Acl Repair

[Guest TinasTroops]

I am interested to know if anyone has or had a greyhound with a ACL tear/repair.

 

Just looking for some history, results, what was done and how this end up, quality of life.

 

 

Many Thanks

[DustysMom]

Not a grey but an old bichon. She made a complete recovery.

[DaisyDoodle]

My now nearly-15-yo shephard mix had one done in the Fall of 2004. She's done really well; just a little stiffness here and there.

 

There are several techniques for doing the repair. Unfortunately, I don't recall which one Lucky had. I would ask the vet to describe the alternatives. Also, these days, a partial tear can be detected and repaired. In the past, vets would wait for a full tear to occur before doing anything. A full tear/repair requires a lot longer rehab (read: leash-walks only), to the tune of several months versus several weeks.

 

If I had a GH who needed one, I would do it immediately. I don't think it's something that resolves without surgery.

[Guest mhall]

Not exactly what you're asking for but....

 

Our first dog was misdiagnosed with a partial ACL tear. It's very, very uncommon in greyhounds, since they are built to run. Is your greyhound's definitely torn - was there a definitive drawer sign? Did you do x-rays?

 

Had we not eventually gotten a different diagnosis, we would have opted to do surgery if the injury didn't heal on its own. Our guy was 9 and very active, so we weren't comfortable with the idea of letting him limp around for the rest of his life. The surgeon we consulted was of the opinion that the older version of the surgery was preferable to doing a TPLO.

[Sambuca]

The longer its torn the better the chance of the other acl also tearing. I'm a pet sitter and I've seen it happen. They are happier after the surgery. I haven't seen it in a Grey though.

 

The longer its torn the better the chance of the other acl also tearing. I'm a pet sitter and I've seen it happen. They are happier after the surgery. I haven't seen it in a Grey though.

[grey8greys]

My bridge girl Flossie had a partial ACL tear. 8 weeks crate rest, only outside to potty on a leash, no jumping on furniture, getting into the van or stairs. 4 more weeks of no running. She healed just fine and never had a problem with either leg

[joejoesmom]

My Twister, who is 1/2 whippet (for sure) and probably 1/2 black labrador had a total tear of the ACL at age 7. It was repaired using heavy-duty suture material. She had to be on complete rest for 6 weeks (walking on leash to do business only). She recovered fine but had to have the suture material removed about 9 months later due to ongoing intermittent pain. This is not common. The orthopedic vet explained that the suture material is not needed past the 6 month point -- by then the scar tissue has built up to stabilize the knee. She is now 13 1/2 and is doing fine. She has some general arthritis but I can't say it is due to the injury. She has never been able to bend the knee quite as much as before the injury.

 

In any case, she is far better off than she would have been if it hadn't been repaired.

 

The orthopedic vet explained that the suture material (placed in a figure 8) is only recommended for dogs less than 50 pounds (Twister is 45). I think the name of the procedure for larger dogs is tibeal plateau. My friend's german shepherd mix had this procedure and did fine.

 

Hope this helps.

[Guest TinasTroops]

Anyone have this type of surgery and then cancer showed up in that area?

[Guest bluefawn]

Candi has had plantar ligament repair, but not ACL. She also had a broken leg, though, and it was wired together. The wire has since been removed, and she runs and plays with no problems at all. I am worried, too, about the cancer thing. Seems like, if you talk with those whose greys have OS, most have had an old injury at that site. I wonder if there really is a connection between injury and possibly surgery, and cancer. Interesting that you would mention this. Will check back on the replies.

[Burpdog]

Anyone have this type of surgery and then cancer showed up in that area?

 

I know of two that it happened to. One girl who stayed with me for awhile, and the other I can't remember the gender, but I talked with the owner at 3Gs last year.

[robinw]

Anyone have this type of surgery and then cancer showed up in that area?

 

has that happened?

[Guest TinasTroops]

No no Robin, Measure is fine. I am really just trying to gather information.

 

Anyone have this type of surgery and then cancer showed up in that area?

 

has that happened?

[Guest tricolorhounds]

Our Shepherd/Mix Felicity had ACL surgery back in 2004. As others have said, I believe this is fairly rare in Greyhounds.

