Torn Ligament In Jack Russell

Amy is a 4 year old rescue dog, a jack russell/pomeranian cross who lives with me and “brother”, Elliott – a 9 year old Jack Russell. She appeared lame on 15th March and her vet confirmed a torn cruciate ligament on her left rear leg. There was no apparent cause, but she had been very active until that time and could have turned suddenly while running and injured the leg. She did not show any obvious pain but was not putting any weight on the injured leg.

Surgery was recommended, a real blow as I had only recently taken out pet insurance and crucuiate injury had a 6 month waiting period, so it was not covered. Orthodepic surgery was performed on 22nd March under general anaesthetic and an epidural and Amy was allowed to come home with me that same evening.

She weighs only 5.5 kilos (we live in Australia so about 12 pounds). Amy’s rump and leg were shaved but there were no bandages and the knee was stitched very cleanly. She was prescribed several types of medication, for pain, anti-inflamatories, and anti-biotics plus glucosamine tablets.

The Dog Acl Brace: 5 Surprising Answers To The Question

I had prepared a playpen in the kitchen to restrict her movement at home with space for bedding and water and also to keep her apart from Elliott and any possible bumps.

I think I felt almost as much pain as did Amy, feeling quite helpless and sad to see her just lying down and not her usual bouncy self. The vet had showed me how to pick her up to take her outside for toileting but it took a few days before there was any bowel movement.

Our post-op. follow up on 25th March confirmed that the wound was looking clean. There was quite a lots of purple bruising and the hock area was a little swollen, but the swelling has disappeared after 2 days.

Does My Dog Need Surgery To Fix His Damaged Knee?

Amy was then allowed to wander around a wider area of the house and to walk in the garden. She is holding up the injured leg and is not yet weight bearing.

On 29th March (after one week) we saw our vet and Amy was given a Cartrophen injection to reduce pain and arthritis. The injections will be a weekly treatment for the next 4 weeks. I was instructed by the vet to give massage and physio and encourage Amy to walk freely around the house and garden.

One week later and Amy appears happy and comfortable. She has a free run of the house (except the bedrooms where she might be tempted to try to jump on the bed). I have lots of cushions on all the chairs so they appear quite high and do not look appealing to her and have placed rugs so she can chose where to snooze. She can manage the step down into the garden and can wander inside and out as she wants.

Lessons Learned From Dog Acl Surgery And Recovery

This weeks goal is to continue physio and massage therapy and hope that Amy will start to put the leg down and try to walk on it a little.While there are multiple ligaments within the knee, typically a torn knee ligament refers to the tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament. The cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) is the equivalent of the human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This ligament helps stabilize the knee in dogs by keeping the tibia from sliding too far in front of the femur. A CrCL rupture is a snapping of this ligament which decreases the stability of the knee.

The degree of lameness noted can vary with the type of damage to the ligament (partial or full tear) and can compound or worsen over time as the disease of the ligament and other internal knee structures progresses. Around 50% of animals that develop a torn ligament and rupture in one knee will develop it in the other knee at some time in the future.

Hind-leg lameness is the most obvious symptom of a torn knee ligament. Severity may vary from intermittent lameness after activity to an inability to bear weight on the affected leg. When sudden incidents of full or partial tears occur, you may also notice swelling or pain when touching or manipulating your dog’s knee.

Coodeo Powerful Dog Canine Rear Leg Hock Joint Brace With Metal Spring Strips, Strengthen Support Dog Back Leg Compression Wrap, Help Dogs With Injuries, Sprains, Arthritis, Rheumatism Walk (small)

Over time, the CrCL develops damage due to wear and tear from physical activity and stress on the knee. This wear and tear is referred to as

As this damage/wear and tear accumulates, eventually the cranial cruciate ligament will rupture during use. Typically, this accumulation of damage to the cranial cruciate ligament is what leads to the tearing of the ligament. The second potential cause is a sudden traumatic rupture of the CrCL. This occurs due to a trauma (being struck by a vehicle) or an athletic situation (playing rough at a dog park) in young, healthy dogs whose ligaments have not incurred any prior damage. Sudden traumatic rupture is not typically common.

Veterinarians diagnose a fully torn CrCL by noting cranial drawer. Cranial drawer is instability in the knee that occurs when the knee is manipulated by the veterinarian and is present only when the CrCL is completely torn.

Canine Cruciate Ligament Injury

To detect cranial drawer the veterinarian will grasp the thigh bone and shin bone and try to pull the shin bone in front of the thigh bone. An intact CrCL will prevent the shin bone from going past the thigh bone. The cranial drawer test helps to determine if there are any “clicks” between the muscle and joint. Proper radiographs and evaluation for cranial drawer may require sedation due to the strength of the muscles around the knee and compliance of the pet to restraint.

Absence of cranial drawer indicates that there is not a full tear to the CrCL. The veterinarian will also do the following:

Typically, radiographs (X-rays) are required to evaluate the internal structures of the knee to assess for the presence and severity of joint effusion or arthritis, and for surgical planning, if needed.

Ruptured Cruciate Ligament In Dogs

Discussion with your veterinarian/surgeon will help determine which procedure is best for your pet. Multiple variables, such as size, activity level, knee stability, age, and finances are used to decide which procedure is the most beneficial.

Lameness is usually present for up to a month after surgery but improves over time. A three-  to four-month period of strict cage rest is typically required for proper healing after the surgery. Strict cage rest refers to the pet being always confined to a small room/kennel - except for short leash walks for the bathroom, laying with family members or eating.  All unconfined activity should only be allowed under strict observation by a family member to prevent the pet from overusing the affected knee. Increased or excessive activity prior to healing can result in surgical complications and failure of the procedure performed.

It also is important to avoid slippery surfaces and sudden large changes in elevation (such as stairs and getting on and off furniture). After the initial rest period, a slow progressive workload of the limb is recommended, with expected full recovery and limb use after six months.

Cruciate Ligament Tears — Elwood Vet

Typical costs of surgical correction for a CrCL rupture varies greatly depending on the size of the animal, location in the country and type of procedure performed. The average cost for one of these surgical procedures can range from $2, 000 to $5, 000.

A dog can live with a torn ligament, but arthritis and lameness in the knee and hind leg will progress without surgical correction.

Posted by abukhanzafathiaulia