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Sniper

Anyone have experience with ACL/CCL tears in dogs?

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The pup has been having more and more issues with his right rear leg. First blush, it looks like it could be a ACL or CCL tear in the right knee. Probably from running and playing hard, and this type of injury seems popular with Retrievers.

I have an appointment with a orthopedic specialist next week with him, to do an eval and MRI. Doing some research on possible reasons for the injury, and seeing that there are three different types of surgery to fix this injury, if it's a CCL tear.

Wondering if anyone went through this surgery with their pups, which method they used, and more importantly, how did the rehab and return to normal activities go. The LAST thing I want to put him through is going under the knife.

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8 hours ago, Sniper said:

Wondering if anyone went through this surgery with their pups,. The LAST thing I want to put him through is going under the knife.

I've only seen this indirectly through customers dogs and they all had replacement surgery eventually which went well but was expensive.

There is chance the other leg will need surgery as well later on. However, the dogs in question developed cancer a couple of years later and died, both under 9 years old. One suddenly from an undetected tumor on the spleen.

 

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3 minutes ago, Bomber said:

I've only seen this indirectly through customers dogs and they all had replacement surgery eventually which went well but was expensive.

I'm not concerned about the cost, I'll spend what ever it takes. I'm more concerned on the actually surgery, and which of the three methods are best. My dude is four, and very active, so If I go the surgery route, I want it to be right. He's got a lot of years left, and we got things to accomplish yet.

5 minutes ago, Bomber said:

There is chance the other leg will need surgery as well later on.

Yeah, I've seen that in my research too. Seems like the dog puts too much stress on the "good" leg during rehab, and ends up injuring it too.

7 minutes ago, Bomber said:

However, the dogs in question both developed cancer a couple of years later and died, both under 9 years old. One suddenly from an undetected tumor on the spleen.

Exactly what my last Lab died of, cancer of the spleen, at 10. Multiple tumors and metasticized to the kidneys.

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35 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Exactly what my last Lab died of, cancer of the spleen, at 10. Multiple tumors and metasticized to the kidneys.

People love their Labs but most don't make it to 12 years old, some even less.  Another customer had a Lab with a large tumor on the spleen that was removed, he lived about another year afterward.

Not a very healthy breed. Same deal with Goldens unfortunately.

On the other end of the spectrum we have a customer with a 18 year old Silky Yorkie who outlived his first owner. Legally blind but still loves to go for walks and eat.

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12 hours ago, Bomber said:

People love their Labs but most don't make it to 12 years old, some even less.  

I believe that's the normal range for large breed dogs, 12-14 years. My first Lab made it to 13, and died suddenly from heart failure, in a few hours.

12 hours ago, Bomber said:

Another customer had a Lab with a large tumor on the spleen that was removed, he lived about another year afterward.

I was prepared to do the same, and get her spleen removed. But the further tests showed it got into her kidneys, and the vet felt, at best, she'd get only another month, so why put a older dog through the surgery.

That's why I want to tread carefully with my current dude's diagnosis, and not rush to a quick surgical decision, because it has to be fixed correctly, to get the maximum longevity, so he can stay active. We have a K9 Obstacle Course Competition to win!

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3 minutes ago, silverado427 said:

 Check these guys out. Two friends  had them do work on their pets.   Red Bank Veterinary Hospital. 

Thanks. We've already been there for emergency treatment when he was a puppy. My local vet referred me to a ortho specialist at Garden State Vet Specialists, right near there. He's got an eval there next week, and depending what they say, Red Bank is my second option.

5 minutes ago, Tom609 said:

Is this condition where the ligament in the rear leg slips out of place?

A few things can happen depending on the severity. The ligament over the knee gets stretched, or ripped, or can be completely torn from the knee. Hopefully, the MRI will give a better picture/idea what's going on, and if it really is the CCL, or something else.

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Years ago I had a small dog - under 10 lbs., and the vet said that small dogs will usually not need surgery, but larger dogs yes.  It took her a few months, but it resolved itself.  It did happen again to the other leg.  Same results.  Years later Red Bank in Cherry Hill treated her cancer.  I was very impressed with them.

