Canine knee ligament rupture treatment. If the dog has a torn ligament. Surgical treatment of cruciate ligament rupture in dogs

Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee is a fairly common injury in dogs that can lead to a dog limping on its hind leg. This injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee is stretched or torn, causing acute or chronic pain. Despite the pain of LCL injury, often the dog is quite capable of recovering if given medical treatment and adequate rest. After some time, the injury will certainly heal, but large breed dogs can develop arthritis as a consequence of injury if surgery is not performed in a timely manner.

Steps

Relieve pain in your pet at home

Give your dog a comfortable bed and place bowls of water and food nearby. Choose to place the bedding in a place where the dog can safely recover from injury. Make sure that the dog can still spend time with your family members and go outside to use the toilet without any problems.

Move all of your dog's personal belongings to his temporary resting place to keep him comfortable.
If your house has several floors, it is best to place the dog on the first floor.

Give your dog rest for 6 weeks to allow the injury to heal. The dog must be able to lie in a comfortable position to reduce inflammation around the affected joint. Temporarily give up long walks with the dog, do not let him jump and walk up the stairs.

Set up a ramp for your dog so he can easily climb onto upholstered furniture. It is best to lift the dog yourself in such situations, but you yourself will not always be there to help the pet. You can't let your dog jump on pieces of furniture, so build a ramp for him to climb up.
- You can also use the ramp to make it easier for your dog to get into your car if he needs to go somewhere.
- Ready-made ramps can be found at local pet stores or purchased online. There are even folding ramps.
Use baby gates to limit your dog's movement around the house. Children's gates perfectly help to provide the dog with the necessary rest. Use gates to limit the area available to the dog to just one room, and also block stairs with gates so that the dog cannot use them.
- Make sure that the gates you use are high enough so that the dog does not try to jump over them. You know your dog best, so choose the right gates at your own discretion.
Do not keep your dog on a slippery floor such as linoleum or laminate. The dog must walk on surfaces that provide good grip on the paws. Otherwise, the dog may be re-injured or injure the other paw. Block her access to rooms with slippery floors or cover slippery floors with non-slip mats.
- Don't try to cover slippery floors with towels or blankets. The fabric will slide strongly on the floor, which can cause injury to the dog.
- Refusal of surgical treatment can lead to the fact that the dog will develop early arthritis of the injured joint in the future.
- Dogs larger than 10 kg may not recover with conservative home treatment, so they often require surgery.
Changing the regimen for an injured dog
1. Put your dog on a diet to prevent weight gain while recovering from an injury. The dog will be sedentary for at least 6 weeks, so he won't need as many calories as he used to. In addition, excess weight bearing on an injured anterior cruciate ligament can prevent the injury from healing. Choose a dog food specifically formulated for weight loss or weight maintenance.
  - Please consult with your veterinarian before choosing the best food for your dog.
  - Follow the dosage recommendations on the packaging of the food you are using.
2. To provide your dog with exercise, arrange swimming sessions 2-3 times a week. Since swimming does not create a special load on the musculoskeletal system, the joints, muscles and ligaments of the animal will not suffer from such exercises. If the dog can swim regularly, his muscles will keep their tone, and he will get a good mental stimulation.
  - Check with your veterinarian before swimming with your dog.
  - Give your dog enough support while swimming so he doesn't overexert himself.
  - Swimming can be an inaccessible exercise option during the cold season, as in most cases dogs are not allowed in the pools. If the injury occurred in the warm season, the dog can be taken for swimming in natural reservoirs.
3. After 6 weeks, start taking your dog for five-minute walks twice a day. This will allow you to gradually increase physical activity on the legs without overloading the injured limb. Keep your dog on a leash at all times to prevent him from starting to run, risking disturbing a recent ligament injury. As your dog's condition improves, you can gradually increase the length of your walks.
  - Please consult with your veterinarian before beginning exercise.
4. Use a special brace to support the dog's knee joint. Attach a special bandage to the dog's knee joint, which will provide him with additional support. Put your fingertips under the bandage to check that it provides light pressure on the paw, but does not cut into the dog's skin. During the day, you may need to adjust the bandage periodically. Make sure your dog is comfortable in it.
  - The use of a knee brace will help the dog recover from an ACL injury without surgery, however, this measure is not always effective. Ask your veterinarian if a bandage will help in your case.
  - It is best to use a bandage specially selected for the dog from a veterinary clinic, but you can also order a bandage online.
Seeking Veterinary Care
1. Take your dog to the vet to have the injury diagnosed. The veterinarian will perform an examination and possibly x-ray the dog to check for the presence or absence of a fracture. Also, the veterinarian will be able to exclude other possible causes of pain in the dog and make the correct diagnosis. After the diagnosis, the specialist will recommend treatment for your dog.
  - Perhaps the veterinarian will put the dog to sleep for a short time to examine the injured area without causing pain and discomfort to the animal.
2. Ask your veterinarian to prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for your dog to help relieve pain. To eliminate the pain symptom, the veterinarian may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to the dog. Often, dogs are prescribed drugs such as meloxicam (Meloxicam-Teva), Norocarp, Carprofen and Onsior. Give the prescribed drug to the dog at the time of feeding, as recommended by the veterinarian.
  
