CCL Tear :(

[ZeusTitan]

About a year ago, my Newfie was diagnosed with a partial CCL tear on his
left hind leg. We decided to hold off on the surgery due to his large size,
but lately he has been having a lot more trouble getting up. We took him to
the vet the other day and he warned us that while surgery was not a
necessity at the time, once the leg became non-weight-bearing it would most
likely mean it had worsened into a meniscus tear.

Sadly, while we have been as careful as possible in trying to prevent him
from running and playing with his Newfie brother, he charged
after a squirrel and within seconds his leg became unable to support his
weight. For the past 72 hours he has been limping around and tomorrow he is scheduled for surgery.

Can you guys give me any advice about CCL surgery or perhaps your own
experiences? Surgery itself seems inevitable at this point but we want to
make sure we have all of our bases covered before he begins his recovery
(i.e. for those with big dogs, what did you use to crate your dog?
Especially if your dog isn't crate trained? What did you do to entertain your dog? etc)

I'm sorry if this topic has been covered in the past, but we're a wreck
over this - it is so hard to watch him suffer. ANY advice would be VERY
appreciated - thank you in advance everyone!

 

[Diana]

Is a CCL the same as an ACL? (anterior cruciate ligament?)

 

[ZeusTitan]

Is a CCL the same as an ACL? (anterior cruciate ligament?)

That's my understanding - its located in the knee & functions as a type of stabilizing ligament... I've seen it described as the "CCL/ACL" a few times so I'm assuming they're the same. Haha medical terminology can get a bit confusing sometimes!

 

[Diana]

Well then - unfortunately there are lots of folks on NewfNet with this experience. I feel your pain - Teddy completely tore his left knee, underwent a "traditional" ACL surgery where they kind of wire the knee up with a "fishing line" type of material. Unfortunately because of his size, the lines did not hold and he then had to have a TPLO repair and at this time also had the meniscus repaired.

We kept Ted penned up in an X-pen when we were not home and at bedtime, but the rest of the time kept him out in the family room with us. For this first couple of weeks, we used a sling to take him out to potty, after that it was always on leash. As we have about 5 steps going down into the back yard, we actually rented a wheelchair ramp so he wouldn't have to negotiate the stairs. As for keeping him busy, Kongs stuffed with peanut butter (frozen), bully sticks etc. and just lots of loving, brushing, belly rubs etc.

We also took Ted for hydrotherapy for several weeks - don't know if this made a difference but he did seem to recover pretty quickly. Another VERY important thing, if you have any kind of slippery floor surfaces, is to cover them with non-slip mats.

Outcome? Because of the fact that poor Teddy was walking around for several months on an unstable knee (after the first surgery) he did develop some arthritis and tires quite easily. But, on the plus side, it's been about 2 years and he hasn't ruptured the other knee!!

Hope some of this helps - good luck!!

 

[ZeusTitan]

Diana, thank you so much for sharing your experience!! I'm so happy to hear Teddy is doing so well, he looks just like my newfie Titan from your picture. I'm worried that Zeus is going to experience similar arthritis because we tried to hold off on the surgery - we were just worried about doing surgery on such a big dog!

I've heard great things about hydrotherapy. I've got to ask, was it difficult to transport a wet newfie from the facility back home? I'm especially worried since Zeus's surgery is taking place in the middle of winter, hopefully it'll be a short winter in Chicago, although not likely...

Kongs are a great suggestion, my dogs love them! Do you actually stick the whole kong in the freezer or just its contents?

Thank you again for your input - any & all suggestions are more helpful & appreciated than you know. Give Teddy a hug for me!

 

[Diana]

I stuff the kongs with peanut butter, then stick the whole thing in the freezer. My hydrotherapy place had a dog dryer, so we would get him mostly dry after his sessions, then load him up in the car, it wasn't an issue - just very time consuming!!

 

[victoria1140]

anti slip mats everywhere just in case, leashed exercise and lots of love and hugs

 

[Murphy]

There is a ton of material here. (You can find a lot under maladies and diseases). My experiences alone with Murphy ( he has had both knees done) could fill a library. Unfortunately the surgery is tomorrow so you will need to do a lot of quick research on what to be prepared for, confinement etc. Good luck and keep us posted on your boy..

 

[Thule's Mom]

Yes - like Jen says - there's a ton of material here - unfortunately! My Thule had both knees done at same time (TPLO), on March 2 of last year - but - on a positive note, she's doing fabulously today. It IS a very long road, filled with pain and patience! Know there is a place here for you to come and get the support and information you need!

Kisses from Newfoundland!
Deb & Thule

 

[MMtnmom]

I was supremely cautious with Lucky, and supremely solicitous. I had friends and hired hands with her when I had to go back to work, but I took a week off to be with her 24/7, then worked 1/2 days and had the hired help here the other 1/2 day for several weeks. She liked to sleep in my bed, so I removed the bed except for the mattress and there we slept for three months, also built a ramp for front and back doors. and the stuffed, then frozen kongs. I froze two each night, one for the morning, one for the afternoon. That was about 7 years ago ... she'll be 11 next month and she's pretty frisky for an old lady. She can still jump up on the bed, can walk a mile or two if it's not too hot. She does have some arthritis on occasion. But all is well.

