My Dog's Double ACL Surgery
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- Опубліковано 5 чер 2024
- In this video I'll be covering my dog's recent double ACL surgery - from the cost, symptoms that indicated my dog might need surgery, pre-surgery plan, the actual ACL surgery itself, and recovery.
If you suspect your dog might need an ACL surgery or want to learn what to expect when considering a dog ACL surgery, make sure to watch this video!
2024 Update: It's been just over two years since Remy first got his double ACL surgery. A lot of people have wanted to hear updates about how he's doing today. He is doing fantastic! Within 6 months to a year post-surgery, Remy was fully healed and running, jumping, and moving like he has never done before! He is SO happy and moves so much better. I really feel like this surgery gave him a 2nd life. He is able to do so much he couldn't before -- I didn't realize just how much his injury was affecting him until I compare his prior mobility to how he is today. It was a big surgery and a huge cost, but I never for even a second regretted it because it is so obviously a huge success and has improved his quality of life SO much. - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
We are at day 11 post-surgery now. Our surgeon told us she can’t even stand on her back legs for two whole weeks. It has turned our lives upside down but my wife and I love this dog and do it willingly. I think part of our problem is that our dog (a pit) is only about a year and a half old and still has so much puppy energy. She tore ligaments in both back legs and we think it happened when she fell down the last 4 steps of our staircase because he was so excited about getting a treat at the bottom of the staircase. It seems to be healing nicely though and we are grateful such a surgery was available. Also grateful that I’m at a point in my life where I had $7300 available to pay for it. 20 years ago I wouldn’t have been able to afford it. Thank you for this video. It made us feel a little better seeing someone else who got through it. God bless!
We just got the x-ray results back from the vet for our 2 year old great pyr and they confirmed a ccl tear in his right hind leg. The idea of putting him through surgery was incredibly daunting for my husband and I, but after watching this video I feel a lot better about the prospects of having the procedure done in the near future. Thank you so much for your video! I hope Remy made a full recovery with no issues. He is such a sweet boy ❤❤ His entire body wags along with hs tail 😍😍
This is a very informative video. Thank you for your honesty. I too have made mistakes with exercise with my dogs and now I know better. We live and we learn and admitting our mistakes is necessary for learning and sharing the information helps others. Remi is lucky that your are his owner and got him surgery.
Thanks for the roller coaster ride. Our dog is destined for surgery in about a month. So glad your video is out there. We'll probably refer to it again and again.
I’m so glad it’s helpful! Good luck to you and your pup’s surgery.
Great explanation!
Bless you and Remy ❤❤
Thank you both for sharing 😊
Thank you.Its been good to follow Barley,glad she's doing well. My dog had a TPLO yesterday so your updates have been useful.
Thank you so much for making this honest video! My Pitbull was diagnosed with two blown knees today and I'm pretty shocked yet. So.. we have the hard yourney of double tplo ahead of us. Your video helps a lot to understand the whole process, very much appreciated!
I’m so glad it helps! It’s obviously a huge decision and undertaking and I was so lost when it all went down. Whenever I go through something tough w Remy I try to think “well at least we can document the whole experience and hopefully it will at least help someone a little, somewhere”
Thank you for this video! ❤
You are so welcome!
My sweet Copper will be going through this next week. Thank you for this!! She looks so much like your Remy, so this has helped me to really visualize what everything will look like.
Nice educational video on ACL pup surgery. Thank you!
You're very welcome :)
There is now a National cruciate registry in the UK keeping track of as many dogs having this surgery as possible, for the benefit of future dogs
I'm glad your dog is doing better. Your story is exactly what I'm going through right now. My dog is going in for surgery in two weeks CBLO Bilateral watching this video has made me feel alot better
Best of luck!
How’s your dog now?
Thanks for sharing, so glad to see a successful story, headed into same with my 8 month old British Lab, one leg at a time
Best of luck!
