Hi all.

My Newf was diagnosed with OCD of the elbow at six months and just recently my vet said it looked like she had hip displaysia (she just suddenly started moving funny one Sunday afternoon). Luckily we had an appointment with a specialist within a week of this happening, he gave us some good news about the elbow - it is only a slight case and at this time doesn't warrant an operation, but he took one look at her and said she had cruciate ligament injury of the knees in her back legs. They did a load of x-rays including the hips (which he said were good) and confirmed that both of her rear knees were affected, she is booked in for her first operation next Thursday. I am really concerned with the recovery period as she is such a large dog and is very hard to lift up, how immobile will she be? The operation is called a Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy has anyone had any experience of this? After having this done how freely would she move? I would still like to show her but would her movement be good enough? If not never mind it would just be nice to have a dog that can go for a walk.

Nikki

This is a relatively new operation (last few years) but many orthopaedic specialists have changed to this procedure and are very happy with the results.

Hi
my lab did in her cruciate ligament in October last year, this was espcially bad as she only has three legs and it was her only remaining back leg.  Because of her situation we had to go over three hundred miles to liverpool university to  get help.  They did the operation and we brought her home.  She had to have cage ( she had never been caged but luckily we had just got a puppy a month earlier and had brought one for her) or very small area rest for 4 weeks then we had to start swimming her three times a week but no other exercise for two months.  When we first brought her back we would use a large soft cashmere scarf to hold up her back end (you will probably need a towel as yours is larger)  so she could relieve herself,  after about a week she didn't need this but we kept it there to support her should her leg give way when she squatted, she has done so well it is wonderful, her first walk for nearly three months was new year and we were on the beach a whole 10 minutes, before we made her come home, she was so wobbly and excited she couldn't stop trying to run.  Now just over another month on she is running along the beach begging to chase a ball all be  it a  little slower than normal.  I do now put her on a lead if another dog is near in case she gets knocked but that is because she is three legged and can't take any chances.  She should get full strength back in her legs is another three months or so. The imobility rest was no where near as bad as I feared it would be.  I can only tell you what happened to us, but when we were at the university with her we were told that the operation is very successful and their only concern was that she had three legs and how she would cope, but she did fine :O).  Her movement and flexability is very good just needs the strength built back into the leg.

HI Ebony

I bet it was great to see her run on the beach and be a normal dog again. Where did you take her swimming? Should I look into a hydrotherapy pool? Hopefully there is one near us. The poor hubby has to set off at 4:30 am to get her to the vets for 8am on Thursday morning I'm glad he's taking her and not me. Thanks for the reply Ebony you have really eased my worry about the crate rest, luckily she is used to the crate as we have used it since she was 7 weeks old.

Nikki 

Hi Nikki
Its was fantastic to see her so happy and running around on the beach every day she is improving:O).  I would take her swimming in a dog hydrotherapy pool if you can.  I prefer to go to one where it is one on one and they get into the pool with the dog and  swim it themselves.  You would not believe the difference that swimming made to bracken, both when she lost her leg to cancer and now just recovering from her cruciate ligament it built up her muscles so much that she had no trouble in supporting herself very quickly,  in fact she did so well with the swimming when she lost her leg and enjoyed it so much I let her continue going once a fortnight for pleasure.  (to build up her muscles she went three times a week at first then twice a week then once a week and finially to once a fortnight for a while which I chose to keep on).  One thing to look into is that my insurance covered her swimming both when she lost her leg and for the cruciate injury.  Obviously when we kept it on for pleasure and she was recovered I paid myself.  Our hydro pool is about 9 miles away but would have travelled much further (I am on isle of wight).  The surgeon in both cases recommended I take her swimming. (forgot to say you cannot swim until I think 4 weeks after the operation before that it is rest rest rest, rest is really crucial to recovery don't be temped to let her exercise even is she really seems to want too, not until your surgeon gives you the ok, and he will send you home with written instructions so don't worry)  Let us know how she gets on.

Hi
how did the operation go?

Hi Ebony

The operation so far is a success, poor love is resting in her cage at the moment. Didn't realise they had to shave all of her leg so we have a very lop sided looking newf or as my hubby said "its looks like she has a grey chicken leg thats been half defrosted", she is putting weight on it already which the vet says is a good sign we just have to keep her calm which is harder said than done with a very friendly newfie puppy. Thanks for the concern and advise which really set our mind at ease because after reading your post about how you coped with a 3 legged dog and how well she is getting on we should be fine.

Nikki

Thats great to read I am sure she will be just fine if she is already putting weight on it :), your lucky bracken had her leg shaved and they decided to do the operation with an epidural in her back so she had a great big bald square on her back.  The leg hair has now grown back fine but the patch on her back grrrrrrrrrrhh there is still about a quarter of it that is bald, still it is a small price to pay for a happy well dog ;).  Forgot to say we put a notice outside for friends etc to NOT ring the door bell but to phone and we would let them in as mine is a horror for rushing to the door at 90 miles an hour three legs or not lol.

i go to a pool (rural s.west) & they treat alot of C.lig injurys very successfully. flynn & i go for HD,& hes totally sound now ,really straight moving & strong. hope you find a good pool your newfi will love it!

I think we may have found a pool in Leeds (an hours drive though) the vet has said not to start that until 6 weeks has passed, it has warm jets of water and everything and I could finally have a clean dog, dread to think what the water would be like after she has been in it.

Nikki

Theres a pool in huckall near nottinghamshire.

Hi,
Whereabouts in the country are you, if you are south of Leeds there is a very good pool near Preston. It has steps down into it so the dogs do not have to be hoisted in which some find very distressing. It is also very reasonably priced, I took my girl there after her cruciate op - the staff are brilliant.
Jan

Our Belgium shepherd has had both cruciate ligs operated on recently.She was lame on and off for a while-which we (and the vet)put down to her hips as she's old.
In October her ligament problem was diagnosed,by the begining of November she was operated on,"tissue" from higher up the leg was "fused" in place of her old lig. She came home shaved,knackered and very delicate(with an awful scar and a chicken leg)A month later,she'd just got back on her feet when she twisted,i knew straight away that she'd done the other cruciate ligament.Oh my ...,gutted.

Next day she had the second knee operated on,this time using nylon instead of her tissue as it's believed the recovery is quicker using this method-wel they are weight bearing almost imeadiatly.
Three months of total dedication,anti inflamitary tabs and lots of rest,excercise has been v gradualy built up from just outside the door for 3 mins then 5 mins,7 mins ect.
We made it to our corner shop last Sunday morning,just like old times..but i did have to take my mobile in case my girl couldn't manage it.
We have to be very careful now as she's obviously feeling better and wanting to play again,bringing her ball to my feet and looking at me pitifully-it's hard to say NO but i have to for her own good for quite a while yet as i want her to make a good recovery and hopefully suffer a lot less pain than she used to .
It has cost nearly two thousand pounds to get Rox back on har feet,other people may disagree but when i watch my dog walk without "that twist" in her back end, i say it's been worth every penny.and Thank goodness for tesco's pet ins,theyve been marvelous.
All the best
Jo