MY dog had "acl" type surgery and have limited her exercise,but she is having trouble healing because of her

Question

drive, she likes to pull and chase squirrels, she is an out doorsy dog she is a pit bull 6 yrs we just spent 1000 on the operation and now she seems like she is worse of now than before she tore her knee cap shes 90lbs and a great family dog is there anything that i can do to help her heal. the vet says that alot of vets dont do this type of surgery and he only does about 4 or 5 a year because of the complications and the risk that it just might not work like i think this is whats happened with my dog i think she may have reinkured the same leg but cat be sure till we go to the vet. sometimes she is walking fine and at othertimes she can barely ut weight on it, HELP ME I CANT SPEND ANOTHER 1000 BUCKS

Answer 1

When they tell you to keep the dog confined after surgery they mean it.
I have a client who had ACL surgery done of her dog and he was a small dog but he had to be crated for a few weeks after.
It was really hard to crate him as he was a very busy dog.
She did crate him but they actually had to tranqualize him part of the time as he was so hyper.
He is ok now but had to have both legs done.
Find out what the vet thinks when he looks at her. Maybe she is just doing to much to fast and is getting sore.
Hopefully she will heal but you need to keep her quiet for awhile.

Answer 2

I'm a vet tech working in a rehabilitative practice, so I see a lot of dogs who're recovering from knee surgery. It's pretty common for high-energy dogs to rupture their cruticate ligament - the stress on the joint is intense when they tear around the yard, chasing and making sharp turns.

There are two types of repair for these types of tears - one is a suturing of the ligament, and the other is a total reconstruction of the joint via a controlled break of the tibea and a plate setting. The first one is usually cheaper, but can result in a higher instance of arthritis later in life. There are two big concerns with this type of injury - the first is injury of the other knee as a result of bearing all weight in the back end, and the other is re-injury of the originally injured knee during the delicate recovery period.

There are a few tips we give people to help keep dogs under control during this time. If she's prone to running when she goes outside, you'll have to keep her on a leash when she's outside. Since she's a puller, you might want to invest in a head collar (Gentle Leader or Head Halter are the two biggest companies). The head collars fit around the muzzle and put pressure in a spot that's somewhat uncomfortable if the dog pulls too hard. It's helpful, because it gives you 'head control' instead of 'neck control', and can really help a dog who enjoys pulling. Cage rest is also really critical - if you don't have a large kennel that she can relax in, try isolating her a quiet dark room. The less stimulation she has, the more inclined she (should) be to stay calm and still.

Here's a really good website on canine rehabilitation - it's mostly in reference to a dog who had hip surgery, but the therapies are about the same, and it might give you some good ideas and help fuel some questions for your vet. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me - my husband is a rehabilitative vet and this is our passion, so I'm more than happy to help you out. Best of luck with your girl!

http://www.rememberourpets.com/rop/detail.aspx?aid=14235&cid=75&search=

Answer 3

If your not going to crate this animal and only walk it outside to eliminate then you might as well kiss that money good bye and start saving for the next surgery. You cant feel sorry for the dog being locked up or limited. The pain the dog is feeling and the reason it isn't healing is you. You must follow vets instructions! No one likes to think of their pet being miserable and I am sure all the parents of kids in hospital don't want them to be there either. We are the ones responsible for our animals health and care. Put emotion aside and do what is best for the dogs physical health. A month of crating a dog will not harm it mentally a dog doesn't think that way. Yeah it might want out but the fact that it continues to hurt itself should prove it is unable to reason.

Answer 4

If you want to help her ,what you need to do is limit her exercise - that means no opportunity to chase squirrels. She stays in the house, kenneled if necessary, and is taken out to go to the bathroom on a short leash then right back in. Your vet must have made it clear how easily she could injure herself. You're not doing her any favours here!