The surgeons I work with are very thorough in examining our patients. Many of our patients are older, as ACL ruptures are mostly due to a degenerative process (other are due to trauma). They will recommend bloodwork and radiographs to make sure your pet is in good health for anesthesia. We tailor our anesthetic and pain manegement protocols to the patients - not everyone is the same.
Getting it fixed sooner than later is best as the abnormal motion of the knee causes arthritis which will only get worse with time. Stabilizing the knee will greatly slow the progession of arthritis.
Due to your pet's weight, your dog will do fine with a lateral nylon suture. This is where a piece (or 2) of monofilament nylon are attached behind the febellae (a little bony prominence on the back of the femur) and around to a hole drilled into the tibial crest just below the knee. This nylon will stabilize the knee so that fibrous (or scar) tissue can form to stabilize the joint.
They will also examine the inside of the joint to deterimine if there is damage to the meniscus, the shock exorpent cartilage inside the knee. If the meniscus is torn, the exposed fibers cause pain. If torn, we remove it. If intact, we release it because many will go on to tear it in the future and that would require a second surgery.
Pain medications, possibly antibiotics, and physical therapy are warrented after surgery. Some pets need to have their implants removed due to irritation, but most live the rest of their lives with them. Exercise restriction are very important for healing and don't forget the e-collar - licking can cause and infection and you don't want that in a joint!
Make sure the surgery is with a boarded surgeon, one who is licensed with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. This means they have recieved advanced training in orthopedics. I've seen some general practictioners attempt this surgery and some do ';okay'; but some don't and I've seen them charge twice the amount we do ($2500 compared to $12-1600 - prices may vary based upon your location). I think this is becuase they don't have the correct equipment and expertise and it takes them longer. Anyway, you may have to go to a specialty hospital or university, but it's well worth it to have someone who knows what they are doing.
BTW - insurance for this case would be invalid. None cover predisposing injuries and because this has already been diagnosted, it's too late for coverage.
My dog Molly, a toy poodle, tore her ACL when she got her leg caught in a park bench while jumping off. She was 11 then. She had surgery, did PT, then had her implants removed because they were irritating her, and she is perfectly normal. She is 14 years old now.My Yorkie tore her ACL 3 months ago and she is still hurting and limping. Any advice?
Hydrotherapy will help with recovery after surgery, but once the ACL is torn, the abnormal motion of the joint quickly causes arthritic changes in the joint and can be very painful. I think your dog has many years in front of her and would benefit from surgery.
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Besides surgery, the only thing you can do is pain management. Long term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories will help, but chronic use of these can have side effects such as liver changes. Eventually, NSAIDs may not be enough to keep her comfortable.
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The best thing to do would be to schedule a consultation with a surgeon. They can answer your questions, give advice and perhaps ease your apprehensions regarding surgery. This is a procedure we do often, sometimes 50 + in one week and the majority of our patients are geriatric.
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Surgery may be risky because of her age but it is the best answer to this problem. I you have a good vet ,they will do bloodwork before surgery to check her levels and make sure she is healthy enough for it and there is also different types of anesthesia to use if this is a major concern too. Talk to your vet about how they monitor them during surgery and tell him your concerns, dogs are just as important as people and your vet should be able to ease you concerns
even though she is ten dogs are quiet strong animals op for surgery she will recover and it will be the best gift also get dog insuance so atleast you can recover some costs
It is risky for an older dog to have surgery, but sometimes it has to be done. We just had to have a tumor removed from our 16 year old beagle's foot - we put it off as long as possible, but he started having trouble walking. If your little Yorkie is going to be sufferring and limping, surgery might be necessary. It isn't right to keep her in pain.
oh your poor little doggy.
i have a chihuahua who injured her leg as well and she is limping around as well so i know how painful it is to watch your little girl suffer.
our vet has recommended to give her some hydrotherapy which basically means she swims in our bathtub every other day for about 5-10 minutes depending how long she can swim for on that day and it has helped her alot with her limping as it relaxed her muscles and builds up her muscles.
but ask your vet first and see what he says.
good luck
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