  Discuss with your veterinarian whether or not surgery is needed. A dog can recover from an injury on its own, but in some cases, surgery may be the best option. The operation will stabilize the dog's joint, which will promote recovery. Also, surgery can reduce the risk of re-injury and the development of arthritis with age.
Recognizing the symptoms of an anterior cruciate ligament tear
1. Notice that your dog is not as active as usual. A dog with an injured ACL is in pain and will not run, jump, or climb as hard as they normally would. You may notice that your dog is reluctant to climb on furniture or has difficulty getting into your car.
  - Constantly active dogs tend to remain active after injury. However, even in this case, you will notice a decrease in activity.
2. Note the appearance of a limp on the hind leg. The dog may walk unsteadily, limp, or try to shift all of its weight onto three healthy paws. This is a symptom that something is wrong with the animal, so be sure to take the pet to the veterinarian.
  - The symptomatic manifestation of lameness can vary depending on the severity of the injury. The dog may only limp slightly or be unable to step on the affected paw at all. Both of these symptoms are indicative of trauma.

It is not uncommon for a dog to limp after an unsuccessful jump, fall, or run on a slippery surface. Most often, this is a sign of sprain or rupture of ligaments and tendons. And although lameness can be a sign of other injuries (dislocation, etc.), we will look at the symptoms of sprains and torn ligaments in dogs, as well as first aid.

Causes of sprains

In adult healthy dogs, ligaments and tendons must withstand active loads in the form of jumps, falls, etc.

However, the connective tissues of puppies of large dogs during growth do not have time to adapt to rapid weight gain.
The cause of weak ligaments in dogs can be a lack of calcium and other trace elements in the diet.
Sprains and ruptures of ligaments also occur with dislocations and fractures.
Congenital disorders of tissue development can cause sprains.
Overweight dogs are prone to torn knee ligaments.
During the overcoming of a high obstacle, a tendon tear can occur in a dog.
A knee sprain can occur in a dog when climbing stairs.

Sprain symptoms

When stretched, stretching or rupture of individual ligaments, fibers and small vessels occurs.Often, when a ligament is ruptured, a nearby vessel is damaged, and hemorrhage occurs in the surrounding tissues (including the joint).

Immediately after the injury, symptoms may be mild.
The dog does not stand on the injured limb, limps.
The function of the joint is impaired when walking.
After a few hours, swelling and soreness may appear in the affected area.
In places of tendon rupture, an inflammatory process occurs, accompanied by severe pain and lameness. When moving, the dog keeps the limb in a suspended half-bent state and does not step on it.
Before the appearance of edema, you can easily feel the place of the tear of the ligament.

First aid for sprains

At the site of damage to the ligament, you can apply (without rubbing) an ointment for the treatment of injuries ("Fitoelita", etc.).
A cold and tight bandage is applied.
Painkillers are not applied as the dog becomes active and injures the limb again.