 

I was told there was 2 type of surgery. One was not as invasive, something like suturing the ligament back together. It was commonly used for smaller dogs and less active dogs. Felicity was only 4 and very active so we went with the TPLO. If you google TPLO you'll get a better explanation than I can give. She was on "puppy restriction" for nearly 12 weeks, leash walks only/crate rest. Her recovery was uneventful and she never had adverse effects.

[GreyPoopon]

FWIW, after Cora's leg was repaired, my vet mentioned that when the break had healed, we should discuss removing the hardware (plate, wires, screws) because OS can occur at the site of the hardware. I thought we'd probably leave it in place, because it takes years for the OS to appear, and she was almost 10 when the leg broke. As it happened, the OS turned up before she had healed; I think it was probably there all along and just didn't show up on the x-rays.

 

Was hardware left in place during the repair?

[Guest TinasTroops]

Yes, the hardware is still in from the TPLO surgery. As this is a second ACL repair becuase "the ban" did not take. We have a few concerns aside from the surgery. The healng process is slower due to a 2nd surgery and there is a lot of scar tissue, I am concerned with a 3rd surgery causing even more problems.Mind you it would be the lesser of 2 evils. We have completed xrays every step of the way and complete a bone biopsy at the time of surgery.

Our Orthopedic sugeron did say we could remove the hardware if we choose.

I am just uncertain at this point what our decison will be. 10 weeks into healing the bone has not fully healed so surgery is not even an option.

[robinw]

thank goodness! i'm sorry that Measure hasn't been healing faster

No no Robin, Measure is fine. I am really just trying to gather information.

 

Anyone have this type of surgery and then cancer showed up in that area?

 

has that happened?

Edited March 26, 2010 by robinw

[GreyPoopon]

10 weeks into healing the bone has not fully healed so surgery is not even an option.

 

I think my vet mentioned 6 months as the earliest that we'd even consider it. As it turned out, Cora was still healing (or so we thought) at 5 1/2 months--the older the dog, the longer it takes.

 

Remember too there is a risk of OS at the site of hardware--it's not inevitable.

[Guest lionessgrace]

How expensive is the TPLO surgery in the area in which you live? I just got an estimate for my over 50 pound non-Grey dog and it was $4,800. Is that normal?

[Guest TinasTroops]

That doesn't sound to far out of range. My vet charges around $3,000 but that is not what the Rescue group was charged for his ACL repair.

 

How expensive is the TPLO surgery in the area in which you live? I just got an estimate for my over 50 pound non-Grey dog and it was $4,800. Is that normal?

[Guest tricolorhounds]

Savannah broke her heel... the tip of the heel where the Achilles tendon attaches on June 30th '08... the Vets were initially concerned about OS as there was a shadow but once the surgeon got inside, the bone was clean as a whistle, biopsy came back clear.

 

This was the 2nd time she broke a part of that leg... the 1st was a very severe hock break in her last race. She broke her hock in February, had surgery shortly after. We adopted her in April, even though she was still in a cast. Due to a nasty staph infection, she was in the cast until the middle of July at which time she rejected the hardware and had an additional surgery to remove it.

 

Fast forward to July '08... We went to the Surgeons every 2 weeks for a bandage change... at 6 weeks, he was concerned that the bone wasn't growing back together as he would have expected. I asked about giving her calcium but he said he didn't believe it would make a difference. Later that day, we happened to be out at the Adoption kennel and in speaking with the Director, he told me that he always uses calcium supplements in these kinds of situations. I think it made a huge difference. She still wound up being in a cast until November. I think it takes a little longer to heal sometimes. I know Savannah does. BTW, Savannah was 4 1/2 when she broke her hock and 8 at the time she broke her heel.

[GeorgeofNE]

My old dog was a mixed breed (pit bull/Shepherd type). When he was 5, he suffered a total rupture of his ACL (running gently on a grassy field!!!).

 

He was a 75 pounds. The options for a large dog are (or at least WERE) totally different than those for a small dog--and the orthopedic specialist we went to told me he needed a TPLO (tibial plateau leveling ostemy).

 

This is when they remove the destroyed tendon completely, cut the tiba, move the entire joint into a new position, and bolt it to the tibia with plates and screws. You then confine the dog to an x-pen and only take it out on a leash to go to the bathroom--no other exercise--for 12 miserable weeks.

