# ACL Injuries



## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I think Teddy may have injured his ACL a short while ago, but I'm just now putting two and two together.

About two weeks ago, he was zooming around the yard and suddenly he started yelping. My neighbor and I ran across the yard to him (we had been talking and neither of us had seen what happened), but we couldn't see any sign of obvious injury. In addition, he was letting us touch his foot and leg as we checked for glass or rocks or whatever as a source of his discomfort. We didn't see anything, and he got up and seemed fine, putting weight on the leg and acting like nothing happened.

Ever since then, he limps occasionally, holding up that same foot. I've examined it under a magnifying glass and I can't see any tears, cuts, foreign objects, blisters--there is nothing there.

Tonight at the pet store, he started limping again. It seems to happen most often when he's being stubborn and sniffing something and I need to go, so I (gently, but firmly) tug on the harness to get him going. He doesn't make a sound, but he holds that back leg off the ground for a while. After about half a dozen steps, he puts it back on the ground and walks like normal.

So I started doing some research tonight into other things that could make a dog limp in the absence of any outwardly obvious injury, and the most likely thing I found was an ACL injury.

I think I'm going to have to get him in to see the vet, but I'm not sure it warrants an emergency visit. He doesn't seem to be too bothered by it at all. 

Has anyone else experienced anything like this with their dog, and what was the outcome? Is it possible to have such a serious injury without being in pain?

PS I know this might sound weird, but is it possible he's limping to make me stop pulling on his harness? If so, it works, and I honestly wouldn't put that past him. :aetsch:


----------



## Gorky (Jul 14, 2009)

Marian, Gorky started limping as well. If you go to the vets and need an x-ray try to have it without sedation. If sedation is needed have blood tests done before.


----------



## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

Thinking about what happened to dear Gorky scares me. I will definitely take your advice, Bea.


----------



## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

An ACL is not an emergency - it can wait for your regular vet. We can usually palpate an ACL tear (the knee has a certain way it moves when the ACL is torn) and we usually follow up with radiographs to make sure it's not a fracture, bone mass, etc... 99% of the time we do the radiographs without sedation. As long as the dog is good it's pretty easy to do the xrays. 

Hopefully it's nothing serious!!


----------



## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

He's generally pretty good at the vet's. He was in one time and had to have his stomach x-rayed and didn't have to be sedated then.

Thanks - I hope it turns out to be no big deal.


----------



## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

could be acl- could be joint. Time to make an appointment nd get it looked into. Might bee nothing. Chiro or accupuncture might be something to look into as well if the vte finds nothing major


----------



## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I took him outside a little while ago to pee and he bounced down the steps and did his little sassy poodle walk to his favorite spot down the street. Not a hint of a limp. Then he went back up the stairs with no problem at all.

So weird.


----------



## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

I would honestly be looking to a luxating patella more then an ACL because of his size. The smallest dog i have seen an ACL tear on was 25lbs. ACL tears are painful. Ususally the dog is either constintly limping, or is on 3 legs. Because Teddy is completely normal between episdoes i would guess that his knee cap is perhaps slipping out, but then goes back in again after a few steps. 

A vet visit would be a very good idea, but it is not an emergency.


----------



## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I had considered that it might be that, but on his very first visit to our vet, when he was about 11 weeks old, she checked him for luxating patella and said that he didn't have it. So I didn't think it could be that. Is that the kind of thing that can change over time, or is it something they either have at birth or they don't?


----------



## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

They can get more loose as the dog gets older. Most dont have them as puppies. If they did then i would consider that a very bad sign of things to come.


----------



## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

I hope it's nothing serious. Please let us know what the vet says. Meanwhile, please give Teddy a big big hug for me and a big poodle kiss from Nickel.


----------



## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

Thanks, I'll keep you posted.

BPP - I was afraid you would say that.


----------



## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

I took Teddy to see the vet today. He has a trick knee. We're not going to do surgery yet, but wait and see as he gets a little older.

She did say that weight plays a big part in how much it affects them, and he's gained weight since his last check up. 