Another thing is there’s a lot of this going on and I’m sorry you people are going through it too. I hope all of your dogs are well. I hope they do great. I’ve always owned dogs, but none of them have ever hurt their knees I didn’t even believe you could, for some weird reason being a big dummy but thank you all for yourconversation on this because it does help everyone I think when you read it when you’re going through it
Think my girl will have to have this done. Going in for X-rays tomorrow so will find out then. Great video! Made it not such a scary thing.
Thank you!
Good luck!!
Thank you so much for making this video! My German Shepard has a partial tear of her ACL and this helped me so much in making a decision about whether or not she needs surgery.
I'm so glad the video helped you! I hope it would help folks in a similar situation. Best of luck!
I've been struggling with the decision to go forward with TPLO or not for my dog with torn CCL in rear leg with all the same symptoms as Remy for a year now, trying non-surgical methods but nothing is working and he's getting worse. Your comprehensive video enabled me to make that decision to go forward. Thank you for sharing your experience with Remy and hope upon hope it goes well!
I’m so glad hearing about our experience helped you make your decision! I know it’s a tough choice and there’s a lot to think about for sure.
Thanks for making this video!! I'm picking up our girl tomorrow after a double TPLO.
Good luck with the recovery!
Very well done video 🐕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Many thanks
my dog just had surgery too on one leg i was so scare but after following you i feel much better and so is lupe my dog
Glad you both are feeling better! It's definitely scary putting your pup under the knife 😨
My 11 year old Shih Tzu Bichon Oliver tore his ccl in his right leg back in february and had the lateral suture surgery. Which he stretched. So he goes back in for that on June 12th. But then this last weekend he tried jumping on furniture and hurt his good leg. We took him to the ER vet and they didn't think it was a ccl tear. The vet said he did the drawer test and x-rays and didn't see any of the signs. But as of today he is still having trouble walking. They said soft tissue injury but I am unsure as he will only walk so far before sitting down. It scares of of the idea of him having to get both legs done because of his age. But he is healthy otherwise and he loves to go for walks. I'm really hoping the vet at the ER was right. I am scheduling a recheck with our regular vet ASAP to make sure before his other leg gets worked on. He is my wife and I's baby it's been so hard.
You’re a good dog mom!
Aw thank you! Some people call me obsessed but look at that face! What else am I supposed to do but obsess over him?
Thank you so much for posting this video. My lab Charlie is 10 days into recovery and it’s going slowly but there is progress. I’m so glad Remy has done so well. God bless and good luck.
Thank you for the kind words! Wishing Charlie a speedy recovery.
Hi, my lab had TPLO surgery 9 days ago. She’s doing quite well so far, despite developing a seroma. She has a checkup and stitches out at the end of this coming week.
Thank you for this video. My boy was going for a right TPLO on May 2nd and then jumped off the bed and now requires BTPLO. I feel horrible. Vet said he was likely to blow the other during recovery if that is all it took. This video made me feel better about the procedure.
Aw I'm so sorry you have to go through that! I agree with the vet though, don't beat yourself up -- it probably would have been inevitable.
I have just found out yesterday that my 2 year old Rottweiler has torn her both her cruciate ligaments.. she goes for surgery in 3 weeks.. I’ve found this video just in time.. this has been so informative and helpful..
Thankyou 😊
Wishing a speedy recovery for your pup!
How is your rottie puppy doing after surgery? My 18 month old male Rottweiler will have surgery end of this month. I am so nervous about the surgery. It seems so invasive.
Thank you for this video. My pit bull is about to undergo the same surgery on her right leg. I fear that she will also need it on her left. As the meniscus is clicking. I know this is going to be a stressful 2 months for us. Can you tell me what are some things you purchased and actually used to assist? I want to try to make this recovery as painless as possible
Omg, you are so lucky. We are on day 8 after surgery (both knees) and it has been so difficult. It has changed everything in the house. Elsa is one of four huskies. She is not a healthy girl, short and very chubby and in several meds already. I look at your pup and he is getting up on his own, basically. Lifting Elsa is lifting dead weight and very hard on our backs. And she drags her knees on the floor so a week later the wounds are bleeding a bit. Definitely not like your dog. Omg, I wish.
