SissyRose - I think what you're going to do is a much better choice than having surgery.

And - you are right - a luxating patella and a torn anterior cruciate ligament are two entirely different problems. Luxating patellas are common to small dogs and something they can just live with them -- but a torn ACL is a bad injury caused from twisting. It is often called the "athletic injury" (for people) because it is so common to basketball and football players as well as skiers, etc. Every time you see a football player fall down on the field and grab his knee - he may have done what your little dog did - and he won't be playing football for a long time!

My little dog tore both his ACLs running around and playing out in the pasture. I suspect he stepped into some sort of a hole and his body kept going, but his little leg didn't. However, it can also happen from just a sudden twisting or turning.....which he does constantly!!!!

Again - I'm glad you're going with the more conservative treatment. I'm sure your pup will do just fine. It's just unfortunately that these injuries take so darn long to heal. But, not much we can do about that! He's little though and I'm sure you can keep him very happy and spoiled in the house.

Carol Jean

Good luck.

Guess what. We went to another doctor today. He said that the cruciate ligament was not torn. The joint feels stable. But the patella is luxating. It will not stay in place at all. The doctor put it back but it just keeps popping out. He also recommends surgery with this severe of a luxation. Again I am looking for anyone with this experience. Thanks.

Torn Ligament
 

I have a 1-1/2 year old Bichon. We boarded her at her vet's for a few days and when we picked her up and got her home, we let her out in the backyard to potty. She started screaming like someone was killing her but when I got to her, she was fine. For the next 5 days, she had diarrhea and did the same ear piercing scream about 4 other times. We got medicine for the diarrhea from her vet and thought her crys were from her stomach cramping. Well, we took her back to the vet today and they said she has a torn ligament and her knee cap is popping out of socket and said she would need surgery. She was fine until we boarded her. She is an active little 11 lb. dog who is always running, playing, etc.

Don't do it....if you google it up... it all tells you surgery is recommend for big dogs, not small dogs that weighs 20 pounds or under. The small dog usually heals on its own. Reason for big dog is because of their weight putting on the leg. However you still have to crate your dog not to walk on that leg for 4-6 weeks and its a pain in the butt cuz they do't understand why they can walk, run, jump etc. Hopes this help!

This is absolutely false. If you don't surgically fix a ccl tear the dog will get debilitating arthritis! Dr.Google is the worse doctor ever......

It is true and I'm not saying the dog can get arthritis if you dont do it properly. It doesnt matter now but it a different diagnose now.

This is *not* true.

Size, in and of itself, does NOT determine whether or not something heals! That's like saying "well, if you break a femur on a large dog, it needs to be fixed; but on a small dog, femurs just mend themselves!". Not true, not logical, not medically or clinically correct.

I would never opt for conservative treatment for a torn CCL. That is condemning a pup to lifelong severe arthritis. It also leaves the knee very unstable and the other knee will more than likely tear. They are at risk of that happening anyway even IF you repair the first, but it is at least less of a chance. Without a repair, they will start using that leg again, but at a high cost...arthritis and pain! Some people get fooled into thinking the pup is just fine because he or she is walking on it......the problem is the pups often will not show pain and that does NOT mean they are not in pain!!

As to the cost....in this area it is $4,500 for TPLO repairs. But, in my experience the pups recover very well. I have had quite a few of them done over the years on my own and my foster pups.

Here is a link to something the surgeon I use wrote about torn CCLs....

Yorkie Haven Rescue - Cranial Cruciate Ligament Tear Info

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Dr. Google is NOT always right!