Need some input on my dog's injury...

[BluButt]

I'm coming out lurkdom to get some opinions on this...

I have a dog, a border collie and lab, who we guess to be about 11 or 12. I've owned her for 9 years, her age was unknown when we got her (she was mature, so at least a year, though probably 2 or 3). She's about 65 pounds, and not over weight at all.

She has an ACL injury. He (the vet) figures because she is still weight bearing (though she will carry the leg to run) that it's obviously not a complete tear. Because of her history, which includes acute pancreatitis, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (HGE) twice, and a collapsing trachea, he doesn't want to operate because he thinks the the risks of general anesthetic are too great.

She's on a pain reliever, and I'm icing her leg 2 or 3 times a day, taking her out for leashed potty breaks (or she'll try to run with my two little dogs.. silly girl), and I'm crating her when we're not home so she's not climbing on and off the furniture.

Before the knee injury she was showing signs of mild hip dysplasia in the opposite leg, so we're pretty sure she has injured this knee as a result of favoring the bad hip. Unfortunately it looks like the downward spiral of old age, and he posed the question of whether or not we'll make her endure multiple surgeries to keep repairing everything that fails, which includes re-injuring the same leg if the other hip continues to deteriorate, ultimately putting her at a risk for arthritis in addition to everything else.

He doesn't recommend surgery. He wants to try to get the tear healed, keep her comfortable, and obviously keep up supplements to hopefully slow HD and arthritis.

I'm wondering if we should go see another vet, or if I should just face the fact that she's not my spring chicken anymore.

I don't know what to do for her. She was the first rescue I kept and she's very special. I'm getting emotional typing this.

Any thoughts?

 

[smkie]

Mary had a touchy pancreas and rotten athritis in her her hocks, and feet. I gave her a tramadol on her bad days, used t-touch and accupressure for her joints which I do believe really really helped her. I am sorry your dog has such troubles. IT hurts to see the hurt. I hope you can find answers that will make a difference in the quality of daily living.

 

[Renee750il]

There are joint supplements that really do help, too. I can't think of the names of particular ones, but look for glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. I have read that the glucosamine and chondroitin are more effective if given separately, as one tends to nullify the effect of the other.

A good piece of latex or visco glued to a stable piece of foam rubber will also help

 

[Saeleofu]

I personally wouldn't do surgery at this point.

The suggestions others have made are good. There are also knee braces for dogs with ACL tears, though I have no experience with them myself.

I would go with a good joint supplement, and pain medication as needed.

 

[BluButt]

She's been on joint supplements for a few years now. She's on cosequin. If anyone recommends a better one for acute injuries let me know!

I'm going to look into the brace idea, I've never heard of a leg brace for a dog.

Thanks guys!

 

[Dog Connections]

I would not put the dog through thr pain of doing surgery. I believe your vet is right.
Actually be grateful that he is not pushing for surgery. To me it shows he cares.

I had the same issue with Bear, a dog I adopted a year ago. She is about 11, a cross between a lab and a greyhound (may be). I put her on Recovery. It was fantastic. Better than anything else. She recovered within 1 week.

Look for it in Feed barn where they provide food for horses. The dog version came out recently but Recovery for horses has been out for quite a while.
All of my dogs are on it for maintenance.
If you do not find Recovery look for Renewal. It works great too.

I hope that helps.

 

[BluButt]

Is there dosing on the horse products for the dogs? I've heard of both (I actually use cosequin for the horses but started using the dog version for her). I can pick some up on my way home later.

 

[elegy]

you might ask about a referral for physical therapy or something of that sort, or even something like acupuncture. another idea would be a knee brace. they're a little bit spendy but it might be well worth the money.

i don't think i'd do knee surgery on a dog that old, either.

 

[TheGoldenRetriever]

She's been on joint supplements for a few years now.

What's in the formulation though? As Renee said: glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM ... but I would add Ester-C to the mix. Those four were the magic formula for us when Cheyenne, our Golden, got into her teens and had a couple joint injuries .... when she apparently thought she could still jump around like she did when she was 2 yrs. old.

She had developed some sensitive stomach issues when she got old too ... so consequently I did not want her put on Rimadyl when she had a joint injury. Fortunately we didn't have to go there ... and the Ester-C did not in any way affect her stomach. (Regular C, i.e. ascorbic acid, can cause stomach troubles.)

Also agree with Elegy on the knee brace ... don't worry, she'll protest but will get used to it. Also, if you can get hold of one, a TENS unit can help stimulate healing.

 

[smkie]

Some holistic vets are not using needles anymore and have found that acupressure is just as affective in relieving pain, increasing circulation, and easing inflammation instead of acupuncture. THat is what I was using for Mary. I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen the improvement first hand.

 

[lizzybeth727]

I also agree with your vet, I would not do the surgery at this point. As I'm sure you know, it's not just the surgery, it's the physical therapy and healing afterwards that are also very hard on dogs. And, as you said, likelihood of reinjury is probably pretty high for her.

My family's first dog tore her ACL and my parents decided not to do surgery. She lived with it for several more years, and we didn't even know about suppliments at that time. Dogs can adapt amazingly; three legs really are almost as good as four.

 

[BluButt]

What's in the formulation though? As Renee said: glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM ... but I would add Ester-C to the mix.

The cosequin chewables are Glucosamine (500mg), Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate (400mg), Manganese (as ascorbate 5mg).

We've been doing some sports therapy type stuff on her (luckily have access to some therapy equipment through family members), but I'll look into the tens. I used to have one around here somewhere for myself, I didn't even think about that.

Thanks for all the ideas guys. :hail:

 

[LittleBigDog]

This site has some harnesses for assisting dogs to get around while they are recovering from injuries or just have chronic weakness.

Handicapped Pets - Dog Wheelchairs, Products, Services, Support

My dog has been taking a product called Vetri-Disc by Vetri-Science for back problems for years. It does seem to help since when we've quit it a couple of times, his symptoms did get worse. I don't know if this formula would work for the type of condition your dog has.

Vetri-Science Laboratories - Vetri-Disc by Vetri-Science (90 Capsules)

But they have good prices on some things there, so maybe you'll see something else if Vetri-Disc isn't the right thing. (It is geared towards disc disease.)

Hope you can get some recovery for your dog and pain relief. It is tough if there is HGE since the prescription NSAIDS can be hard on the stomach. My dog has a sensitive stomach, and Metacam hit his stomach very fast and badly. Even some supplements bother him now, but the Vetri-Disc is OK, fortunately. Could be different for every dog, though.

It sounds like your vet is good and your dog will have the best chance possible to deal with this.

 

[LittleBigDog]

Just in case the OP or anyone else is interested, I was asking a friend that has a lab with this problem about what she was doing, and she uses Trixsyn.

Trixsyn - Canine Hyaluronic Acid Joint Supplement

Her dog did have the surgery, so is also taking some Rx pain control meds. (His stomach is able to handle them and he had no other complications, though his age is making recovery slow going.)

Hope Blubutt's dog is doing better.