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Red Bank is a great place, and I was going to start there first. My local vet, who've I've been going to for over 7 years, has been a straight shooter, so I'll start with his referral first. But before the knife comes out, I definitely will be getting other opinions and diagnosis on what's going on. I'm not going to guess, it's too important.

That's why I was hoping some others here might have had some first hand experiences. I'm more concerned on the long term results and experiences after surgery and rehab.

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On 8/3/2021 at 12:50 PM, Sniper said:

Red Bank is a great place, and I was going to start there first. My local vet, who've I've been going to for over 7 years, has been a straight shooter, so I'll start with his referral first. But before the knife comes out, I definitely will be getting other opinions and diagnosis on what's going on. I'm not going to guess, it's too important.

That's why I was hoping some others here might have had some first hand experiences. I'm more concerned on the long term results and experiences after surgery and rehab.

@Sniper You might want to consider a company called "My Pet's Brace" in Morgantown, PA.  https://www.mypetsbrace.com 

Here's a video of the treatment plan & results 4 years later.  Good luck with your dog!

FWIW we go to Peddler's Village in Lahaska, PA quite often.  One Sunday we saw 3 My Pet's Brace customers in a 3 hour time span.

Rosey 

 

 

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Hey Rosie, thanks for posting that info @Smokin .50. I hadn't seen that particular brace. I saw some others that were complete wrap arounds on the rear of the dog, and my dude would never put up with it. This one looks really good, and custom fitted. I'm going to check them out.

He has an appointment tomorrow morning with the specialist, so we'll see what they suggest.

Thanks again!!!!

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My friend used My Pet's Brace for her elderly (since deceased) pit bull... whose front leg was starting to bend in the wrong direction (ouch). She RAVED about the service and the product (and I would say she's a VERY finicky customer). I was impressed with the brace, too - frankly, it looked as good as any human orthotics I've seen - and apparently, it was an extensive and thorough fitting appointment. She went to the Morgantown, PA site btw (their original site), but apparently, they now also have a fully trained vet somewhere in NJ who can take all the measurements, etc., so that's another option that might be closer. If you call them, you can ask about locations.

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After Rosey posted that link (thanks again @Smokin .50) I did a lot of digging around about that brace. On the front end, it looks really good, and well engineered. Don't know why I didn't see it the last two weeks with all my CCL research. It's definitely a consideration, depending what I hear tomorrow from the ortho doc. I'm definitely NOT leaning towards surgery, if I can help it. My faith in doctors/surgery in the last decade has really dropped off.

I also noticed on their site, that Red Bank is one of their local places that will do the cast template and fitting. But, if I decide to go that route, I'll go to Morgantown too, and have the experts do the fitting.

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Well, you've posted pictures on here of your Lab and my immediate reaction was "what a gorgeous... and immaculately groomed dog." So, you obviously take excellent care of your pup... therefore, I'm sure you'll make solid decisions on his healthcare. They ARE family members, after all. Good luck...!

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Ha... he's also been a huge investment in time, training, money, etc. , I got a lot invested in this dude, just trying to get a Return on that Investment at some point in the future. I can't send him back to the manufacturer as "defective"..:rofl:

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Wishing you & the pooch the absolute best outcome.  Glad to be of service.  My DIL used to work there, and (with her Master's in Biomedical Engineering) has since moved-on to human orthotic studies.

One more thing.  The dogs train themselves to accept the brace.  They sit still while you put it on and adjust it, and they know they can play with it on.  It's usually harder to get it off than put it on.  And the dogs enjoy their braces and the freedom that comes with them.  I'm seeing more customers now than ever.  And everyone I stop to chat with LOVES what the brace has done for their family member!  The brace totally takes care of the dog's natural inclination to throw more weight on the "good leg", thereby causing other problems down the road.  I've seen videos of a dog that limps get a brace put on for the first time (at the Morgantown facility) and 5 minutes later the same animal is running down the hallway at My Pet's Brace!  It's like throwin' a light switch!

All the best!

Rosey

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