Limping 7 month old

[Maggie's Mom]

I have been doing more research on Ligament injuries. My vet said 80% required surgery, but several sites state that dogs under 20 pounds do well with rest and anti inflammatories. I think the vet may be rushing to judgement. Anyone out there with ligaments that healed without surgery???

[Mic]

I don't know anything about dogs with torn CLs, but know a bit about people with 'em...could be similar, but could be very different. In people with torn Anterior CLs (ACL), most orthos try a conservative route first to see if the tear will heal itself with out surgery. Since the ACL has a decent blood supply, and that's what's needed for it to heal/repair, steroids along with a month of zero pressure on the area i.e. NO walking or weight-bearing, may do the trick. Since no further damage will be done by delaying surgery, this is definitely a great option for folks who can live on crutches for 6 weeks. After the ACL is repaired, either surgically or by rest, a few months of physical therapy is prescribed.

OTOH, tears to the MCL have little to no chance of repairing themselves with out surgery because of the very, very small blood supply to that ligament. Surgery is the standard protocol for torn MCLs, followed by physical therapy.

My daughter had a torn ACL. We followed the docs advice and had her hobble around on crutches for 6 weeks followed by 3 months of physical therapy. The only thing she can't do is the required kick for breast stroke...and she's a competitive swimmer and her best stroke is...you guessed it, breast stroke. But since this is her last year to compete, I don't regret the decision to avoid surgery. She was able to regain her activity level with out surgery.

[Cathy Moon]

I would go along with the vet's recommendations, possibly getting a second opinion. Your cav is young and getting this repaired will most likely improve her life in the long run.

When I was researching patella problems, I found that some vets want to treat small breeds different than the larger breeds when it comes to orthopedic problems, and I disagree with that! The little dogs like cavaliers are as deserving of a normal, active lifestyle as any large breed.

When India had the luxating patella, I researched and found that avoiding surgery causes future problems like premature arthritis and additional wearing on the bones. Once there is arthritis in the knee, patella surgery cannot help it.

Her surgery was successful, and she is like a normal dog. It really makes me happy to see her running at top speed with the other cavs.

[Cathy T]

When India had the luxating patella, I researched and found that avoiding surgery causes future problems like premature arthritis and additional wearing on the bones. Once there is arthritis in the knee, patella surgery cannot help it.

Cathy - that is precisely why I went ahead with the surgery on Shelby's knee. She was just a year old at the time and my vet wasn't pushing the surgery either way. The possibility of serious arthritis and further damage is what pushed me. I couldn't stand the thought of her being in pain from arthritis in her old age because of something I chose not to do. Doing the surgery was the best decision I made.

[Mic]

When India had the luxating patella, I researched and found that avoiding surgery causes future problems like premature arthritis and additional wearing on the bones. Once there is arthritis in the knee, patella surgery cannot help it.

Cathy - that is precisely why I went ahead with the surgery on Shelby's knee. She was just a year old at the time and my vet wasn't pushing the surgery either way. The possibility of serious arthritis and further damage is what pushed me. I couldn't stand the thought of her being in pain from arthritis in her old age because of something I chose not to do. Doing the surgery was the best decision I made.

Exactly why I opted to have surgery on one of my cavs for lux pat. Lux pats can't be repaired with out surgery. Same with a torn MCL. There's never a good reason to leave a dog in pain.

[Maggie's Mom]

Maggie's vet said it was just a slight tear that might heal on it's own, but did not test in any way. She just felt her leg and gave an educated guess. I plan to see an orthopedist before we do anything. Just don't trust the 2 minute visit with the regular vet. Vet did say patella's were normal.

[Maggie's Mom]

Just an update - Maggie has been doing well since the Anti Inflammatory treatment. We carried her around for a few days, because there is no way from the Family Room to the outside or up to bed without a full flight of stairs. She has not limped in days. She is now running all around, up and down stairs. She will be going back to Vet next week and hopefully they will be happy with her progress.

[Cathy Moon]

Whew! That is wonderful news!

[Cathy T]

Great news! Hopefully they will say everything is healed and that's the end of that!

[Maggie's Mom]

Unfortunately, not such a good update. Maggie was doing really well after her anti inflammatory treatment. Now she is limping badly. We are making appt with an orthopedist for next week. She is only 8 months old and I feel so bad. Saw snow for the first time today. She was so excited, but running was so hard for her. I will crate her for the rest of the day to rest her leg and wait for dr to decide what to do next.