Bruno's First ACL Ordeal - Before the Surgery

Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear in dogs.

A day in the life with Bruno the Boxer - 3 years - 86 pounds, 24 1/2 inches from the ground to the highest point of the shoulders (the withers).

3 years old.

How it happened

Two years ago Bruno got his back left leg caught in the glider that is kept on the porch. The gllider was under the window and he jumpd up on it to look into the window. He was taken to the vet to get his leg checked. At the time we were told he could have a slight ACL tear but there was no way of telling for sure as there was no movment in his knee joint and his x-rays looked ok. With limited activity he appear to heal up just fine and was no longer limping. I had since moved the glider away from the window.

I started noticing him limp a little for a few seconds after he would get up from laying down. I was not sure what to think of it. It was only noticeable if you looked at him very closely and after a second or so it was gone. Bruno was checked by the vet and diagnosed with lyme disease and anaplasma. He had been vaccinated for lyme but had contracted it anyway, and there is no vaccine for anaplasma. This appeared to be the reason for the limping.

But after being on meds for three weeks with no improvement on his limping and joint pain in his back left leg it became apparent that there was something else wrong. More and more he would hold his leg in the air. Other times he would walk on it just fine.

Things were not improving and I started noticing that he was putting all of his weight on his right leg. His right leg muscle was larger than his left. A sign that this had been going on for quite some time.

It kept getting worse. We held him back from playing and activity as much as possible but it was like a roller coaster ride. Up and down, good days and bad days. The vet was not able to detect a tear, there was no play in his knee. Two sets of x-rays showed slight arthritis starting. A black spot on the x-ray near the knee showed up which caused a bit of alarm. Yet there was no play in his knee. We were not sure if it were an ACL tear, some other kind of tear or even an illness or something genetic.

Finding out

There was only one way to know for sure what was going on with Bruno and that was for him to have an MRI done.

Bruno waiting in the pet imaging center for his MRI. The staff reported that they all received lots of kisses from him. His left leg and back were scanned. The results of the MRI showed a slight ACL tear in his left knee. Too small to detect with the normal leg manipulation but big enough to make him go lame. A date for surgery was set to fix the ligament tear in Bruno's knee.

Later the same night after Bruno's MRI he was still under the effects of the anesthesia and boy did he make a mess eating his dinner!

Waiting for surgery

Bruno's dog bed was exchanged for a crate to help prepare him for the upcoming operation. The crate will make it easier to keep his kid brother Spencer the Pitbull from starting a play braw with him. As soon as the crate is set up Bruno got in on his own without being asked. At one point I took the sheet off the top trying to decide if it needed to be there. When I took it off Bruno had gotten out of this crate and went into Spencer's crate in the kitchen, which has a sheet over it. I put the sheet back and he went back into this crate again. Apparently he likes the crate to appear more like his own personal den with the privacy of walls. So the sheet stays.

There were a few more days until Bruno's ACL corrective surgery and the big guy needed to take it easy on that leg. The less the knee is irritated at the time of the surgery the better his chances of recovery are. That means no long walks for Bruno and even short ones seem to bother him. Since we can't exercise his body we still have to try and exercise his mind by taking him places. Bruno gets a ride on the golf cart while...

the rest of the pack follows behind. Bruno wants to get off the cart and hunt around but we can't let him. Sorry boy but it's for your own good.

Bruno sitting on the golf cart with Sara.

Bruno's First ACL Ordeal - Suture Lateral - Before the Surgery

Bruno's First ACL Ordeal - Suture Lateral - After the Surgery 1

Bruno's First ACL Ordeal - Suture Lateral - After the Surgery 2

Bruno's First ACL Ordeal - Suture Lateral - After the Surgery 3

Bruno's First ACL Ordeal -Suture Lateral - After the Surgery 4

Bruno's First ACL Ordeal - Suture Lateral - After the Surgery 5

Bruno's First ACL Ordeal - Suture Lateral - After the Surgery from 8 to 12 weeks

Bruno's First ACL Ordeal - Suture Lateral - After the Surgery from the 13 to 21 weeks

__________

Bruno's Second ACL Ordeal - Corrective TPLO - 0 - 4 weeks

Bruno's Second ACL Ordeal - Corrective TPLO - 5 - 10 weeks

Bruno's Second ACL Ordeal - Corrective TPLO - 11 weeks on...

