Should my old dog with health issues get surgery for a torn ligament?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. A TPLO would be the most appropriate surgery based on Bella's size but I have had several patients that have not undergone surgery and developed severe arthritis in the affected knee and had difficulty walking on the leg. Unfortunately, the arthritis tends to worsen and the pain can become much worse in an untreated knee. There are other options for correcting a torn ACL but may not be the most appropriate for Bella. The lateral suture technique is much more affordable, requires less time to perform (less time under anesthesia) and stabilizes the knee. I've used this technique in much bigger dogs than Bella and they have never failed. There is always the chance that the repair may fail with the lateral suture with a dog Bella's size or bigger but it will stabilize the knee. I would discuss this other option with your veterinarian. I would consider doing something the stabilize the knee so that Bella is more comfortable. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

I think it would be worth a surgical consult if you're able. That doesn't mean you have to do the surgery but can help you make an informed decision. They may also have a physical therapy option that could be helpful with or without surgery.

The answer to your question really comes down to her examination and your goals. It is possible for a cruciate ligament to be partially torn or fully torn. If it is fully torn, the knee is unstable and surgery is the best option to stabilize the knee and slow down the development of arthritis in the joint. If the cruciate ligament is only partially torn, you can see signs like you have in Hambro where she seems pretty normal unless she injures the cruciate ligament again with high activity. For a large dog who is young, partial cruciate ligament injures are often problematic because they inhibit dogs from being able to play normally without being painful, but it sounds like Hambro has done well for 6 months. Another consideration is that if she has a partial tear, she may completely tear the cruciate ligament in the future which will necessitate surgery. There is also a potential complication of cruciate injuries that involve a tear in the meniscus. If that happens, she will be consistently lame and will need surgery. Unfortunately, only you can decide on the right answer for Hambro. Surgery provides the best possibility for return to normal activity without lameness, but certainly isn't without potential risks and complications. I have attached a handout on cruciate ligament injuries below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1975 Finally, if this is a partial cruciate injury and you would like to avoid surgery, I would recommend trying to find a rehabilitation veterinarian to help you with physical therapy exercises to strengthen Hambro. They will also be able to give you a second opinion. Hopefully you can find a vet in the UK at this site. http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/Find_A_Therapist.html http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/action.lasso Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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.

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.

That is really difficult to answer without more information, including what is ruptured (cruciate and is it both legs?), is she able to walk, is surgery an option, how much is the Metacam helping, and how big is she? If you could provide more information than it would be a little easier to evaluate the situation. Although, consulting with your vet is probably the best option as he/she knows your dogs complete medical history. Sorry that your dog is having this problem.

I am so sorry to hear about Brandy but happy that she seems to be doing well. Your options will really depend on the type/severity of the break. Some breaks can heal if bandaged/splinted without surgery if the bones are aligned well enough. If that is the case, you may be able to manage her under supervision of your vet with strict confinement and pain management and regular rechecking. If the leg is shattered into too many fragments for the leg to heal this way, you may have to make the tough decision of going ahead with surgery knowing that there is a risk. Even though she is an older dog, if she is otherwise healthy and has no known kidney/liver/heart disease she may do fine with surgery as long as she has good monitoring during anesthesia and supportive care after. If your vet isn't comfortable with this you may ask for a referral to a hospital that does more surgeries or a veterinary college that handles this type of case.