Sprain treatment

When the tendons are stretched and torn, the next day after the injury, warming alcohol and alcohol-ichthyol compresses are used, combined with warm wraps.
On the third day after the injury, you can apply a light massage and a warm wrap in combination with paraffin applications.
In the following days, the massage is combined with "absorbable" ointments and gels such as "Troxevasin".
When the tendon is torn, ultrasonic phonophoresis with hydrocortisone suspension is used.

If a tendon rupture occurs, surgery is required (on the second day after cold procedures).

Damaged areas of the tendon and blood clots are removed by stitching the tendon.
After the operation, a splint-gypsum bandage is applied to the limb (with the phalangeal joints bent), which helps to bring the stitched ends closer together and relax the flexor tendon.

Naturally, it is better if the dog is shown to the veterinarian in a timely manner. But if such an opportunity is not expected within a few days and weeks, then simple sprains and tears can be cured by yourself, following our advice.

Finally, we want to recommend that your pets do not give puppies excessive physical exertion, do not play games on a slippery surface. The nutrition of puppies and dogs should be balanced, with the addition of a sufficient amount of minerals.

Health to you and your pets!

Ligaments are called fibrous strands that connect the adjacent parts of the joints. Their structure is elastic and therefore sprains in dogs or ruptures are the most common injury.

A sprain is a tear in the fibers of a ligament. Its severity is determined by how many fibers are damaged. If not many fibers are torn, the sprain is considered insignificant, because the function of the joint is not impaired, there is practically no swelling and bleeding.

In fact, only pain is observed. In a severe sprain, extensive tearing of the fibers is accompanied by swelling, bleeding, limited range of motion in the joint, and severe pain.

Types of Ligament Tears in Dogs: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Causes

For the life of a dog, ruptures of the ligaments of the spine are the most important. They occur with a serious injury with fractures and dislocations of the vertebrae and can lead to impaired urination, paralysis, paresis.

Diagnosis of this injury can be based on X-ray, neurological examination, etc., and treatment can be mainly in the form of surgery. In some breeds of dogs (Chihuahua, Toy Terrier, Yorkie), spontaneous rupture of the ligaments leads to abnormal development of the first and second cervical vertebrae. In this case, the dog wears a corset and is prescribed corticosteroids.

Surgical intervention is indicated only in the absence of the effect of conservative treatment. In dogs, the most common knee disease is an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, which leads to osteoarthritis.

This ligament can be torn as a result of trauma or regular trauma, degenerative changes, inflammatory diseases of the joint. The disease is manifested by the fact that. More often the dog keeps its paw on weight, slightly bending the knee joint.

Small animals (up to 15 kg) are treated without surgery, while medium and large animals are recommended to be operated on immediately. Tears and sprains of other ligaments (carpal, shoulder, elbow, hip, hock, etc.) are most often associated with joint dislocations. In case of rupture of these ligaments, the joint is simply fixed for 3-4 weeks.

First aid and treatment for sprains and ruptures of ligaments

If the dog suddenly limps, especially after jumping or falling, put something cold on the damaged area for 20 minutes, and then apply a tight bandage or elastic bandage. With such injuries, it cannot be used, because, without feeling pain, the animal will start to run, and this will further injure the damaged joint.

Having provided first aid, despite the good health of the dog, you need to contact the veterinarian as soon as possible to make an accurate diagnosis and decide on further treatment. With early treatment for these diseases, complete recovery occurs in 90 percent of cases. But the more time passes, the less predictable the result.

Dogs, characterized by activity and endurance, often injure themselves, carried away by the process of playing or executing commands during training. Ligament rupture in a dog is a fairly common injury, especially when it comes to large breeds, "clumsy" puppies or "old men", pets with genetic predispositions. Even a slight sprain of the ligament is associated with severe pain, let alone a rupture, which can provoke a serious injury to the joint or the development of pathology.

Most often, the first symptom that the owner of the four-legged pays attention to is lameness. The paw is intact, there are no cuts or splinters, but the pet reacts sharply to an attempt to feel or change the position of the joint. Possible causes of ligament injuries are as follows:

Excess weight of an adult dog, active growth of a puppy - connective tissues cannot withstand the weight of a pet, as a result of which even a light load can provoke fiber ruptures.

Age-related degenerative diseases.

