Cruciate ligament damage

[SnowPhony]

Any one ever had any dogs damage a cruciate ligament in their hind leg?

Mum is now at the vets with one of the GSD's as she's gone very lame on her hind leg. Was very worried it might be a hip to start with especially as she's only 2 but she thinks it's a cruiciate ligament.

As a pup she was a little lame on the leg for a short while and it happened on and off. It never seemed painful to touch, just a little awkward for a few strides and then she was ok. It was put down to being an energetic pup having strained herself.

Since then before christmas she wasa bit lame on same leg a few hours after a walk. Hadn;t done anything different and was ok the following day.

Now she has been lame since Thursday evening. Vets couldn't see her yesterday and said they couldn't fit her in until Monday though as she's extremely sore today, there's been no improvement and she's not herself at all Mum has managed to get her seen today. She won't put any weight on the leg whatsoever.


Mum seems to think it's a cruciate problem after doing a bit of research.

Anyone experienced this?

 

[CorvusCorax]

The repair op can be very expensive.

Only a proper x-ray can reveal hip damage. Bear in mind it could also be a back issue, my older GSD (well he is four, I mean he is older than my younger one!!) goes lame periodically on his left hind because he damaged his L7 vertebrae in a fall, we have to make sure he doesn't go too bonkers on walks. It is usually cleared up with a short course of anti-inflammatories and rest. The pain in his back actually means he can't stride out or put full weight on his leg when it is very bad.

It could also be muscle or tissue damage or Pano, to which GSDs are prone.

Hope it is nothing too serious x

Don't let the vet write her off as having HD without an x-ray, just because she is a GSD, it happens too often!
TBH if it has been happening on and off on the same leg since puppyhood it should have been checked out before now, not criticising you just in case someone else is reading and may be going through the same thing x

 

[SnowPhony]

That's the thing, when she was a pup and first started going lame Mum took her to the vets who said asked if she was especially energetic which she is ( she's still like bloody coiled spring!) and it was put down to 'a puppy strain'. It didn't come back until just before christmas, and again went away again as quickly as it came. It hadn't seemed that serious until now and she's really feeling sorry for herself. She's apparently got a face on her like the older girl who is labelled 'the depressive one' because no matter what she always looks sad and is has only been getting up to ask to go in the garden for a wee.

Mum is kicking herself now that she didn't get a second opinion as a puppy and is going into overdrive that it's her hips.

Was due at the vets 11.30 and still no word so I'm really hoping all is ok!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yeah, sorry, I did think that might sound a bit harsh I knew there has been something wrong with B this most recent time for weeks, not hopping lame but just not *right* and it took for him to do a stretch and start crying and carrying his leg for my mum to realise I was not seeing things or over-reacting and I am sure I am a bit older than you

GSDs can be bloody stoic creatures, drama queens about the little stuff (my ears are still ringing from getting the pup's ear caught in the car crate door briefly yesterday) but will not make a peep about more serious stuff until it is quite bad and they get that depressed air, it can be quite stressful for them.

Fingers crossed it may be something easy to deal with it, the more you tell me the more it sounds like B and his back!

 

[SnowPhony]

Don't worry, not harsh at all, I would have said the same.

Mum's just called and said she wouldn't let the vet examine her back end at all. He's having her in on Monday morning to do x-rays. He has said he doesn't want to be unfair and assume it's her hips without having a proper look which I'm pleased about He's given her an injection for pain relief and armed Mum with some other pain killers to last until Monday.

She's convinced she's going to loose her (mum is a bit of a drama queen!) but can't really blame her after our last pup having to be put to sleep at 6 months old. Always thinking the worst!

Times like this I wish I still lived at home, right little wanna be vet nurse and I hate not being able to see for myself what is up with her. Not that it makes any difference I moved out shortly after we picked her up but still consider bothe Ellie and Eva as my dogs!

To be fair she is a massive drama queen so hopefully she is just playing it up a bit.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Oh bless her!

