Why is my dog's knee still swollen 3 weeks after ACL surgery?

As long as Zoe isn't limping (which means she is in pain) and the swelling doesn't get any bigger, you can wait until Monday. If she starts limping and/or the swelling gets bigger, then you will need to take her into the ER vet. Best of luck.

Please remove the rest of the bandage and you can do some gentle massage up and down the leg to improve the circulation. Holding the paw and rhythmically squeezing and releasing will help also. Please use a restraint collar so Kolsch doesn't chew her incision or make a sore on the swollen leg or paw. I encourage 2-5 minute slow controlled leash walks. If the swelling doesn't resolve by tomorrow I recommend a recheck with the veterinarian who performed the surgery. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kolsch.

Exercise should be strictly limited for the first six weeks post surgery. To help guide you with Sunday's recovering, I will put a link to a website that details exactly what needs to be done in regards to exercise after this surgery. The first few weeks, Sunday will likely be toe tapping before moving on to gingerly putting weight on her leg. By six weeks post surgery, she should be using her leg without limping, but it will still be at least another six weeks before she is allowed to run, jump, or play. https://www.webvets.com/Resources/resource.php?Anterior-Cruciate-Ligament-Surgery-Post-Operative-Care-44

If her pain is truly localized to the hip it could be from a joint injury or arthritis. It’s also possible that the pain is originating from the knee - unfortunately many dogs that experience a cruciate rupture will have the other leg rupture within 6-12 months. If the lameness continues I’d recommend having Dallas examined by your vet.

The clicking may be due to an injury to the meniscus in her knee. The meniscus provides additional stability and cushioning between the bones that make up the knee joint. It is common to see meniscal injury along with cruciate injuries. Ideally, she should be rechecked by your veterinarian. In some cases, surgery is required to repair or remove the meniscus. Strenuous play or running should be avoided until at least 12 weeks post op and then, it should only be for very short periods of time. Each dog recovers differently, so the timetable to resume regular activity is flexible.

Hello sorry to hear about Pilot. It sounds like his knee may have become swollen from being unstable and needs time to allow the swelling to decrease. Anti-inflammatory medications may also help decrease the swelling in his knee. Because of how unstable a knee is when the CCL is torn, they may also develop concurrent medial meniscus injury/tear. Ideally, Pilot should continue to be rested and prevent any running, jumping, or rough housing which can exacerbate swelling of an unstable knee. Once his swelling has decreased (2-3 days), Pilot may begin to use his leg again. You may expect this to happen if Pilot does not have his CCL addressed surgically. In generally, overexertion may cause him to become sore on his knee and he may express intermittent episodes of lameness. Please speak with your veterinarian about seeing a surgeon to address his torn CCL. Hope this helps and best of luck.

This could be just a flareup of arthritis in the knee which is very common in dogs with the surgery. Depending on what was done sometimes there could be a meniscus injury after the surgery. Some surgeons do a "preventative" meniscus surgery at the same time others do not. Rarely it could indicate an issue with the implant placed during the procedure. I would follow your veterinarian's advice and if she becomes worse have her seen sooner. Sometimes x-rays of the knee or needed other times we can figure out what's going on with just an orthopedic exam.