Raising a Puppy - Bruno the Boxer

Raising a Puppy - Spencer the Pit Bull

We strongly suggest Cesar Millan DVD's and or Cesar Millan Books to every dog owner, from Chihuahua to Pit Bull. An excellent guide to communicating with, understanding,  and controlling your dog.

Natural Dogmanship Dogs Only Need Love Dog Training vs. Dog Behavior Punishment vs. Correction in Dogs Lack of Natural Dog Behavior Knowledge Old Dog, New Tricks Understanding a Dog's Senses The Human Dog My Dog was Abused Successfully Adopting a Rescue Dog Positive Reinforcement: Is it enough? Why Did My Dog Do That? Proper Way to Walk a Dog Dogs and Human Emotions Speaking Dog Why Dogs Must be Followers What Does it Mean to be Dominant? Providing a Job Helps Dog with Issues Teaching Dogs to Respect the Kids Proper Human to Dog Communication Canine Feeding Instincts Human to Dog No-No's: Your Dog Human to Dog No-No's: Other Dogs FAQ About Dogs Small Dogs vs. Medium and Large Dogs Separation Anxiety in Dogs Dominant Behaviors in Dogs The Submissive Dog Bringing Home the New Human Baby Approaching a Dog Top Dog Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position Alpha Boot Camp for Dogs Guarding Furniture Stopping a Jumping Dog Using Human Psychology on Jumping Dogs Submissive Peeing An Alpha Dog Who's More Prone to Fight, Male or Female Dogs? Whelping: Puppy Nipple Guarding Protecting Your Puppy from Dog Attacks Chaining Dogs SPCA High-Kill Shelter A Senseless Death, a Misunderstood Dog Amazing What a Little Leadership Can Do Transforming a Rescue Dog DNA Canine Breed Identification Raising a Puppy Introducing a New Crate to a Puppy or Dog Puppy Temperament Test Puppy Temperaments A Dog Fight - Understanding your Pack Understanding your puppy or dog Runaway Dog! Socializing your Dog Should I Get a Second Dog Is your Dog Out of Control? Nothing In Life Is Free Illusion Dog Training Collar Top Dog Photos Housebreaking Training your Puppy or Dog Puppy Biting Deaf Dogs Are You Ready for a Dog? Breeders vs. Rescues Find the Perfect Dog Caught in the Act The Pack of Dogs is Here! Recommended Dog Books and DVDs

Home

All Breeds >   Purebreds >   Hybrid Dogs >   Find the Perfect Dog >   Pets >    All Creatures >    Understanding Dog Behavior >   Care Training+ >   Photos >   Submit a Picture >   Free Desktop Wallpaper >   Adopt a Rescue Dog >   List Your Rescue >  Puppies for Sale >  Find a Breeder >   Classifieds >   Place Breeder Ad >   Place a Banner on DBI >   About the Ads >   Breeders vs. Rescues >   Spike the Bulldog >   Maguire Farm >   Scam Warning >   Rescue Login >   Breeder Login >   Privacy Policy >   Link to DBI >   Contact Us >   Site Updates

Advertising

Advertise on DBI >   Advertising Rates >   Advertising Help >   Place a Banner on DBI >   DBI Advertiser Policy >   Media Coverage >   Advertiser Comments >   Classifieds/Breeders >   Place an Ad >   Login

Custom Search

The Material contained herein may not be reproduced without the prior written approval of the author. Contents & Graphics Copyright © Dog Breed Info Center® (C) 1998-. All Rights Reserved. Our work is not Public Domain.