Knee surgery - (4 legged)

Bella Rose

Well-Known Member
Owned by
2 cockers
Hi All

I know a few of you have been through knee surgery with your cockers. We are trying to find out some more info and what to realistically expect.

Bella has not fully recovered from injuring her leg/knee earlier this spring. Today she is back for more exams/x-rays and they are talking surgery. (She has had several months to recover, so this is the next step we didn't want to take, but it's looking like the only option at this time). She will be fine for weeks, but then seemingly out of the blue, she is back on 3 legs again.

We are going to do the restrictive rest program again until January, we just don't feel it is realistic for surgery this fall.

Just trying to get an idea of what we can really expect before putting her through it all.

Thanks!
 
Also, does anyone know anything about products like this?
poshdogkneebrace.com
 
I had a knee brace made for my 11yo doberman in the summer of 2010 from this company http://www.orthopets.com It was $600 plus I had to have a cast made of her leg. Her chiro did it for me so it was less $$ than a vet.

Sadly, she died in 2/2012 so I cant say how it would have held up long term, but it definitely was very helpful.

looking through my old emails, I chose this route b/c I could not afford the surgery at that time and did not want to put an 11yo dog through it. But the deciding factor was that Ny was a high drive dog and keeping her on extended crate rest was just NOT going to happen. We all would have needed drugs after the first 2 weeks!

I've never heard of the company you mentioned. Have you gotten recommendations? Its not clear to me how they can make a custom brace w/o the casting. I remember my chiro saying that was the key to getting a good fitting. -of course, back then, I'm pretty sure that they were the only company available to do this.
 
To be honest, I wasn't strict enough about limiting Gabby's activity while recovering from surgery. I believe he had a setback because of it. Not to say this is your case. If you decide on surgery really grill the doc about his experience. Don't hold back.

Sorry to hear about Bella. Keep us updated.
 
Thank you cockers4ever - I won't go with that specific company, because I don't feel comfortable without having a cast made, but I am much more interested in something similar that doesn't involve a harness or contraption of straps all over the body.

Manuel - I think we haven't been strict enough either, she's not very high energy....but we do have stairs, and she does jump up to the couch.

I just don't feel convinced that surgery is best...yet...
 
Lily
If I were in your shoes with my Pogo, who is at least 11 now, I would follow Cockers4Ever's advice. I would get a really well fitting brace and let her wear it especially during those times she is favoring it. I would choose this way because she isn't favoring it all the time.

Also I would take into consideration your lifestyle. Do you and Bella hike? Take long walks? Or is she more of a relaxing princess?
 
Is really hard for our babies to be on strict limitation. Pumpkin had ACL surgery last year in September. I had her in a fenced crate. I would pick her up every time she had to go potty and had her on her leash so she wouldn't try to run. At first she didn't mind being crated but when she started feeling better that's when it gets hard. But I didn't want her to injure her knee or the other knee. Vet said there is a high chance of injuring their other knee if your not strict. I would do the surgery as soon as possible. So she doesn't have to be on strict limitations so many times. Hope Bella gets better soon.
 
Poor Bella and poor mommie.

Hannah had knee surgery a couple of years ago (she messed up both the ACL and her MCL). It was a long road but without it she would not have been able to walk for long. Keep in mind that Hannah had had major back surgery one year prior to the knee injury. If you are going to wait until January then you have time to plan and here are a couple of suggestions to look into that might help her recovery.

Look into PT for her now, strengthening her leg will help with her recovery after surgery. I would see if you have someone who can do water therapy for her, low impact on her knee but great for beefing up her muscles and keeping her fit for surgery.

Can you put gates up at the bottom of the stairs? Hannah's ACL had been hurt and simply jumping down a 14 inch high patio wall is when she ruptured the MCL forcing the surgery.

Crate rest is a must we used one of large wire ones (big enough for a Shepard), or an exercise pen that you can configure into a small space at first and then into a larger space as she gets to feeling better. If she is out of the crate she is leashed. Hannah didn't like it but she got use to it.

We made a sling out of an old pillow cases that worked great, the vet will want her to put weight on it and a sling helped Hannah to balance when squatting. The first couple of days we carried her to the yard and back so that she could "walk" a little in the fresh air.

Sending well wishes an healing thoughts your way.
 
Bella is a couch potato - she is firmly convinced the grass will burn her feet and the sun will blind her. :p
She does like to play ball (inside) so I have taken all her rolling, bouncing toys away that she likes to play with on the stairs.
When home by herself, she stays in her kennel (by choice the door is open it's just her habit).

Her exam did show us her bones etc were strong and healthy. No arthritis or degeneration occurring.

I don't want to do surgery this fall, as we are travelling, and as much as we love our pet sitter - I just don't feel this would be a good idea.

This weekend, she wasn't showing any signs of lameness or pain, but is was a cold, miserable long weekend spent indoors watching movies.

I think we are going to go forward with getting a good quality brace fitted and made.
That should at least prevent further injuries to either leg until we can re-asses in January.
 
Bella knows that the sun is hard on our skin, she is a smart girlie. I think that you are doing all the right things. And putting off surgery until January is fine, especially if she is on again off again on her limping and use of the leg. Hannah did her ACL (only a partial) long before her MCL (which pushed the surgery to the immediate forefront us). If you did have her surgery Also you know Bella like no one else does and when she does have surgery you will be her best voice. Someone on our board did have a brace made for their pupper, anyone remember who? That thread maybe on the site still.

It was hard to keep Hannah contained, but she seemed to know that it was a neccesary evil and did pretty well with the confinement as long as she could see me or know I was near by. And I only kept the cone on her when I could not see her.

Hannah was the one of the three who LOVED going to our agility classes, she was so excited when the barn came into view. And she also loved her frisbee play. We removed all those toys from her sight or she would whine for them.
 
Our old cocker Lacy had knee surgery at 11 yrs old and she did great. One major thing is find a good ortho surgeon, just like with people it makes a huge difference. She was in a cast until it healed enough to start slowly using it. Physical therapy helps too. Once it healed she never had a minutes trouble, she jumped ran and it did great. it is a big surgery but I would do it again if needed. Chase hurt his but luckily it healed in a few weeks and he has been fine for several years. We did laser therapy and some kind of shots to strengthen but I don't remember what.

Good luck
 
**Good News Update!!
We saw the vet on Thursday last week and ................
Bella's knee has recovered to 90%
Yippie!!! It's better then I was hoping for.
I think I turned blue holding my breath through the entire exam :D
We opted not to do surgery and limited her activity with many long months of rehab.
 
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