Breed characteristics - dogs with an unnatural body constitution are more prone to joint problems. For example, in new-format German shepherds, dachshunds, problems with the spine, hip joint and paw ligaments are ailments that accompany pets all their lives.

Skeletal deformities due to trauma or congenital abnormalities - miniature dogs, in the stage of active growth, often suffer from sprains or ruptures of the ligaments of the vertebrae.

Active loads, without proper preparation, especially jumping. Rupture of the hock ligaments is an occupational disease of jumpers, loads should be increased gradually, even if the dog can take a 2-meter hurdle, training starts with small obstacles. Particular attention should be paid to the load of the puppy with “not strengthened” wrist joints, rupture of the plantar ligaments leads to sagging of the paw relative to the hand (tarsal drooping).

Hip injury

Torn ligaments in dogs are also treated in several ways. The hip joint (HJ) is the croup, in the cavity of which the articular heads of the hind legs are placed. At the same time, both heads are connected by one ligament, and if it breaks, 2 paws suffer at once. Most often, the injured limb falls under the dog's stomach when walking. The animal walks normally for some time, later, the paw begins to “wobble” and the dog sits down. When both joints "fall out", the elbows of the hind legs "tend" to each other, similar to an X-shaped curvature.

The tactics of treatment and diagnosis are similar to knee injuries. Large dogs are immediately operated on, the ligaments are increased and strengthened with the help of implants, and the joint is fixed.

Note! Injuries to the ligaments of the wrists, hock, shoulder and elbow joints, most often, do not require prosthetics.

Spinal injury

Often, deformity of the spinal column implies serious injury. When falling from a height, serious fights, accidents, not only ligament rupture occurs, but also deformation of the vertebrae. Such injuries are complicated by a number of negative consequences, from involuntary urination to irreversible paralysis of the limbs. Be that as it may, if your pet is in a “trouble” and the spine is injured, it is absolutely impossible to self-medicate! In any case, the dog is x-rayed and if the ligaments are torn, they are sewn together during the operation.

You can’t insure against accidents, but owners of miniature dogs should pay special attention to the development of a pet. Due to congenital deformity of the cervical vertebrae, the ward is at risk for the so-called atlanto-axial instability. Most often, the deviation does not pose a threat to life and is amenable to outpatient treatment - wearing a fixing corset and drug stimulation (hormonal drugs).

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Why does the ligamentous system stretch?

As for the main causes of dislocations, sprains and ruptures of the ligaments, they are for the most part the following:

injury to one of the paws. Such conditions can be accompanied not only by sprain, but also by a fracture of the limb;
unbalanced dog diet. This deficiency of nutrients can cause not only a general weakness of the body, but also a weakening of the ligamentous system of the limbs;
genetic predisposition or any pathology. This problem is especially relevant for those breeds that differ in rather miniature size indicators;
very sharp weight gain. This problem is typical for those breeds that are distinguished by their large dimensions. As a rule, the pet begins to grow very actively, and the ligamentous system does not have time to get used to such very drastic changes;
obesity;
exorbitant physical stress on the pet's knee joints. This can happen when the dog is very actively involved in sports, so an unprepared animal can easily both stretch the ligament and break it.

The duration of the disease may take a certain period of time. Therefore, the most important thing is love and care. The dog feels the mood of his owner and if he feels his support, then the recovery process will be much faster.

Causes and signs of torn ligaments in dogs

Excess weight of an adult dog, active growth of a puppy - connective tissues cannot withstand the weight of a pet, as a result of which even a light load can provoke fiber ruptures.

Age-related degenerative diseases.

Etiology of ACL rupture in dogs

There are several causes of an anterior cruciate ligament tear, but the most common is degenerative changes in the ligament itself. Due to various predisposing factors, the cruciate ligament becomes thinner, its nutrition is disturbed, the ligament becomes inelastic, and any unsuccessful movement of the dog leads to its rupture.

With degenerative changes in the anterior cruciate ligament, its rupture, as a rule, occurs gradually, and clinical signs increase over time. That is, at first, the cruciate ligament is torn in the dog, and the dog begins to limp, then, with a slight jump or playing with other dogs, it is completely torn with vivid clinical manifestations.