 

My dog's leg didn't heal, didn't heal, didn't heal--12 weeks turned into six months and hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of antibiotics. Eventually it seemed OK.

 

Almost exactly one year to the date of surgery, he spiked a massive fever and was in so much pain that I couldn't even touch his leg.

 

Rush him to the animal hospital where they immediately admit him for fluids and IV antibiotics--and it turns out he has a bone infection (probably been festering all that time).

 

Phew. $750 more antibiotics and a second surgery to remove the hardware (one of the screws had broken off in the bone) and drain all the infection out--

 

12 more weeks in the x-pen--

 

Eventually he recovered. It was a total nightmare, but actually a rare very bad outcome.

 

Total cost was well over $7,000 (thanks Mom and Dad, for paying for paying for every penny of it).

 

He did recover full function of his leg after the nightmare ended. He went on to live to be 15 years old.

 

In retrospect, I often think amputation would have been kinder--but MOST dogs do just great. They really do!

 

I think if you Google "TPLO, Kramer" you will probably get to the web site a gal I used to know started where she talked lots about the TPLO and all sorts of stories and results are posted.

[Guest TinasTroops]

We're running into this issue to - after 8 weeks it has not healed as well as they would have liked, so we started calcium and Sympn 30 ch supplement to help the bone heal.

 

at 6 weeks, he was concerned that the bone wasn't growing back together as he would have expected. I asked about giving her calcium but he said he didn't believe it would make a difference. Later that day, we happened to be out at the Adoption kennel and in speaking with the Director, he told me that he always uses calcium supplements in these kinds of situations. I think it made a huge difference. She still wound up being in a cast until November. I think it takes a little longer to heal sometimes. I know Savannah does. BTW, Savannah was 4 1/2 when she broke her hock and 8 at the time she broke her heel.

 

thanks for the information but WOW what an ordeal for your family and your pup.

 

My old dog was a mixed breed (pit bull/Shepherd type). When he was 5, he suffered a total rupture of his ACL (running gently on a grassy field!!!).

 

He was a 75 pounds. The options for a large dog are (or at least WERE) totally different than those for a small dog--and the orthopedic specialist we went to told me he needed a TPLO (tibial plateau leveling ostemy).

 

This is when they remove the destroyed tendon completely, cut the tiba, move the entire joint into a new position, and bolt it to the tibia with plates and screws. You then confine the dog to an x-pen and only take it out on a leash to go to the bathroom--no other exercise--for 12 miserable weeks.

 

My dog's leg didn't heal, didn't heal, didn't heal--12 weeks turned into six months and hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of antibiotics. Eventually it seemed OK.

 

Almost exactly one year to the date of surgery, he spiked a massive fever and was in so much pain that I couldn't even touch his leg.

 

Rush him to the animal hospital where they immediately admit him for fluids and IV antibiotics--and it turns out he has a bone infection (probably been festering all that time).

 

Phew. $750 more antibiotics and a second surgery to remove the hardware (one of the screws had broken off in the bone) and drain all the infection out--

 

12 more weeks in the x-pen--

 

Eventually he recovered. It was a total nightmare, but actually a rare very bad outcome.

 

Total cost was well over $7,000 (thanks Mom and Dad, for paying for paying for every penny of it).

 

He did recover full function of his leg after the nightmare ended. He went on to live to be 15 years old.

 

In retrospect, I often think amputation would have been kinder--but MOST dogs do just great. They really do!

 

I think if you Google "TPLO, Kramer" you will probably get to the web site a gal I used to know started where she talked lots about the TPLO and all sorts of stories and results are posted.

[racindog]

Slim had a tibial crest fracture that the first sorry excuse for a e-vet misdiagnosed as acl tear and sent him home with the broken leg. I learned at that time that it is very unusual for a greyt to sustain acl tear injuries like the other dogs do because of the large muscles greys have in their legs. I think it must be true as I havn't heard of any greyts blow their knee like the other dogs do. Also, I just read in Whole Dog Journal how there was a problem with the metal in the plates that was inserted or something and many dogs have developed cancer at the site as a result. I knew that it soemtimes happenned but when they pulled the data together it had an alarming frequency of occurence. There is actually a conservative non surgical approach that can be successful but it requires great dedication to do.

Edited March 26, 2010 by racindog