It’s been a very difficult first week, cleaning a lot of pee and not knowing what’s next.
I guess it depends on the dog, health, size and … fur parent, of course 💖. In our case, it is so challenging. We are well intentioned and we persevere … but we just want this to be over.
Thanks for sharing.
thank you for this video ❤️ my minnie just had surgery and this gave me so much insight.
Wishing Minnie a speedy recovery!
I’m picking up my 4 year old pit terrier mix today after her double TPLO surgery. This video was super helpful!!! Thank you so much!
How Is she doing?
Doing great! She’ll be 6 weeks post op on Wednesday. She’s still mad about the leash in the house to keep from running and jumping. She had some meniscus damage in her right knee and her squats to use the bathroom are still a little wonky (puts her front right leg almost all the way backwards) but hopefully that will clear up soon. X-Rays in 2 weeks with the surgeon for follow up 🙂
@@johnkurtz4064 oh that’s good to hear!
@@johnkurtz4064my pit mastiff mix (83 lbs) will be going for his bilateral TPLO in just over 3 weeks. I’m a nervous wreck! Wanted to ask:
How heavy was your dog?
How did she manage getting up on the first few days? I got mine a helpemup harness.
How soon was she able to walk independently on both feet?
Did you do range of motion right away after surgery?
Would you do bilateral again? Or do unilateral instead?
Thanks so much!
Hey, thank you so much for the video! And also the replies on some of the other comments here, which are also informative!
I do have a couple of questions - did you clean the stitches on the surgery site on a daily basis and if not, how often did you clean them? And did you use soapy water and wash cloth to do this? We have a 5 year old black lab who's sensitive and anxious so he's not letting us near the wound. Any suggestions? Thanks again!
Hi there - sorry it took me so long to get back to you. We did not clean the stitches at all, as we were not instructed to. He healed just fine!
I think nutering and spaying is part the problem they don't recover the same from intense exercise did you ever consider hormone replacment? Not sure if yours is nuterd, but try hormone replacment to help with recovery ill never nuter or spay again since doing research on its affect on dogs system
The neutering and spaying debate is definitely a tough one, with good points for and against. Since Remy is a rescue dog, he was neutered when I got him, and considering the epidemic shelters are experiencing right now with pet overpopulation, I do think spaying and neutering is the ethically correct choice (especially if you plan on taking your dog to dog parks, or won't have them well-contained and separated from other dogs at all times).
However, I think some people these days are choosing to spay and neuter a bit later, after the first year or two. Some studies seem to say this is healthier, while others show an increased risk for certain types of cancer when one waits.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is an easy answer!
The good news is that Remy had made a full recovery and looks better than ever now!
I appreciate you sharing your experience with Remy. My Bella is a 4 year old AmStaff and she started limping and dangling her right hind leg 3 days ago. We confirmed with her doctor that she is indeed experiencing a CCL issue and she is scheduled for surgery in a week and a half. The earliest date we could get. She is on anti-inflammatory meds, and gabapentin for pain.
Poor kiddo! I hope she has a successful surgery! A week in a half is so soon, that must feel overwhelming. I’m lucky we had an incredible doctor, he really answered so much for us. Definitely don’t hesitate to ask your doctor any and all questions!
@@K9ofMine thanks again!
It seems to me that a lot of dogs are getting damaged knees. I guess we just don't know if limping dogs from the 70s, 80s and 90s were just ignored or if something has changed that has caused an increase in dog knee injuries. One thing could be the food. Statistically speaking, if there is something lacking in modern kibble, it may be predisposing dogs to problems. For sure, more big dog food companies are skimping on good protein and substituting with plant, incomplete proteins not sufficient for carnivores and ramping up the cheap carbs. In the past, canned dog foods had better protein.
Dr. Karen Becker, DVM has suggested that manganese deficiency weakens tendons. It may be that the current trend to feed dogs deficient kibble vs. canned dog food of the past and table scraps of meat has caused an epidemic of manganese deficiency. Something to consider.