As discussed above, anterior cruciate ligament rupture due to degenerative changes in the ligament itself is the most common cause of rupture in dogs aged 5 to 7 years.

In younger dogs, degenerative changes in the anterior cruciate ligament and its rupture can occur as a result of congenital deformities of the knee joint itself or other pathologies of the pelvic limb, for example, hip dysplasia or a luxating patella in small dog breeds. As a result of improper load on the ligament, it undergoes changes and breaks.

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament due to trauma to the knee joint is almost never found in veterinary practice and if it occurs, it is usually due to a strong stretching of the knee joint, for example, in a car injury.

Another cause of anterior cruciate ligament tear is immune-mediated or infectious inflammatory arthropathy.

Predisposing factors for anterior cruciate ligament tear may also include excessive tilt of the tibial plateau or excessive caudal tilt of the superior articular surface of the tibia and stenosis of the intercondylar recess of the femur.

Excessive tilt of the tibial plateau places excessive stress on the cruciate ligament, and it can undergo changes and rupture.

The theory of insufficient intercondylar recess has its origins in human medicine. In humans, a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament can result from a collision between the medial surface of the lateral femoral condyle and the cranial cruciate ligament.

In dogs, this theory has reason to be, since in a study of the knee joints, scientists in 1994 noted that all the studied joints with torn anterior cruciate ligaments had less pronounced intercondylar depressions compared to healthy joints.

Ligament ruptures - types and symptoms

In terms of popularity, limb injuries are “leading”, with 70% of them being ruptures and sprains of the cruciate ligaments of the knee joints. The dog rests only on three paws, and holds the injured limb on weight, slightly bending at the knee.

There are several treatments, but almost all involve surgery. Moreover, if conservative treatment methods are tried with pets weighing up to 12-15 kilograms, then large dogs are operated on immediately, the likelihood of re-injury is too high.

The cruciate ligaments (CL) consist of two overlapping fibrous tissue flaps, one located on the front of the joint, and the other on the back. If one or both ligaments are damaged, the knee joint actually separates, the bony heads move, rub, deform and tear the articular bag.

Prolonged injury leads to meniscus deformity, soft tissue hemorrhage, and extensive inflammation.

Diagnosis of the rupture of the COP is based on anamnesis, examination of the joint and x-ray, which is mandatory. With a complete rupture, the picture is clear even without a picture, but the veterinarian must make sure that the injury is not complicated by dislocation.

Clinical signs of ACL rupture in dogs

The most common clinical sign in anterior cruciate ligament rupture is pain when moving in the knee joint. With a partial rupture, the pain syndrome may not be very pronounced and the dog will limp slightly on the sore paw.

With a complete rupture, the pain syndrome is more pronounced, the dog has a strong lameness of the supporting type, or the dog generally loses the ability to use the diseased paw, and keeps it in a bent state.

When the anterior cruciate ligament is torn, there may be swelling of the knee joint and an increase in local temperature. This may be due to the presence of an infection in the knee joint or secondary inflammation due to instability after a rupture.

The presence of instability in the knee joint, this clinical sign is usually assessed by a veterinarian using tests that are carried out on the knee joint. With a complete rupture that has occurred recently, instability is usually much better and can be easily assessed by a veterinarian.

Also, instability in the knee joint is well diagnosed in small dog breeds and can even be noticed by dog owners themselves. In large breed dogs, instability may be less pronounced after about 3-4 weeks due to the presence of chronic inflammation and peri-articular fibrosis, which complicates diagnosis.

With a partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, instability in the knee joint will not be observed, pain and lameness will be clinically observed. Swelling of the knee joint is rarely observed.

Partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament

Complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament

With flexion of the knee joint, a clicking sound may also be observed. This clinical sign is observed when the medial meniscus is damaged, when the torn part of the meniscus can bend between the articular surfaces of the medial femoral condyle and the tibial plateau and create a characteristic sound when the knee joint is flexed.

This is not uncommon in large dogs. Damage to the medial meniscus can worsen over time, when the meniscus is rubbed against the articular surfaces and becomes even more useless.

If the medial meniscus is damaged, then over time, arthrotic changes will be observed in such a joint, since the meniscus performs very important shock-absorbing functions in the knee joint.

