2 Year Old Lab Limping

[wrenchhead]

My labs acl cost around 2000 each by the time it was all said and done. And I say each because if one knee goes the other one is very likely to as well unfortunately. The surgerys are 3 and 4 years old now there has been no problems at all.

[35rem]

Resting the leg and hoping it will heal on its own is a good bet in dogs up to 15 lbs. In larger dogs it rarely leads to an acceptable outcome. If the knee is left unstable for a longer period of time there is a good chance the meniscus will go as well and there will be more cartilage damage and arthritis long term. My advise is to go to your vet, get a diagnosis and discuss treatment options. My preference for a Lab size dog with a torn cruciate is a TTA or TPLO.

[tinhorse]

Yep, that's what I'm doing. Vet tomorrow and I'll see exactly what I'm dealing with then go from there. I just found it interesting the one article saying in the majority of cases that surgery is unnecessary. I tore my acl, mcl and miniscus 2+ years ago. I was fine without surgery but decided to get it repaired about 8 months ago as I would like to play soccer again. I could have lived fine without the surgery, just had to limit my activity a little ( no competitive sports). But I do see that all the writing on large breed dogs and knee injuries almost always suggest surgery. Tomorrow ill find out either way.

[A2ZEE]

Too young for hip dysplasia in my opinion. I would consider carefully combing the area completely looking for a sliver or a thorn. Good luck

[tinhorse]

Well back from the vet and the consensus is that he has a partially torn cruciate ligament. Both vets that looked at him said that they don't recommend surgery at this point and that several weeks of rest with constricted activity and pills for joint inflammation is needed. After 2-3 weeks we will do a revisit and see how his recovery is going. Ultimately it seems at some point the surgery may be needed but hopefully that will be in years to come.

[Cdn-Redneck]

I had a beagle that had slipped a disk and the vet recommended two weeks crate rest. He was to only come out of the crate to go to the bathroom. At about a week and a bit he seemed to be getting around ok so I left him out for awhile and he went right back to where he was, so if it is a certain period follow the instructions as prescribed. Good luck I hope he gets better soon.

[tinhorse]

Thanks I will definitely not be taking any chances. If there is a chance that he can recover without a surgery then taking the time is worth it. If he needs the surgery after that, then we will go down that road. One step at a time.

[Salty]

Good to hear tinhorse. We've had to go this route before too set them up with a room when you're out of the house, keep the rambunkshun down when you're around, leash only outside. Bit of a pita but well worth it. The anti inflammatories will help the cause too. Best of luck with it

[Buzam]

Just a question for everyone who's labs have torn ligaments, Is your dog fixed? and If so how old was he or she when it was done? I ask because when we were looking at when/if to get our lab neutered I read some studies that seemed to suggest keeping you dog intact for as long as possible greatly reduced the risk of joint injuries.

[wrenchhead]

Ya mine was fixed when the injuries occurred.