Hi, thank you for posting this video and sharing your dogs story! My wife and I just found out our 4 year old pit mix Mack has tore both of ACL’s in his back legs. Your video and all the information you shared has us feeling confident about surgery and him recovering to the dog he was before his injuries. The only question I have for you was did you do double TLPO for your dog? That is what our vet is recommending. Hopefully you see this and thank you in advance for replying! Hope Remy is doing great!
Thanks for the kind words! Remy is better than ever now, almost a year and a half since surgery. Full recovery! And yes, Remy got a double TPLO too!
The reactivity could be do to his pain, my dog is reactive due to pain, and he had TPLO surgery on both legs and is currently still healing. Good luck Remy
That's a really good point! Pain can definitely be a factor with reactivity.
❤️
I just watched your video. I have a eight-year-old pretty much nine-year-old Labradoodle and she’s hurt her right knee but a lot of time she’s not limping so I’ve been procrastinating but I’m looking into it. I hate seeing her limp but she never whines. She never looks like she’s not excited and I just keep thinking man at 8 to 9 years old. I don’t know if I want to put her through this, I really appreciate your video. This is so emotional for me. I’ve never been this attached to a dog before I’m retired. The money is doable but it’s a lot but I can’t put a price on my dog Lucy anybody out there has suggestions. I am all open ears for them. Thank you.
The doctor She was limping about a year ago and the doctor did a x-ray and said yeah it’s her ACL but three or four days later she was normal running around and we don’t run around a lot but she could walk go up jump up and down and I thought well she might’ve just hurt her leg I feel like this is the same thing I don’t know how they can see an ACL tear in an x-ray. That’s my dilemma.?
Hey there! Vets do have ways of assessing for ACL injury based off x-rays. But if you’re not sure, a 2nd opinion or consult with a specialist isn’t a bad idea.
I will say dogs are VERY good at hiding pain. It’s dangerous for animals in the wild to show signs of pain because it makes them targets for predators. So it’s very common for dogs to not cry or show more obvious signs we’d associate with pain. I definitely wouldn’t assume she is fine just because she doesn’t cry or whine!
You might also want to consider consulting with your vet about medication options for pain management if the idea of surgery is unappealing to you.
Best of luck with your baby! It’s a tough decision for sure.
My dog is 8 years old and just went through the surgery and I would say if your dog is in generally good health, go for it. My dog had his right leg done on 1/29/2024 and then five weeks later, destroyed the CCL in his left leg and had to go through another surgery. So a double - but five weeks apart. It has been HARD but he's doing pretty good and will certainly be back to normal without the pain problems. Please consider going through with it. 8 is not too old.
How is he doing today?
I have a 3yr pooch that is less than a month out from having his bilateral surgery. Do you have any advise for leading up to and after surgery?
I have been using a ramp/park next to a curb so he won’t have to jump and also some stairs for when he won’t to get on my bed for night time. Also limit his walks so. It to aggravate his knees.
Already have a sling and plan to “try” it this weekend.
For us leading up was just trying not to make it worse and desensitization to stuff we’d need to do - like the potty spot and sling. Remy has made a fantastic recovery! He still has to build up more muscle in his back legs but the vet said his follow up X-rays looked great and he seems SO much happier and is moving so much better. It’s definitely important to follow the surgeon’s advice. I was really careful with exercise until I got the OK from the vet. Now he’s almost good as new!
Physical therapy can be great for quicker recovery, but from what I’ve researched it also seems good to let them walk on a variety of surfaces, especially surfaces where they will need to balance and utilize those back legs more.
Best of luck w the surgery! It was definitely well worth it for us.
My oldest dog had this surgery (I think, I can’t fully remember what he tore) and man he was PISSED about being leash bound for a bit
It's definitely tough for a lot of them!
The dog that we just rescued has all the same symptoms that your dog had. Lifting her back legs off the ground and her odd shape. Her front body is very strong and her rear leg area is very thin. We know she has two torn ACL‘s and fortunately the rescue group is going to have them both repaired for us. My question is did your dogs shape return to normal after the surgeries or is the front body still larger than the back? I appreciate if you would reply and let us know. She has already had the right leg done and the left leg will be done soon. They are doing the TPLO method.