Usually, with a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, the clinical signs will be very pronounced at first, but over time they begin to subside, and the dog may start to attack the diseased limb and, accordingly, this is not very good for the meniscus. The appointment of painkillers is also not permissible, respectively, to avoid movement in an unstable joint.

As far as long-term clinical signs are concerned, hip muscle atrophy, arthrosis of the knee joint, is not uncommon in dogs with an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

Atrophy of the thigh muscles develops if the dog does not properly load the diseased leg, while he can walk on both legs, but try to transfer body weight to a healthy hind limb. Atrophy can be easily seen by comparing a healthy paw and a diseased one, a paw with a torn ligament will appear thinner, the muscles will be flabby to the touch and have no normal tone.

It is more difficult to define atrophy when the anterior cruciate ligaments are torn in both legs, corny because of the impossibility of comparison, but an experienced specialist should deal with this.

In case of arthrosis of the knee joint with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, crepitus in the joint itself may be felt during palpation and flexion of the knee joint, the knee joint will be enlarged, especially on the medial side, contracture may be observed.

Cruciate sprain of the ligamentous fibers is a pathology that has characteristic symptoms. Thus, the condition can be divided into three main varieties, according to the severity of its course:

Light flow. This condition is characterized by a violation of the fibrous tissue in only some places. The pain syndrome is very pronounced in the joint area.
Middle current. The tears cover almost the entire area of the ligament, but nevertheless the joint retains its integrity.
Severe current. This condition can be localized both in the region of the forelimbs and hind limbs. Here there is a complete rupture of the ligament, which in most cases can be accompanied by significant fractures.

As for the main symptoms of these conditions, it is for the most part the following:

the pet begins to limp very intensively due to pain in the ligament and joint area;
there is significant swelling of the limb in the area of the gap;
on examination, there is a very sharp pain, because of which the pet tries to free itself and pull out the diseased limb;
inability to stand on the paw;
the local temperature at the site of tissue rupture can significantly increase;
a significant hematoma is formed;
the skin can either remain intact or be significantly disturbed.

Diagnosis of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture in Dogs

Anterior cruciate rupture can be diagnosed with the help of special tests performed by a veterinarian at the reception and special diagnostic studies.

Sometimes it makes sense to perform both tests under anesthesia, especially if you suspect that the rupture has occurred for a long time and there is already arthrosis in the knee joint. When diagnosing old ACL ruptures, the tests may not be very informative and the displacements during the tests may be insignificant due to the presence of periarticular fibrosis, therefore, the minimum displacement can be seen only in a relaxed joint, therefore, such patients are given a sedative drug.

If the anterior cruciate ligament is torn, these tests will be negative.

Treatment of cruciate ligament rupture in dogs

The choice of treatment method for anterior cruciate ligament rupture depends on various factors, such as the dog's body weight, the angle of the tibial plateau, the duration of the disease, and so on, but in any case, everything should be aimed at eliminating pain and improving the dog's quality of life.

Therapeutic treatment

Restriction of the dog's mobility is walking with the animal on a leash or keeping the dog in a small enclosure where active movements are not possible. Accordingly, active games with the dog, various jumps, and so on should be avoided. Mobility restriction should be carried out for one month, in some cases for a longer period.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Preparations of this group are prescribed to eliminate pain and inflammation in the knee joint.

In the veterinary market, these NSAIDs are very widely represented, but in our practice we most often use only a small range of drugs in this group.

For small dog breeds, we use products such as:

Loxicom (0.5 mg meloxicam in 1 ml) suspension.
For dogs weighing up to 5 kg. The drug is prescribed on the first day of admission, 0.4 ml per 1 kg of body weight, then 0.2 ml per 1 kg of body weight of the animal, strictly after feeding. Course up to 10 days. The drug can be used for animals from 6 weeks of age.
Previcox 57mg (firocoxib) tablets.
For dogs weighing over 3 kg. The drug is prescribed at a dosage of 5 mg per 1 kg of body weight, strictly after feeding the dog. The drug can be used from 10 weeks of age and if the weight of the dog is more than 3 kg.

