OMG...ACL...TPLO? (con't)

Why do some of us develop cruciate problems and others of us don't? Injuries to the ligament can occur at any time. My dad says the number one injury he sees is when a dog suddenly leaps off a porch after a squirrel (or into a pond after a stick), falling a distance, or slipping in a hole or on slippery ground. The other really big reason is the ligament slowly degenerates over time. The cause of this is still unknown, conformation (the shape and length of the bone structure) and genetics (you get this from your parents and their parents and so on) seem to play roles in cruciate failure. We definitely see some breeds more then others. The Labrador Retriever is a very common patient at Small Animal Veterinary Emergency Services with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. We also see many Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Bichon Frise, Newfoundlands, and German Shepherds.

The ACL is a supporting structure that connects the back of the femur (the large bone above the knee) to the front of the tibia (the large bone beneath the knee). It works hand and hand with another ligament called the posterior cruciate ligament controlling the back-to-front motion of the knee. The ligaments keep the bones in-line, while also stabilizing the knee. The slope of the front of the tibia (plateau) varies in dogs (genetics) and the greater the slope the more pressure is placed on the ACL ligament. Obesity also plays a role in that the more weight downward (my brother taught me that gravity is always pulling us down), the more stress on the leg joints and thus increasing the risk of straining or rupturing this ligament. 

So how do you know your dog is suffering from an ACL injury? Your dog may show a hint of lameness after exercise in one rear leg all the way up to "three-legged" (unable to place any weight on the leg) lameness. The lameness may come and go, especially after exercise. Sometimes there will be actual swelling inside the leg by the knee. It is important to remember that we dogs are stoic, we only show pain or suffering when we can't hide it any longer. Watch for hidden signs, a happy dog turns grumpy or an energetic dog suddenly not excited about chasing a ball. Perceived back pain or other suspected pains may actually be knee pain.

Tata for now

OMG...ACL...TPLO?

My mom and dad went off to Texas last week in search of another emergency veterinarian to join the S.A.V.E.S. team at the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society meetings. I think they should have brought me. Mom said San Antonio was in need of a few dogs. She only saw one or two the whole time she was there. She also mentioned that the temperature never went below 100'F.

She even saw some cowboys! In the mean time I was left back here in Vermont with my brother and sister. I hate when she leaves, it feels like she is never coming back. I can deal with it, I know some dogs can't and they go crazy. Some of my dad's patients when left to their own device will destroy their parent's home!

I just do a lot of sleeping.... and thinking....

Sometimes I dream of Petunia.....or that really cute golden retriever I met yesterday.

Sometimes I think about why my brother and sister talk in letters? I understand lots of things my family says. I love when they say "Want some breakfast" or "I'm taking Oli for a walk". I love the word "wanna", "wanna have dinner?", "wanna go for a ride?", "wanna play ball?".  

My sister is always saying "FYI", my other sister constantly says "OMG".

Dad is always talking about ACL's and TPLO's. Even when I am at the hospital I hear our nurses like Carmelita say to my dad, "are we doing the TPLO next?". I almost expect to see her break into dance like when my brother talks about doing the "worm" (a very strange dance indeed, I always get in trouble for jumping on him when he acts like that).

Turns out an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) is a ligament in our knee that stabilizes it, keeps it from sliding in the wrong direction (ouch). Sometimes this can be "ruptured" (broken) by a sudden leap off the porch or even a fall. Some breeds are more prone to this problem then others. When this happens most of us dogs need to have surgery. There are many ways to fix this problem, my dad fixes many each week with a procedure called a TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy). He was one of the first veterinarians in Vermont to be licensed to perform the procedure way back in 2001. He has done so many of these it is crazy!

Check back if you want to learn more about how my dad finds out if the ACL is damaged and then what happens!

Tata for now...