Poor baby! It's been a year now since Remy's surgery and so I'm happy to tell you his shape has recovered. I mean he is more barrel-chested by nature, but his back looks a lot healthier and more normal now.
@@K9ofMine Thank you so much for the reply. Now we know what to watch for. She is 2 weeks post-op and doing well. They said her left leg will be done at 10 weeks. We have a 11 month old Standard Poodle and it is a challenge keeping them separated. They have us using a sling under her belly so she doesn't slip. She is on strict crate confinement but we walk her a little when she is out to potty. We also let her lay outside the crate with us for short periods. At 4 weeks they will do x-rays then they use a rehab center for Phase 2 PT. When did your surgeon allow Remy return to all normal activity?
@@hockey8347 Poor girl! I believe Remy was allowed to return to normal activity 3-4 months post surgery. It was definitely a slow build up.
Thank. I also learned a lot from your blog article.
How much did something like this cost? I'll find out next Monday when my golden retriever gets his x. Rays, if he might need surgery or not. Either way, if he needs surgery, i'm getting it done
Our double ACL surgery was $8k
Can any of your dogs run at some point after recovery? Is this surgery just about quality of life and a healthy dog or can they actually run and cut again? Nobody talks about the end result. Thanks for any responses.
Hey there - I can’t speak to others’ experience but Remy can absolutely run now (a year and a half after surgery)! He runs all over the yard and moves better than he ever has before. If you’re talking about dog sports and recovery when it comes to sports like agility or flyball, they’d likely require some careful and intentional physical therapy to fully recover. And even then idk, they may noy perform the same.
But functionally, Remy is doing SO well! The surgery was well worth it and a tremendous success for us!
Any updates on the double ACL surgery?
Yes, it's been one year and Remy is looking great! He's much more active and seems to be fully recovered. I posted a little recovery blurb in our blog post here: www.k9ofmine.com/dog-double-acl-surgery-experience
My dog is getting tplo surgery tomorrow. I am nervous about her recovery . She is a tripod (injury on her only back leg).
I find it difficult to assist her with the sling when getting up from her crate .
Good luck!
How is she doing? I hope everything went well.
She is completely recovered! two more Physical therapy sessions but back to her old self.
She learned to mellow out throughout this process and I was really strict about helping her and restricting her mobility for the first two weeks. I'm glad this is all over.
Thanks for asking
How much did it cost? One of my dogs is having problems with her back legs too. I live in the bay area in California and this person told me 14k for surgery plus 2500 for MRI that's a lot of money that I don't have my brother went to Mexico and ask the vet and he said to put her down I don't know what to do no more I hate seeing her with pain and discomfort right now she is taking pain medication 💔
I'd definitely shop around - try calling up some different city vets for a rough estimate, and if you're near state borders you could try other states too. The cost really can vary quite a bit between states, cities, etc. Remy got his surgery done in NH and it was 8k for both legs, plus I think about $500-$1k for x-rays before and after.
@James Erickson thank you so much for the reply you got my hopes up. I’m going to keep looking for other vets in the area
Not sure the difference between the surgeries, but a CCL tear cost me $1000
@@dylanwillis5165 Where was it done?
@@shaunprats7883 Effingham veterinary clinic in Illinois
How is your dog doing these days?
He’s doing really well! Honestly he’s developed some other unrelated joint issues because he’s just a mess in general, but his ACL surgery has held up great and his back legs are in good shape.
Do you remember when you stopped giving your dog the meds after surgery?
No, just whatever instructions my vet gave me
It has nothing to do with the flirt pole or exercise, twisting etc the ligament is degenerative and it is genetics and body fat.
Otherwise we would see it in agility dogs, Greyhounds, and we don’t. Training the ligaments would only make them stronger in a normal dog. The ligament isn’t normal. Stopping exercise doesn’t make any difference
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