However, because the knee ligaments slowly deteriorate as a dog ages, even minor trauma can cause serious injury in older dogs. Young, athletic dogs who engage in occasional strenuous exercise often fall victim to CCL ruptures. In younger dogs, a torn CCL might be the result of a traumatic injury, while older dogs suffer CCL tears due to wear on their ligaments over time. Causes of CCL Ruptures (Torn ACL) in Dogs Large breeds such as Labradors, Rottweilers, and Golden Retrievers are the most susceptible, but any size of dog can suffer a knee injury. Rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament is a serious condition that could permanently hinder your dog’s mobility. The CCL connects the back of the femur to the front of the tibia and stabilizes the knee joint. Although this ligament performs a similar function to the ACL in humans, a dog’s anatomy is a little bit different. Rupture of the Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL)Ī torn ACL in dogs is actually a torn CCL, or cranial cruciate ligament. If you have noticed any of these symptoms, b ring your dog to Animal Care Center of Castle Pines for a complete physical examination.
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In addition to lameness, other symptoms include sitting abnormally, swelling of the knee, and stiffness or clicking sounds while walking. A torn ACL in dogs (actually their CCL) is a very common injury. I noticed so many black labs on this site have ACL injuries.Has your dog suddenly started experiencing lameness in one hind leg? It could be due to a torn knee ligament. When the weather gets warmer, we are going to set up a pool and have her do some therapeutic swimming. And every time Ruby puts weight on her foot, it makes me so happy. She now puts weight on her right foot about 65% of the time. This surgery was done about 25 days ago, and Ruby is doing very well. So in another five or six months we will have to do this all over again! Her vet gave us her progress report and informed us that her other knee also has ACL, which caused me to gasp and sigh. When she saw us, she was still carrying her ACL leg while wiggling her hips and wagging her tail at us. We picked her up the next day as soon as the vet allowed us to. My husband was upset with having to leave her overnight. When we visited with her vet right before her surgery, she told us the surgery performed would not be a TPLO, but a strap around her knee that kept the joint in place for a few years and allowed her to strengthen and support her area around the knee. They were always on site and the the small town’s beloved vet hospital saved us about $600 in costs even after we took into account that we had to stay overnight in a hotel, gas, eating out, and missing two days work. No special date was needed for the special veterinarian to be in to do the surgery. I called around for a better rate and found one in Ely, MN. (Husbands never listen!)Ībout two months ago, we took our 8-year-old Ruby to a different vet who said they would do the TPLO surgery for $3500.
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But when she would recover a little and not limp, ball throwing would continue followed by her limping until she was not carrying her leg at all and she really needed the surgery and nothing else would do. So my husband was put on notice not to let her run anymore and not to throw the ball too far. Chasing imaginary rabbits, squirrels, and other animals as we ran, or chasing one of her non-destructive but expensive Paws balls. When I took her running (before her injury) she would twist, turn and bounce down our dirt road. Some sites said she could recover if she was crated ALL of the time for a LONG time.īut my Ruby is very very energetic. I took her home and tried to think of a way to come up with the money.
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She recommended surgery or possibly a brace. I took her to the vet who said it was an ACL injury. Approximately two years ago, my black lab/pit/boxer started limping in her right back leg.