# possible cruciate ligament tear (Spoo)



## Oreo's Mommy (Dec 18, 2012)

So sorry for his Ouchie. Prayers for fast healing.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I'm so glad it was "only" a toe - from what I have heard CL tears can mean a long, slow recovery - very difficult with an energetic pup!


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

My Jake tore his CCL when he was 10 and had TTA procedure. Just about when he was recovered he tore his other one, back leg, so we did excapular procedure instead as it was less invasive. It was tough. I could write a book on it. Good luck.


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## pgr8dnlvr (Aug 7, 2011)

Wow! You dodged THAT one!!!   . 

Just about anything is better than a cruciate. I'm always shaking my head when clients act relieved when they hear cruciate over a break.

Rebecca


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## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

I had a 4 year old Rottie tear a cruciate. I chose the TPLO surgery for her. It was a long recovery and involved keeping her very quiet and very controlled (a lot of crating and small xpen) for the first month and then very careful slow rehab to get her going on the leg again. She was a very active dog so it was challenging at times. All in all, I think it was a good 3 - 4 months before she was back to normal.

That being said, in the end, it was well worth it. If a torn cruciate isn't attended to quickly and properly, the dog can end up with arthritic changes that will affect him for the rest of his life. My Rottie regained full use of her leg after the surgery and never had another problem with it.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

I did tons of research when Jake needed surgery, and opted for the TTA over the TPLO, even after talking to Dr. Gendreau (who is like the God of the TPLO). My reasoning being that IF something went wrong with the surgery, or they had to go back in, with the TPLO since there was more "cutting and reconstruction" they could not with the TPLO, but with the TTA they could. Honestly, I never would have known that since the vets don't tell you that --- lucky for me my holistic vet (did not do the surgery, but teaches rehab, etc. from the surgeries) mentioned that they have workshops at her clinic all the time for the surgeons and there was a huge disagreement about the procedures in recent years. She did confirm that if something went wrong with the TPLO, and they had to go back in -- they likely could not do much to "fix" the original surgery and potentially, the dog could lose its leg. I about fell off my chair when she told me that ---- I guess they don't tell you that, but I did find out the TTA (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement) was a bit more forgiving I think from the angle of the cut in the bone or something. Anyway, it's no fun for the owner or the dog!

I am sure after Jake's surgeries (2) when the surgeons got together for their annual meetings, they probably said, "Hey, who was the unlucky one and got the crazy lady with the black poodle for the TTA? I heard she held surgeon interviews!"


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## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

Back when my Rottie tore hers, the TTA was a relatively new procedure so I went with the tried and true of the time which was the TPLO. Her surgeon was very upfront about the need for very careful after care though. He told me a story of another Rottie that had the surgery who'd never been confined in his life. The owners went off to work and locked him in a small bathroom. He went nuts, busted through the door and ended up losing his leg. 

My dog was obedience-trained and crate-trained. I was at home with her every day so she was really well-supervised. There was only one scary moment when my ex opened the pen door without leashing her and she headed straight for the stairs to come and see me as I was coming down them. All I can say is thank goodness she knew what "stay" meant! 

TTA sounds like the better choice and if there had been more information on it, and more surgeons who did it back then, I probably would have gone with it.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

caroline429 said:


> Back when my Rottie tore hers, the TTA was a relatively new procedure so I went with the tried and true of the time which was the TPLO. Her surgeon was very upfront about the need for very careful after care though. He told me a story of another Rottie that had the surgery who'd never been confined in his life. The owners went off to work and locked him in a small bathroom. He went nuts, busted through the door and ended up losing his leg.
> 
> My dog was obedience-trained and crate-trained. I was at home with her every day so she was really well-supervised. There was only one scary moment when my ex opened the pen door without leashing her and she headed straight for the stairs to come and see me as I was coming down them. All I can say is thank goodness she knew what "stay" meant!
> 
> TTA sounds like the better choice and if there had been more information on it, and more surgeons who did it back then, I probably would have gone with it.


Great you made it through ok. We did, too, although once the first leg was just about healed, the other one went. We opted for the excapular procedure this time (tightrope type) since Jake was older and not that active. Glad it worked out for both of us.


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