Both Cruciate ligaments gone :(

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only_me

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my dog has been steadily getting more lame (we thought he had arthritus and had been on painkillers) but today would not walk and was off his food.

took him to vets to get x rays. told that each cruciate ligaments in his hind legs have gone and that he needs a operation to fix them, but only when he looses about 3-4kg (he is slightly overweight due to him not going running as much
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) in about a months time.

has anyone had any success with this operation? and anybody experienced this before?
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My labrador had one hind leg operated on - operation was called a TPLO and was a total success. She had to be lead walked for a long time afterwards and I doubt you could get both done at the same time as it involves casts and joint immobility. We were warned that she's probably get arthritis in the joint afterwards but she was 10 at the time and had done a couple of seasons shooting so we expected this anyway.

Sadly she was PTS this summer due to mouth cancer but I am very glad that she had the op and was able to sprint around as normal until the day she passed away.

Try swimming for weight loss - non weight bearing and very effective. There may be a local canine hydro pool near you - try searching on the web.
 
thanks! thats a very good idea, must check that out
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he is a beagle so is used to being on a lead, (:p) but has been very active and is now 9 or 10
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so quite an oldie for his breed.
 
Yes, I officially own the most expensive £60 rescue mongrel in the world (as far as I know).

She did the first cruciate about 18 months ago and had that operated on succesfully.

Last Christmas (having got over first op) she decided to jump a wall at my parents house and did the other cruciate.

She looked really sorry for herself the second time - much worse than the first - damaged the joint quite badly.

Anyway, we couldn't leave her like that so second cruitciate op last Jan. She is now absolutely sound and well - no longer allowed to jump walls or chase a frisbee but otherwise totally normal.
 
Silly mare I'll contest you for the most expensive mongrel, mine cost £30 as a pup and her vet bills totaled nearly £10,000 by the time she was put down. But she was well worth it.
When she did her first cruciate ligament she chased a strange cat up our gardens steps(she had been running up them for years) and came back down the garden hopping lame. Had the op and was ok, but never really regained her youthful vigour. She also had a thriod problem so keeping weight off was an issue, and after the injury and the op she had gained quite a bit of weight, which she never really shifted. 6mths after this she tweaked the other cruiciate ligament on the other leg, an op wasn't an issue as she was over weight, she pottered around for another couple of months on metacam before she lost interest and thats when we made the desicion to have her PTS she was 12 at the time of the 1st leg going and she was put to sleep when she was nearly 14.
Not a happy story but my Pen had so many other issues going on and we had family troubles at the time and she just gave up, stopped eating and because of her leg couldn't walk far, so was very depressed.
I'm not suggesting yours will end this way - I hope you have a happier ending.
Also if you haven't got one already, a dog cage was a godsend for Penny's recovery as it was the only way she would rest, she was a lively thing at times and we didn't want her to damage herself anymore.
 
We had a lab and a rottie that had cruciate repair ops both very successful. My sisters mad springer did both of his and also came sound after the ops.

Would the vet do both legs at the same time ?
 
My beautiful spaniel, Jerry Springer 9 years old, had his cruciate ligament operated on early this year about April. He charged off behind the wheelie bin and came back yelping and lame, so went to vets etc and had the op, initially I regreted it and thought perhaps better to have a lame dog cos he came home with a vet wrap bandage from claw to top of hip, he cried continually wouldnt do a wee even if I carried him onto the grass just laid yelping. We took rushed him back 2 days later he was in so much pain vet gave him strong pain killers and very slowley he got better. but kept him on the lead for 3 months or he would of gone off running with my mums dog. Now he is sound but if he has a day of flying round and a lot of running he is very stiff the next day also if he is laid down at night watching Tv he is lame when he gets up for a couple of steps. We now give him 1 paracetamol per day that seems to releive his stiffness. To be brutally honest I actually expected a much better result. But the vet did say artharitis does set in. Really you are left with no other choice but to have the op, I hope your dog gets better at least if you have the op now he will be ok by time the better weather comes.
 
My rottie had a cruciate op 2.5yrs ago when she was 8 and it was a total success. Cost us a total of 3K (not insured!) plus the swimming and recovery but well worth it. Unfortunately now the vet thinks the other cruciate has gone but she is now 10.5yrs. She is slowly going incontinent and is on Urilin, so we have a big decision to make after she has had an x-ray. Going back to the vets tomoro to get referred but if I was selfish would say definitely do the op but I don't think her other leg would stand the pressure of her bodyweight. She has been to the yard with me since she was a pup and I can now tell that she is really missing running round the fields. Vet said we can keep her on painkillers until she tells us otherwise - how heartbreaking are our animals eh. xxx
 
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