 

[noblenewf]

My Gabe had a traditional repair in November of 2008. I've posted a ton of threads about our experience as well...under the Maladies and Disease section. You can do an advanced search and I'm sure find all of the information you would ever need or want. So many of us have been through this situation as well...we feel your pain and worry and anxiety. The best piece of advice I can give you is be PATIENT and DILIGENT with recovery. Follow the restrictions EXACTLY. Baby steps. Do not rush anything and remember that there will be good days and bad days during the recovery process. No running, no jumping, no slipping (cover every slippery area in your house with non slip rugs for secure footing), no off leash walks or potty trips. Have a secured area for his recovery that will limit his movement for the first several weeks. I did not crate Gabe, I kept him confined in a small kitchen area with rubber matting on the floor. I am not going to tell you it's easy...because it isn't. There were many days I felt I would totally lose it...watching him recover and not be able to run and play...but in the end all is well and he is living a happy, normal life. It was well worth the time and energy. PATIENCE is key.
PM me if you have more questions, I am happy to answer. Good luck and my thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[Murphy]

Good advise Jess... Recovery is longer for some than others but it does take a LONG time. Murphy was/is slow to heal. 7 months post op we are still having bad days.. toe touching.. the weather is also an issue.. Most importantly... do not be impatient and lift restrictions too soon. And the flooring is crucial !!!! Nothing remotely smooth. Confinement essential.. Though I am just repeating others it is so so IMPORTANT. Be prepared to have several heart attacks a day.. Invest in a defibrillator. LOL Let us know if we can help. I would not have got through this without my NN family.

 

[dumainedogs]

I went through a TPLO with Kirby. I wish you all the best and might also suggest you check into a Yahoo News group called "orthodogs"... it was my ROCK when I was struggling with questions and looking for support after Kirby's surgery.

 

[Leigh]

My Winston had a Traditional repair done 2 weeks ago today. We purchased rolls of carpet runners (rubber backed) from Home Depot to cover all the hard wood floors. These can also be used outside to throw over any ice or slick spots.
The hardest part for me has been taking him out to potty...Winston has always enjoyed laying on the back stoop at night for hours...so after he does his business he lays down. So there I am holding the leash while my boy lays in the snow enjoying every second of the frigid temps. I don't have the heart to bring him back in right away...its his only enjoyment right now! Good luck with Zeus...wishing an easy recovery!

 

[ozzysma]

i think in a 2 dog household it may be hard to keep him quiet for the alloted time period and i believe that is a crucial thing to do.

 

[R Taft]

Prayers and well wishes from here :hugs: Ronnie

 

[lilly06]

Invest in a Bite-Not collar and a sling to help support and guide when out for potty breaks. The e-collar is a nightmare. Lilly learned how to lick her incision with the e-collar on. Not a chance with the bite not. Follow your surgeons instructions to a T. We had 2 other dogs and we attempted to crate Lilly but it was too small especially with the e-collar on. We changed to the x-pen pretty quickly. It was easy to get her in and out of the x-pen and she had more room.

You may want to get a couple of big bones from the butcher. Bordem sets in pretty quickly. We also had a plastic ball that we could fill with some kibble. Dogs can nose it around in the x-pen and a few pieces of kibble come out.

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Tricky-Treat-Ball-Large/dp/B0002DK26M/ref=pd_sim_k_4

Lilly didn't care for it but it does keep other dogs busy. She was never a big food hound. Our other newf loved it.

Best of luck to you.

 

[ZeusTitan]

Wow you guys are unbelievable... thank you SO much for all of your guidance and support. It is very appreciated. Just wanted to give you all an update - Zeus went in for surgery today & the doctor said he is doing well, they're going to keep him overnight so he is comfortable. The doctor said he had a 33 degree angle and he took off 2 degrees? Doctor talk is confusing but what matters is that he is okay - he did end up needing a TPLO as it turned out to be a complete tear. I'll keep you guys posted & share all of your helpful information & experiences with my family... thank you again & if there is anything I can ever do for any of you please let me know!

 

[Diana]

Healing thoughts from here for Zeus (and you as well!!!) I'm sure he'll make a great recovery - just remember to take it really easy - keep us posted.

 

[Murphy]

Wow you guys are unbelievable... thank you SO much for all of your guidance and support. It is very appreciated. Just wanted to give you all an update - Zeus went in for surgery today & the doctor said he is doing well, they're going to keep him overnight so he is comfortable. The doctor said he had a 33 degree angle and he took off 2 degrees? Doctor talk is confusing but what matters is that he is okay - he did end up needing a TPLO as it turned out to be a complete tear. I'll keep you guys posted & share all of your helpful information & experiences with my family... thank you again & if there is anything I can ever do for any of you please let me know!

Please double check with your surgeon about how much he corrected the angle. Post op angle should not be more than 14 degrees. I found this out the hard way since my Murphy's first surgery was done by a sloppy surgeon and his post op angle was 32 degrees. He is currently being investigated by the CVO and his insurance company has since settled. Not saying that is the case here at all .. But wouldn't hurt to get clarification.:sunflower:
Jen and Murph

Here is an article describing what the post op angle should be


The TPLO surgery corrects the angle by cutting the bone and rotating it to a degree that makes less steep. This is from the TPLO reference article.

One research study indicated that dogs that had a postop tibial plateau angle between 2 and 14 degrees clinically did very well, however the original recommendation by Dr. Slocum is 5 degrees.