Sheepdog/terrier with torn ACL diagnosis

[marko]

Posted by Marko for nancy and Lucy

Hi. Lucy, is a sheepdog/terrier mix, age 5 has a dx of torn ACL. Vet reccommends xrays to confirm the tear then consult with a surgeon for repair – costing upwards of $2,000.00 – other pet owners with the same problem has suggested I limit Lucy’s activity for 6 weeks and start her a Naturalpath Remedy of: Yucco (for pain), WellyTails (hip & joints cartilage treatment) and Glucosapet. Hopefully this Remedy will help her to heal on her own & that I introduce acivity slowly after 6 weeks. I was also advised by Global pet store owner to keep her on these supplements (minus pain med if not needed) routinley and put my other dog on the same supplements routinley for good health.

My concern at this time is Lucy has lost a noticable amount of muscle on the injured leg and the vet advises – the longer I wait the less likely the surgery will be successful.

Any feedback from other pet owners who have opted out of the surgerical intervention for Naturalpath Remedy – and the success rate would be helpful in my decision. My biggest concern is if I go the 6+ week option with Naturalpath meds and Lucy looses too much muscle for surgerical intervention – then what??
What is the success rate if I go the surgical route?
Thanking you in advance for any advice given……
Nancy & Lucy

[BMDLuver]

Originally Posted by marko

Posted by Marko for nancy and Lucy

Hi. Lucy, is a sheepdog/terrier mix, age 5 has a dx of torn ACL. Vet reccommends xrays to confirm the tear then consult with a surgeon for repair – costing upwards of $2,000.00 – other pet owners with the same problem has suggested I limit Lucy’s activity for 6 weeks and start her a Naturalpath Remedy of: Yucco (for pain), WellyTails (hip & joints cartilage treatment) and Glucosapet. Hopefully this Remedy will help her to heal on her own & that I introduce acivity slowly after 6 weeks. I was also advised by Global pet store owner to keep her on these supplements (minus pain med if not needed) routinley and put my other dog on the same supplements routinley for good health.

My concern at this time is Lucy has lost a noticable amount of muscle on the injured leg and the vet advises – the longer I wait the less likely the surgery will be successful.

Any feedback from other pet owners who have opted out of the surgerical intervention for Naturalpath Remedy – and the success rate would be helpful in my decision. My biggest concern is if I go the 6+ week option with Naturalpath meds and Lucy looses too much muscle for surgerical intervention – then what??
What is the success rate if I go the surgical route?
Thanking you in advance for any advice given……
Nancy & Lucy

acl surgery is most successful within a short time frame. The muscle is needed as it is crossed over to support the acruciate ligament. Without the surgery, the acl will repair but it can repair in a fused fashion or can shorten the leg on repair. This is a very painful tear for a dog and a very long recovery. Solid cage rest is required, total immobility for a minimum of 6 weeks then you start with 5 minutes of leash walking for a week, then 10 min and so on. we rigged up a harness for a dog we had so that I could take him out for his business allowing him to bear weight on all his other 3 legs but keeping him off his injured hind leg. he weighed over 130lbs so carrying was out of the question.

[Melinda]

there is no "natural" cure for this I'm afraid, and like BMD says, time is important, 2000 is a very cheap price, quite a bit less than I just paid. Brina recieves/ed before and after the surgery glucosamine 1000mg and 400 mg of chondroitine. its a long recovery but so worth it. Brina's was 100% torn which they were surprised at because she didn't show that much pain when bending her knee.

[sslapp]

Hi Nancy,

We had our 5 year old German shepherd’s cruciate ligament rupture repaired Dec. 2/2010 and to date we are very pleased. We think it probably had started a year ago. In the spring we started keeping her somewhat under control as far as running full out, jumping, etc., and there was some improvement. In July she took off after a coyote and that was the end of any recovery to date. We took her to the vets and were informed of the situation. We were told that she probably would never get better and only in a matter of time she could tear the ligament completely. We kept her under house arrest for 2.5 months, so after the operation it was easier for her and us.
It was a major decision because of the cost.
When we met with the specialist she informed us that Sadie's hips showed no degenerative signs (which meant a lot to us) and that the longer we waited the more possibility of the other leg ending up the same because it was bearing the majority of the weight.
We built 2 ramps, one for in the garage for Sadie to get into the house and one for use with the van so that she could still travel with us. Today, 2.5 months later, she hardly limps at all and the vet is very happy with her progress.
The deciding factors were: my 34 year old daughter's comment, "Sadie is your kid now! If it were one of us you wouldn't hesitate." and we had a trip booked to Mexico for 1 week that was equal to the surgery cost. That was one week of pleasure, vs 5-8 years with Sadie. In that perspective it made the decision easier, plus the vets comment about Sadie's hips.
Good luck in your decision. Shirley & Sadie