# Injured ACL (knee injury)



## Turbomelvis (Oct 4, 2011)

Ok So im a little bit bummed tonight.. trying to stay positive. 

My rescued Spoo Jackson (whom I've had 3 weeks now) seems to have agravated an "old" injury (hes only 10 months old). During the past few weeks I've noticed that after sleeping or laying down, when he gets up, he's been stiffed legged in his back left leg, I shook it off as growing pains and started him on gluclosemine. 

I'll try to keep this short, he jumped to catch a ball this week and lost balance in mid jump and fell back, landing on his hip/side. He came up holding his back left leg up. thinking it was the hip, I crated him for 2 days and gave him some buffered aspirin (he was back to walking on it within seconds of the fall) so I did that as a precaution. 

This week, as he was playing with the shepherd, I noticed one day he was sorta sensitive in holding it just slightly off the ground. 

Took him to the vet today (thinking ok maybe his knee cap pops in and out of place--only b/c I know my mom's toy has this same "symptoms" at times". Vet came in and palpitated the leg, hip, and all and all was clear for any dislocation issues. However, she felt very strongly that he strained/pulled his ACL. She felt that it wasnt DUE b/c of the fall, but that the fall aggravated the injury that was already there. If it tears, he will have to have surgery. We are praying and doing everything in our powers to keep that from happening. 

After going home, I got to wondering surely something of this magnitude was documented in his medical history.... (I had the wisdom to call his previous vet and have them fax over his entire medical history per my adoption). I called back up there and asked them to review his history to see if there was ANYTHING that indicated some sort of leg injury. 

Sure enough!!!! In april, he fell off the ex-owners bed and his back leg got "hung" up some how. She took him in and they did xrays, ruled out any broken bones, but didnt rule out any ligament damage. 

Now he is on 10 days of crate rest--UGHHH a 10month old SPOO on crate rest?? Pray for his and mine's sanity.. especially since I have a 1 1/2 yo G. Shepherd who wrestle with him just about all day, every day. 

Anyone ever have any experience with this type of injury? Are my far off dreams of agility out the door? My concerns is that he's still growing.. will this affect the growth of that ligament and since he's still a puppy would it be agreeable that he might be able to bounce back form this easier vs full grown?


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## spoospirit (Mar 10, 2009)

_I'm sorry to hear that your puppy has such and injury. I have had no experience with anything like that but I will keep you both in my prayers that you do keep your sanity through this and that he has a full recovery from it.

My sister tore her ACL some years back mounting her horse. Surgery had to be done to repair it. She was laid up for awhile to heal. She gets sore sometimes, but other than that, functions quite well with it. I have no idea if it is the same for dogs._


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Patricia McConnell has been blogging about a very serious tendon injury in her dog (much worse than Jackson, by the sound of it). You may find it helpful for ideas on keeping the two of you sane through the days of crate rest: medicine and dogs TheOtherEndoftheLeash

Good luck - I hope he heals quickly and well.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

Our toy tore her ACL chasing a bunny in the yard. One minute she was running around the yard playing, the next she took off after a bunny-who was bigger than her-and the next she had that back leg hiked up and woulnd't use it at all. It was a Friady night and we tried rest over the weekend, but she would not use that leg at all. When we took her to the vet Monday morning, our vet recomeded she have her teeth cleaned as well a few pulled first. Her mouth needed to be taken care of before her surgery and they put her on antibiotics first. We already had an appointment to get her teeth cleaned when she tore her ACL. So it was about ten days before she actually had the surgery, She did really well with the surgery and recovered without any other problems. We did have a physical therapist come to the house after her surgery once a week for four weeks. She used a tens unit on the area, and did physical as well as massage therapy. We would work with her ourselves in between visits. She never had any more trouble with that leg and you couldn't even tell which knee it was and she still kept an eye out for that bunny that lived under the shed.  She was eleven yeas old when this happened. I hope your boy heals quick!


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## phrannie (Jan 8, 2011)

*If the ACL is injured, but not torn....then the 10 day rest period is very important. After that, if he were my dog....I'd build up his leg with long walks (that does take some of the stink out of a puppy) for another 7 days....but would not allow rough horse play between the two dogs...no jumping, body slamming, etc....I know it's a pain in the butt having to keep them down for a couple of weeks...but the recovery for ACL surgery is down for about 6 weeks....it seems worth it to protect his leg from reinjury, so you don't end up facing the REALLY long recoup time.

p *


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I think phrannie has given you excellent advice. The next few weeks will be key in avoiding surgery. I would also give him chicken feet and trachea. They are full of connective tissue and really help dogs with joint issues. Glucosomin is a great supplement for this type of issue also. Good luck - keeping my fingers crossed he will make a full recovery.


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## Turbomelvis (Oct 4, 2011)

Thanks everyone. Jackson does seem to be well on the way of recovery. He is off his 10 days of rest and rimydal, and I have let him and the shepherd regain normal play but for short amounts of time. I realize the longer I can keep him quiet the better chance the ligament has to full recovery. but with the recommendations, I will definitely pull back his activity for a bit longer just to stay safe. He's only 11 months old and still has a lot of growing. Hopefully that will work to my benefit.


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## Turbomelvis (Oct 4, 2011)

CT.. where would I get chicken feet/trachea? Simply look online? I just had a *HORRIBLE* experience with chicken treats with my german shepherd. she broke out in a massive allergic reaction, and got hives therefore Im a bit leery of having chicken bi-products in the house. Any other possibilities?


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

I think I could be considered "semi expert" on this one. Jake had 2 CCL surgeries, one at age 10 and one at 11. First one was an injury with playing Kong -- tried conservative with my holistic vet and ended up in surgery (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement, TTA) and just about the time that one healed, the other CCL went and we did an excapular repair (tightrope) and that one actually seemed to heal quicker. Feel free to PM me and I can provide you with information. Jake did not totally tear his meniscus the first time, and partialy tore it the 2nd time. We did everything before, and rehap for both (underwater treatmill, hydratherapy, etc.). It was not fun, for either of us. Most of the time with surgery, full activity is regained. Jake was a large mini (moyen size). A year after the 2nd CCL surgery I lost him, at 13 1/2. Was really tough and he had been through quite a bit those last years.

My friends have a spoo who blew out both of her CCLs, and had surgery on both. Apparently, bolting off a porch chasing a squirrel the first time, not sure about the second.

Good luck.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Chicken feet in the grocery store or a good dog food store. If your regular grocery store doen't have them look in an ethnic area - oriental stores usually have them. Most dogs don't have a reaction to raw chicken and this is a different dog so I would not worry too much. I am allergic to lobster but that doesn't mean you can't have it. Oh - I just realized the shepherd may still live with you. I would just separate them. I bet your dog will scarf it right down. The are gross so it took me a while to get over it and Swizzle had a little bit of a toe nail in his poop but they are suppose to be fantastic for the joints. The trachea is beef trachea. I get it at a good dog food store but I am sure you can get it online too. It is cheaper than bullies and I have not met a dog yet who did not love these. (Bulllies do not have connective tissue to my knowledge - they just make good chews.) I have read in several places that chicken feet are very good.


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