I have a 9 year old Akita/Australian Cattle Dog who has been holding her back leg up for about a month now. I have looked in her paws to make sure there’s nothing in them i.e. sticker, cut, etc. She does not act like she is in pain and still wants to play ball but I won’t because I don’t want to make it worse. When she goes outside I see her every now and then put it down but not for
very long.

Marsha
Corinth, TX

I am sorry to hear about your dog’s troubles and your family’s financial troubles.

Based upon your description I am suspicious that your dog has injured or torn her cruciate ligament. Cruciate ligaments help stabilize the knees (in the rear legs). Dogs with torn cruciate ligaments typically do not put any weight on the affected leg.

The good news is that dogs with damaged cruciate ligaments generally do not show signs of pain as long as they don’t use the injured leg. And, dogs with mildly injured ligaments often recover with rest (so you definitely are doing the right thing by keeping your dog quiet).

Sadly, there also is bad news. Dogs with fully torn cruciate ligaments usually do not regain use of their legs without surgery. Several types of cruciate repair surgeries are available. They generally range in price from $400 (low cost veterinarian in a rural area) to $5000 (advanced technique performed by a specialist in surgery in a big city). More bad news: cruciate ligament injuries usually lead to painful arthritis later in life.

Finally, I should emphasize that without examining your dog I cannot say for sure that her cruciate ligament is injured. Several other problems can cause the symptoms you describe. I recommend that you visit a vet. Even if you can’t afford X-rays or surgery, the vet should be able to give you insight into the nature of the problem. He also may have some tips on low-cost management of the issue.

For more information, visit the following links:

http://drbarchas.com/limping
http://drbarchas.com/cruciate

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My three-year-old Labrador just had knee surgery. Is there any sort of physical therapy I should be performing to help him recover?

Amanda
Brooklyn, NY

Physical therapy and rehabilitation are emergent fields in veterinary medicine. Physical therapy has the potential to help cats and dogs suffering from neurological disorders, arthritis, trauma and surgery.

Basic companion animal physical therapy includes procedures such as passive range of motion exercises (in which limbs are gently moved through their normal ranges of motion) and warm or cold compresses.

Advanced physical therapy and rehabilitation may include walking on underwater treadmills (believe it or not, both dogs and cats can perform this activity), electrostimulation of muscles and training with balance boards.

Amanda, your best option is to talk to the veterinarian who performed your dog’s surgery. I am guessing that your dog underwent surgery to correct a cruciate ligament injury. There are several different surgeries available for this injury. In some cases, physical therapy is critical to recovery. In others, physical therapy may actually interfere with healing.

Your vet will know whether physical therapy is appropriate for your dog.

Image credit: Dr. Helmut Steger. Image license: CC

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I have a five-month-old Boxer/Rottweiler mix who
loves to play frisbee, but I heard that playing
catch and frisbee is dangerous for many breeds of
dog because of knee injuries. Is this true?

Catherine
Runnemede, NJ

Active dogs sometimes suffer injury to a structure in the knee called the cruciate ligament. The cruciate ligament helps to stabilize the knee during movement. Dogs with injured cruciate ligaments often require surgery to correct the problem.

Large breeds and overweight dogs are at increased risk of cruciate ligament injury. Also, cruciate ligaments may be damaged during any activity that places large amounts of strain on the knees. Running on rough terrain, playing fetch and, yes, playing frisbee may lead to cruciate ligament injuries.

However, if your dog loves playing fetch or frisbee, I’d recommend that you weigh the benefits of the activity against the risks. Although acrobatic leaps for frisbees may lead to injured knees, the running involved in fetching and frisbee catching helps to keep dogs fit, muscular and lean.

And don’t forget that playing fetch or frisbee is fun. Having fun is part of the reason why people adopt dogs.

Intense physical activity carries certain risks for dogs. But we all face risks every day. In most cases, the benefits of activities such as fetching or catching frisbees outweigh the risks.

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My Cocker Spaniel Cooper had TPLO surgery last
fall. Yesterday he started holding up his other
leg–the one he did not have surgery on.

Martha
Ottawa, On Canada

First, the basics. The cruciate ligament is located in the knee. It holds the joint stable during motion. Dogs commonly damage or tear a cruciate ligament during activities such as jumping or running. Risk factors include long legs and obesity.

When a dog tears his cruciate ligament, he generally refuses to put weight on the affected leg. This leads to the typical symptom of a dog with a cruciate ligament injury–a dog holding one rear leg up, and walking on only three legs.

There are several treatments for cruciate ligament injury. The currently accepted gold standard (best treatment) is a surgery known as TPLO.

Now, finally, to answer your question. Dogs that have injured one cruciate ligament have an increased likelihood of injuring the other one. The main reason for this is that after suffering a cruciate ligament injury dogs transfer extra weight to the good leg. This stresses the leg, and increases the risk of injury to the knee.

Unfortunately, I have known several dogs who have incurred bilateral cruciate ligament tears during their lifetimes. The good news is that, with bilateral TPLO surgery, most of these dogs go on to lead relatively normal lives. The bad news is that the surgeries are expensive and painful for both the dog and the person caring for the dog.

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