# Torn ACL



## turfguy (Jan 20, 2010)

Hello all,

Just wanted to see if anyone on here has any experience with a torn ACL with their V? We just got confirmation that Cooper has torn his right ACL and we are most likely going to have surgery next week. My biggest concern is how to keep him quiet (no running, jumping, Vizsla craziness) for almost 4 months? He is only 4 years old and in great shape/health except for this setback so I want to make sure we doing everything possible to get him back on his feet without doing any damage that would cause us to have another surgery. Any comments on this subject would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Turfguy


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

So sorry to hear this! 

An old forum member (she's not longer listing as a member), has a 2 year old who just had ACL surgery. Her blog is called "Living the Life of Riley" you can google it and she's posted regular updates on their experience. May want to check that out, she seems to have recovered very well! 

Best of Luck!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I would look for a vet that does Arthroscopy surgery. It is a little more expensive, but not much.
Cooper will have less down time.
I did a lot of research when my dog June was having a skip in her step. I only found 2 surgeons that I was comfortable with in my (100 miles) area. So find the best surgeon you can, and then let him do his job. June didn't require surgery but I know who I will use if ever faced with a knee repair.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

Our guy tore/strained his ACL six months ago (when he was five months old). You should read over that thread: http://www.vizslaforums.com/index.php/topic,8193.msg62632.html#msg62632

The #1 thing is to take it slow, like really slow. We basically kept berkeley off his feet for 3 weeks after his injury (even carried him outside to go to the bathroom). Luckily he hasnt needed surgery yet and we (and the vet) still dont know if it was a minor tear or a strain. He showed symptoms still until about a month ago (when we would play rough sometimes he would lift it up but no incidents for the past month). It takes a long time to heal back to 100%, i would say 6 months is on the fast side and im guessing since yours is 4 years old its going to take longer. 

Our vet wanted to wait the three weeks to see how he responded and if there wasn't substantial improvement then we were going to talk surgery. If surgery is a must definitely go with a specialist. 

To give you some perspective, Berkeley didnt touch the hurt leg to the ground for almost a week and improved substantially by week three so you might want to consider a wait and see approach unless your vet knows for sure that its a full tear or hanging on by a thread (they can sometimes tell by the drawer test they perform if its a full tear or not). 

But just tons of mental games and chew toys. We also restricted him to a closed off pin and had to put him in his crate when he got too out of control.


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## Capa (May 19, 2013)

I worked in canine rehabilitation for a few years and saw countless dogs with cruciate tears.

I'd encourage you to become familiar with the different types of surgical options that you have:
http://www.cahnh.com/stories/cranial-cruciate-ligament-injuries-dogs

Keeping him as quiet as possible before and immediately after surgery is imperative. Too much freedom too soon often leads to damage and/or a tear in the cruciate in their other leg. 

If you hav access to a local Canine Rehab Center that has an underwater treadmill, it might be worthwhile to look into.

Best of luck and keep us posted!


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

How did it happen? In our case, Berk was coming off of being sick for a couple weeks and had a full day of running with no rest so he was tired and weaker than normal - it happened at the end of the day.


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