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ACL tear
Hi everyone, I used to be on the nest/bump way back in the day.;) I remembered that there was a pet board so I had to come on and get your opinion. My 13-14 (unsure because he was a rescue) cattle mix boy has an acl tear.;( We took him to the emergency vet on Sun due to a severe limp on his back left and he was diagnosed through xrays. The vet told my husband that because he is in overall good health he thinks he would do ok with the lateral suture technique surgery. I am just so worried because of his age.
I have also been looking into bracing. The only one that seems to have good reviews is the A Trac brace by wound wear. It is 400 bucks though and you can's return...only exchange for another size. I was wondering if anyone has used this?
Also wondering if anyone has had surgery done on your senior dog? I just don't know what to do. I have been carrying him up and down stairs and my back is killing me. He is on anti inflammatories, glucosamine and msm and tramadryl. I would love others input. Thank you very much.
Re: ACL tear
Personally i would be hesitant to do such a major surgery on a senior dog. If you have the finances to do so then by all means. But i would def look into other options if possible.
A senior dog can under go surgery safely no doubt. With a proper physical and bloodwork to reduce the chance of complications they have low risks of anesthetic complications. That being said if I were you I might see how he does with time and rest. It won't fix the issue, but depending how bad the tear is, which you wouldn't know without an MRI or surgery some dogs can stabilize the knee.
What I usually recommend is complete rest for 2 weeks with a NSAID such as rimadyl and then slowly increase his exercise over the next month from leash walks to trots, and then full play. The thing about trying this is if he doesn't show any improvement you can always try surgery or even the brace at any time