnt limped from the day i took him to the vets. They did the x-rays and went through them with my husband when he picked him up. She said he has a slight hip dysplasia, and it looks like a torn cruciate. She said an operation isnt needed at the moment ! however if it was her dog she would never let him off the lead again as it could rupture. So im 500.00 worse off and have a dog that is depressed. I am lead walking him everyday, and he is going into kennels in 10 days time for a week. We will see what he is like when he comes home, but i'm not convinced that he needs to be on the lead all the time. The morning I took him to the vet, he managed to scale an 8ft fence after a cat, and i would have thought if it was going to go, then it would have happened then. Will have to wait and see, am giving him cod liver oil and glucosamine as well.

Not meaning to worry you but that is exactly what my pup was like. She limped one day and then not the next. We never worried and put it down to her breed and Panosteitis. Unfortunatley by the time that we realised something wasn't right and got it looked at in depth, her ligament had gone completely and she was walking awkwardly to compensate. She has had TPLO but now faces getting arthritis at an early age. Please don't do what we did and assume that it is all alright because you can't see any symptoms.....

cazza1968

Thanks for all your comments, I appreciate different views. I was thinking of taking him to an orthopaedic vet, I wasnt sure if I had to be refered by my vet. I will look into it.

louisdog

My spaniel bust his cruciates as well, in 2008 when he was 8. He was limping a little and the vet sent us away with metacam, then one evening he went out into the garden limping slightly and came back indoors dragging his leg behind him - the cruciate had ruptured completely.

We were referred to a specialist vet who did the op and then Jake had lots of rest and gradual build-up of exercise, plus hydrotherapy.

The vet said that Jake will definitely get arthritis when older (and younger than most dogs do) and also that he'd almost certainly need the other leg doing. Sure enough, that went a couple of weeks after the first so he had another op. Vet also said Jake may always be slightly lame and may need metacam forever to control pain.

Anyway the good news is, Jake recovered just fine apart from a slightly different gait than before. He still trots around, no limp and no metacam needed.

One thing that cheered me up at the time was the thought that at least the op was an option - apparently 20 or 30 years ago the vet wouldn't have been able to do anything for the dog.

Anyway hope your dog makes a full recovery