For dogs of larger breeds, we most often use drugs such as:

Previcox 227 mg (firocoxib) tablets.
The drug is prescribed at a dosage of 5 mg per 1 kg of body weight, strictly after feeding the dog. Also, the dosage calculation table is given above.
Rimadyl 20,50,100 mg (carprofen) tablets.
The drug is prescribed at a dosage of 4 mg per 1 kg of body weight, strictly after meals. The drug is not prescribed to dogs younger than 12 weeks of age.

In the process of complete restoration of the pet's ligament, it is first of all very important to highlight what first aid and basic treatment of the pet should be provided in a timely manner.

In the event that the stage is mild or moderate, then the dog can be given injections at home. But, in the event that the most severe stage is observed, then an operation may be required, and its implementation is permissible only in a medical institution.

Most often, it is the hind limbs of animals that are exposed to these injuries due to the fact that it is they that account for the main load activity during running and active games.

Thus, first aid for sprains includes the following urgent measures:

in order to maximally alleviate the pain syndrome and remove the leak, it is necessary to attach an ice pack to the broken ligament;
after fifteen minutes, it is necessary to fix the joint with a tight tourniquet;
in the event that these actions did not bring the expected relief, then it is urgent to contact a veterinarian. This is due to the fact that the severity of the condition may be greater than it seems at first glance.

It is very important to note that in no case should you help your dog relieve pain with the help of painkillers. This is due to the fact that after the pain is relieved, the dog will begin to move very actively, which can adversely affect the course of the sprain.

Thus, after the acute condition is removed, one can start doing heat compresses in a day.

Here, a doctor's consultation is required, as a specialist can prescribe special physiotherapy procedures for your pet, which is very important for the timely restoration of the pet's limb motor activity.

Suspecting a ligament rupture, immediately prepare for the fact that you cannot do without a veterinarian, and the doctor must be a professional. If you have a long road ahead, the injury happened at night or in the evening, fix the limb in the position in which the dog holds it, do not straighten (bend) the paw forcibly.

To fix the front paw, a flexible base (thin foam rubber or similar material) and an elastic bandage are used. Fixing a torn ligament in a dog on the hind leg is more problematic, optimally, make sure that the pet lies in a comfortable position, serve a bowl of water and food, stroke, scratch the side, but ensure complete rest.

Be sure to apply ice wrapped in cellophane and a thin non-synthetic fabric (cotton, baize) to the injured joint, if in haste - stuff frozen foods (meat, minced meat, vegetable mixture) into a bag and sock. Cold will stop swelling and relieve pain, but do not overdo it for 15-20 minutes and a break for half an hour, then as needed.

Note! If the swelling increases rapidly despite the applied ice, it is a hemorrhage or a fracture - you can not wait!

Do not give your dog blood-thinning drugs (aspirin, analgin) or paracetamol as painkillers. Firstly, paracetamol is poisonous to dogs, and aspirin can cause bleeding, and secondly, by anesthetizing a joint injury, you will do your pet a disservice. A dog that is not restrained by pain will lean on the injured limb.

And lastly, do not renounce the operation, relying on your own selfishness, if the intervention is really necessary. "Protecting" a dog from an evil surgeon and a scalpel, you, with a 90% guarantee, doom the dog to lifelong pain in injured joints. An operation with a "fresh" injury always gives a good prognosis for treatment, but if you "pull", the prospects cease to be "rosy".

Prognosis for ACL rupture in dogs

The prognosis for recovery directly depends on the time of treatment after rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament.

A secondary problem after an anterior cruciate ligament tear is damage to the medial meniscus. If the dog has been walking with a tear for a long time, the meniscus injury may worsen, and during surgery, the posterior horn of the medial meniscus is most often removed partially or completely.

Removal of the meniscus, chronic inflammation of the knee joint, etc., leads to the development of arthrosis of the knee joint, which in the future will lead to the inability to fully use the paw.

Also, with prolonged pain in the knee joint, the dog experiences atrophy of the thigh muscles, which aggravates the rehabilitation period after surgery.

In conclusion of this article, I would like to note the main recommendation for pet owners - this is a timely request for help from a veterinary specialist.