Cruciate Ligament

[rona]

This is very interesting, thanks for all your input.
Alf has always had an odd walking motion on his back legs. I had put it down to the fact that I could never get proper muscle formation due to his previous life, but maybe it isn’t.
Having said that, he is a  small stocky boy and is often thought by stangers to be a bitch.
As much as I am enjoying this thread, it doesn’t answer the question  about recovery without surgery. Most of you seem to have had to go down that route in the end

[rona]

Mark you didn’t say how long it took before Cass seemed ok. I assume it was quite difficult with such a young dog

[Anonymous]

any piccies ?  would love to see him

[Anonymous]

I personally have never had a dog with a CL problem but from a life with dogs if it’s a true Cruciate Ligament problem then they usually end up having surgery.
You say he has a problem already in the front legs is it OCD or something else
Val

[rona]

Front leg was xrayed. Nothing could be found no OCD, broken bones or arthritis. WE assume it was soft tissue injury and it has not really bothered him for a while.
Pics to follow when other half can help as I’m only a learner with computers

[Anonymous]

[quote author=rona link=topic=12703.msg245366#msg245366 date=1224093057]
Mark you didn’t say how long it took before Cass seemed ok. I assume it was quite difficult with such a young dog
[/quote]

For about 3 months she would limp if i over excercised her & i managed it with limiting rough excercise and pain relief when absolutely necessary. Very rarely she has stiffness if she’s done too much running but she walks it off in a couple of minutes and is normal again, on the whole she has improved greatly as she grew older.

As others have said there are various degrees of cruciate damage & some like Cass recover from minor damage, others need surgery so your best bet at the moment would be to get a thorough diagnosis because it’s impossible to tell what degree the damage is without knowing what’s going on inside.

Personally for me, knowing what i now do about how keen some vets are to go steaming into surgery even for just minor cruciate tears i would not be prepared to put Cass through an op unless it goes completely & there is no other option. You have to evaluate things yourself and make a decision based on how severe his cruciate strain is, just don’t be ‘railroaded’ by the vet into taking the surgical route until you have found out what is going on inside and have all the evidence that there are no other options available.

[rona]

As promised a few pics of my boy, plus one with his mate Muddy the chesapeake. what do you think Piglet?

[img width=312 height=468]http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/oo67/Karlnic/Alfie08-07-200508-49-39.jpg[/img][img width=311 height=468]http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/oo67/Karlnic/P1000367.jpg[/img][img width=468 height=310]http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/oo67/Karlnic/P1000372.jpg[/img]

[SuzAndTheDiva]

Bev have a doggy customer neutered before 12 weeks – dont ask – he tore his shoulder up doing something – dislocated it i think, he took months to recover and is definately a weakness there now…….

Alfie is very handsome sorry your having such troubles with his legs.

[rona]

Have bumped into a couple of people over the last week who have had dogs with possible ligament trouble that didn’t operate, one thinks dog ok after 3 months, this ones’s about 3 years old and a Clumber so a little smaller. The other was a Goldie who is just about right after 6 months, but this one is 10.
I haven’t managed to get hold of Alfs breeder as they seem to have changed their email address and I have no other contact details. Does anyone know of someone with a Briarsvale bred Goldie?

[Anonymous]

Do you know the name of the breeder at all?

[*Lassie*]

http://www.champdogs.co.uk/guided/all_golden-retriever_breeders.html

Briarsvale, Mrs Samantha Dinnage

[Anonymous]

Never heard of her did you see the email addy goat herder MMmm

[rona]

Thanks for help in finding Alf’s breeder, I had looked on Champdogs a few days earlier, they must have just updated.
Sam has just replied and said that her mother has Alfs sister and no trouble there, she has not heard of any problems with other siblings either.
So must be under exercise followed by over exercise.
Makes me feel guilty now!

[Anonymous]

I don’t believe this unless you walk him to the gate and back for a month or two, then hike him up Ben Nevis for a fortnight.
I have had over many years rescue dogs that have been poorly exercised but within a few weeks they are getting up to speed, and within six months they are up to speed with my dogs all ages never had one limp unless something is wrong either with food or joints not all limps mean that there is a problem in the legs has he had his hips scored were the parents scored were the parents checked for OCD.
Has he any hot spots down his back
IMO the breeder has  bred them very short legged for a goldie not that it would be a health problem on it’s own
Val

[quote author=rona link=topic=12703.msg246250#msg246250 date=1224612150]
So must be under exercise followed by over exercise.
Makes me feel guilty now!
[/quote]

[rona]

Thanks Val. Mum & dad were hip scored, Alf not been xrayed as neutered boy, no need unless problems. Present problem is around the ligament area as joint was swollen.
Vets on Thursday and I will go with more knowledge and a lot more questions, thanks to you all

[Author]

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