Title: Buddy Ruptured His ACL
Tags: ACL
Blog Entry: Buddy has been limping on and off for about two weeks, really just a skip here or there. I didn't think much of it, thought maybe it was arthritis or luxated knee so I treated accordingly. Over the weekend it got worse, he wouldn't put the leg down at all so I called the vet and in he went today. After various bloodtests and radiographs my vet determined he has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament or ACL and would need surgery. The ACL resides in the knee and is a ligament that extends from the femur to the tibia and keeps the bones from grinding together when the knee moves. With a rupture, the joint becomes unstable and the bones move back and forth against each other causing quite a bit of pain and swelling. This is a common injury in dogs and can be caused by the twisting of a hind leg, perhaps going up stairs or jumping off the couch - common things that our dogs do. As Dr. Carlsen told me the diagnosis when I went to pick Buddy up, I stood in shock and dismay. All of a sudden I became overwhelmed by the fact that my poor baby was in horrible pain and I didn't act fast enough. I know that there was nothing I could do stop this from happening, there's no bubble I could put him in to protect him but I wish I had acted faster so that the pain medication could have been administered sooner. For the next 3 to 4 weeks Buddy will be on pain medication as the swelling goes down. We will then go back to have the surgery performed. Dr. Carlsen will go in and will recreate the ligament with a synthetic that mimics the fibrous tissue. I wish this hadn't happened to my little Buddy Bat. I know that his physical build does not help when it comes to joint care and injuries but I can't help but feel distressed over my blase reaction. I will never make that mistake again. To learn more about ACL ruptures please check out: http://www.peteducation.com +1569&aid=474
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