Loads of good vibes coming her way for Monday and just try and keep her comfy until then x

Do you know what way she is bred? PM if you prefer and sorry if I have asked you this before, it's highly likely

 

[Chestnuttymare]

My dobermann cara had double cruciate surgery when she was 2. 30% of dogs whose cruciate goes, gets it in the other leg too. It is a footballers injury, done with all the twisting and turning quickly. I know the point when it happened in caras first leg, she caught the ball and then turned quick to bring it back and it just pinged. She had the first one done then was home a week and went back and had the other one done. I know it sounds awful to get them both done but it is the best way. It got it all over and done with. I got her home on the day of the surgery and slept downstairs on a mattress with her as obviously she couldn't do the stairs and I didn't want to leave her. The day after the op she was weight bearing. It was 3 months of very short walks on the lead but she made a brilliant recovery and is perfect now, the bionic dog lol. She went to Broadleys vet practice in stirling as he is one of the top orthopaedic guys. The 2 ops cost 4.5k so not cheap, hopefully you are insured. Pet plan paid out no problem.

 

[BuzzLightyear]

my boxer had cruciate damage in a hind leg, repaired without an op.

My vet wanted to see if it would repair itself initially so he had a Robert Jones bandage/cast on for a couple of months.

Once it came off he was re-xrayed to confirm the fracture was stabilised/ healed

We then spent a couple more months on restricted exercise whilst his muscle builds up.

He does need ongoing chiro/ physio every couple of months. Because of the injury he has adapted his way of going which has knock on implications in his hips and gradually works its way up his back and manifests itself as a front end lameness.

fingers crossed for your gsd
xxx

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

surgery is between £1000 and £2500 .

They normally put a dis solvable band in which when broken down is about a year then by this time the other leg muscles are stronger, dog will usually still limp , and will never be as strong again specially in an older dog. Younger ones might fair better. For the first month after op dog musnt move only bed rest and out for a P&C.

Its very painfull and dog will look in allot of pain

 

[Chestnuttymare]

surgery is between £1000 and £2500 .

They normally put a dis solvable band in which when broken down is about a year then by this time the other leg muscles are stronger, dog will usually still limp , and will never be as strong again specially in an older dog. Younger ones might fair better. For the first month after op dog musnt move only bed rest and out for a P&C.

Its very painfull and dog will look in allot of pain

The newer method is more like a meccano set up. It is more expensive than the 'band' kind but 4 years on my girl is spot on. you would never know she had it done. Cara was mobile as i said from the day after the op. I had a sling to help her doen the step from the back door to the garden but only used it once or twice. she was only out in the garden for the first couple of weeks and then 10 mins on the lead and then built it up very slowly. After 3 months it was business as usual. The recovery was amazing. Dogs aren't like us though, they don't lie around feeling sorry for themselves.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

well our dog not insured also big dogs take longer to heal and with him having hip displacia too

so this was our only option

 

[CorvusCorax]

Any news?

 

[SnowPhony]

Unfortunately is wasn't the cruciate ligament damage we ended up hoping for. After x-rays yesterday the vet has diagnosed hip dysplasia.

The vet wasn't around when mum picked her up. But the nurse said the vet asked her to tell Mum it is pretty severe and informed mum they could do nothing but keep her comfortable.

Cue frantic phone call to me in floods of tears at the prospect of having a barely 2 year old dog put to sleep. I was pretty gutted last night to say the least.

However after the vet called her this morning I had a text message telling me that things seem more positive after she has spoken to him and that she will call me later. So I'm sat here waiting for my phone to ring for more details.

Anyone have any experience of hip dysplasia, especially in young dogs?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Sorry to hear this but it is not the end of the world.

As I mentioned via PM, for now, keep her lean, feed her well and supplement her well and look into things like swimming/hydrotherapy.

I've been lucky enough to own lots of GSDs with no hip problems, but there a couple of people on here who have dogs of varying breeds with HD which live perfectly normal lives.

You do need to contact the breeder to make them aware and owners of other dogs in her litter aware as it may be hereditary ie her sire or dam could have thrown it and other siblings could be effected.

 

[SnowPhony]

Well it seems she is responding to the treatment very well so far The vet has said she does have it quite bad but that as long as she is responding to treatment and happy then there is no reason why she cannot continue living the life she currently does. She'll be medicated for the rest of her life but Mum will continue with that for as long as Eva is happy.

Still feeling really gutted about it, never had a GSD with HD before and maybe nievely thought it was pretty much erradicated these days. More fool me!

Mum is (or has by now) contacting the breeder to make them aware. Both parents had good hip scores but it appears that something is amiss.