Does a dog's torn ACL heal on its own, or is surgery needed?

A torn cruciate ligament in the knee is not something you need to rush to surgery for. I'm a rehab veterinarian and I usually recommend rest, anti inflammatory medication, and short leash walks for potty only. If she is improving over the next few weeks then she may recover well without surgery. If there is no improvement or she starts using it, then gets worse again then I do recommend surgery. It is very important to prevent any jumping and no explosive movements. Basically Gumbo needs to be leash walked only for up to three months for her to recover without surgery. Also if you have a veterinary rehab clinic near you taking her for treatment there would assist her recovery without surgery. If you have additional questions please request a consultation with me and I can answer them. This is the most common injury I see in my practice. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Gumbo.

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this with Sookie. If Sookie's cruciate ligament is completely torn, surgery is the best option for stabilizing the joint and developing less arthritis as she ages. Without surgery, the knee will scar and Sookie will walk on it again, but Sookie will develop more arthritis in the joint than if she has surgery. Small dogs often do "OK" without surgery, but do develop more arthritis in that joint than if they have surgery. Arthritis actually starts developing almost immediately after a cruciate injury, so it is a concern. Since Sookie is 8, I suspect the surgery will provide her the best quality of life for a long time with the least amount of arthritis. Here is more information on cruciate disease. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1975 Finally, if you decide to avoid surgery or would like to get another opinion, I would recommend trying to find a rehabilitation veterinarian to help you with your decision and possibly recovery after surgery. http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/Find_A_Therapist.html Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

The best treatment is surgery. There are some dogs that may respond ok to rest and pain medications or a brace (mypetsbrace.com) but in the end most do best from surgery. I would consider having the surgery performed or going to get the opinion for a surgeon. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is true that he will put more weight on his other limbs and that is why 40-% if dogs tear the other. I would also encourage you to start him on fish oils to reduce inflammation as well and a chondroprotectants such as dasequin. Surgery is the absolute best option to reduce the development of arthritis. Happy healing!

I would start by having Josie examined by a vet. Depending on the procedure, she may need a different procedure. Most dogs with one torn ACL will tear the other one within months or a couple years, so odds are that she did the other one. She needs to start with pain medications and rest. Laser therapy and acupuncture are also helpful in healing. A wheelchair won't be helpful unless she can't use the legs at all.

It is difficult to assess without a full history of the type and severity of the injury. The most common type of injury is to the cruciate ligament inside the knee - although this can stabilise quite well with rest, weight management and joint supplements (especially in smaller dogs under 10-15kg), surgery is the recommended route in order to minimise the severity of arthritis which will develop due to the joints being unstable. Some arthritis is inevitable but it should be less severe and develop later in life if the joint is quickly stabilised with surgery

Acupuncture can help with the pain, but it won't heal the torn CCL. A torn CCL won't be visible on x-rays, but there will be radiographic changes such as excessive fluid in the joint and displacement of the infra patellar fat pad. Torn CCLs cannot be diagnosed from x-rays alone, and a lameness exam should be done including a tibial thrust and cranial drawer test (manipulation tests). If those haven't been done already, I recommend having them done by the vet. If Stella's CCL is torn, then surgery is the recommended treatment. As a large dog, conservative treatment is not recommended because it doesn't work. Surgery is likely the best option for Stella, and I would speak to your vet about a recommendation to a veterinary orthopedic surgeon.