I need to figure out how much I should be feeding him, and I will also need to be extra vigilant about leaving cat food out. I just caught him finishing off Mickey's bowl of dry food. He needs to lose about 2 pounds to be in good weight.


----------



## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

*Marian, *I'm_ so_ glad Teddy's doing okay! I'm glad too that you have a "game plan" to help him out, though I doubt he'll like the "game" of having less food. Still, if that's the remedy, what a relief! I'm thinking 2 lbs. "extra" is a lot of weight for a little guy so getting that off hopeful will do the trick for his not-so-fun "trick knee." BTW, is that the same thing or different than a luxating patella?


----------



## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

Hopefully it will get better as he grows and looses weight. Riley gained weight during his knee issue also (and pretty much just starting prednisone). It was a long hard process of getting him down, and I finally did. I got much smaller treats, only about 1" biscuits by Wellness i believe. His food was cut in half, and very low fat portions. More exercise (was hard as he was on severe resctrictions). Also, his body adjusted to the pred, as i beleive it changed his matabolism (he had Never flucuated with weight before). 

Riley Loves cat food, and cat "droppings". For the cat food, what works for our cats is to give them less food more often. I have 2 free fed cats. They have bowls on the floor that Riley can access. They only get a coffee scoop of food Only when they ask for it. That way they finish it all, so Riley doesnt eat it (for his sake, and its Expensive food!). Works very well for us. He still will clean the left overs, but its a very small amount.
Can you put your cat dishes higher up, so Teddy cant get to them? 
Have you thought about putting him on a glucosamine supplement and Omega 3s (fish oil)? I probably would.


----------



## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

Chagall's mom: Yes, it's the same thing as LP. 'Trick knee' makes it sound less ominous (so it makes me feel a little better).

BPP: I'm going to put the cat's dry food in the bathtub. If Teddy ever figures out that he can jump into it, I'm in trouble, but for now, I think he associates it with taking a bath, and that's enough to keep him out of it.

The vet said to cut back on the Wellness stew and add cooked green beans so he wouldn't notice that he was getting less of the good stuff. He likes the beans, so hopefully that will help.

I had already switched from the Wellness Pure Rewards treats for training to the Wellness cat treats that are the same thing, just thinner, smaller pieces. I had also already cut back on the treats he was getting during the day.

I think his weight gain is partially due to getting less exercise. Since my Dad passed away, I have not been as active as usual, opting to work from home more often and therefore walking less every day. He is so content to be doing whatever I'm doing, that if that means laying around all day sleeping, that's just fine with him. But it's not good for either of us!

I think the supplements are a great idea. Thanks!


----------



## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

I'm sorry to hear about that but at least surgery is not required right away so it's kind of a good thing. I hope Teddy's diet plan will work out well.


----------



## Marian (Oct 20, 2009)

Thanks, I hope so too!


----------



## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

_Rats_, *Marian,* I was hoping a "trick knee" as a lesser deal. One thing's for sure, Teddy couldn't have a better mom to look after to him. Please continue to let us know how he's doing, I know you will. Somewhere in my jewelery box I have my grandmother's "Weight Watcher's" pin from probably 35 years ago; tell Teddy when he's svelte again, it's his!! Best of luck to sweet Teddy and you.


----------



## Gorky (Jul 14, 2009)

Marian, it is hard to lower the portions, but I know you will succeed. So very sorry about your Dad passing.


----------



## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

Marian said:


> The vet said to cut back on the Wellness stew and add cooked green beans so he wouldn't notice that he was getting less of the good stuff. He likes the beans, so hopefully that will help.
> 
> I had already switched from the Wellness Pure Rewards treats for training to the Wellness cat treats that are the same thing, just thinner, smaller pieces. I had also already cut back on the treats he was getting during the day.


A woman in my training class uses frozen peas for training treats for her Norwich. Dexter loves them too. You might also try tiny pieces of lean meats as treats--the flavor is intense, but they are small bits. I have also used pieces of cat food as training treats. Cat food tends to be richer than dog food, so it counts as a treat!


----------

