[claycruncher]

My 9 month old BLF underwent TPLO surgery yesterday. Surgeon said all went well and she is currently resting comfortably in her crate. She's looking at the next 8 weeks of down time in her crate with me being her babysitter. I believe she suffered her ruptured ACL, tearing a piece of bone off her tibia, a month ago during her training on some long marks when she over ran the mark and slid as she tried to stop and change direction. It is difficult to know exactly how she received the injury but needless to say I'm bummed out particularly since her training was gong so well. Also I was looking forward to her first duck season which she will miss in its entirety.

While her injury was being evaluated I was able to read the previous threads on TPLO. Thanks to EDa and others for your insight.

 

[northstorm]

sorry to hear about your girl. my 2yr old BLM had the surgery last week. now rest and rehab. its going to be interesting.

 

[Maxs Mom]

Been through this 3 times 2 different dogs. Currently our blf is 1+ year post op. We were told the other will go, we are just waiting. Her first knee recovery went wonderfully. About 8 weeks post op we started under water treadmill exercises with her and coming back slowly. By March/April she was 100%.

She's doing awesome. Hunt test this summer, many agility trials. She's apparently got the lab structure that causes ruptures. First was not trauma related.

Good luck. It seems like a long time but once it's past you will see it went by quickly. If you are in colder climate like I am at least the time of year isn't mid test season.

 

[jeff evans]

6 weeks out for my dog, he's doing excellent. The surgeon actually guarantees the TPLO for life! High Success Rate with the right surgeon! When you get an elbow then you need to be very concerned.

 

[tucker]

Keep your chin up. I went though this on my 8 month old BLF. The first few weeks post op are the worst. I hated to see my girl go though this. She is now almost 1.5 yrs from her surgery and is doing great. Knock on wood..

 

[Mary Lynn Metras]

Been through this 3 times 2 different dogs. Currently our blf is 1+ year post op. We were told the other will go, we are just waiting. Her first knee recovery went wonderfully. About 8 weeks post op we started under water treadmill exercises with her and coming back slowly. By March/April she was 100%.

She's doing awesome. Hunt test this summer, many agility trials. She's apparently got the lab structure that causes ruptures. First was not trauma related.

Good luck. It seems like a long time but once it's past you will see it went by quickly. If you are in colder climate like I am at least the time of year isn't mid test season.

Explain the lab structure. Is this genetic?

 

[Bruce MacPherson]

I would certainly be interested in hearing exactly what kind of conformation issues would lead to these injuries and what role genetics plays in all of this. When someone has one or more dogs that have had these issues what is the common denominator? I have had a lot of dogs and some very high powered ones and never had the problem.

 

[Bknightlabs]

The University of Minnesota has had a research project underway for about 2 years to try to determine if there is a genetic link. They were seeking Labs bot ones that had had an ACL rupture and those that had not. The latter needed to be evaluated by a board certified orthopod. I have not seen any results mentioned anywhere.
Betty Knight

 

[claycruncher]

In reading some of the earlier threads on RTF it seemed that there was a high likelihood that if a dog had one ruptured ACL that the other was bound to go. With this occurring in my 8 month old dog I was concerned that I would eventually face having to go through this again. I discussed this with the surgeon and he said that there is no correlation between a dog having a TPLO and the other ACL rupturing. What he did say is that if there is a structural issue with the ligament, which may be caused by some hereditary traits that it is more likely that those same structural deficiencies would exist in the other ACL resulting in a second rupture.

However, in the case of my dog the ACL rupture was caused by a trauma and there should be no impact on the other leg. It would be nice to see the results of the U of MN study and see if there are hereditary markers that could be tested for in the future.

 

[swliszka]

I have been told by a friend who is dedicated to high health standards that his lab was prone to that injury because of her small physical statue - 55 lbs. His two orthopedic vets GA and Baltimore , MD say they typically see smaller dogs w/this problem. The high physical demands of FT training/trialing appear to work best for larger , leaner animals. There must be some sort of genetic carry over due to physical typing that results from certain breedings. Ask/investigate before you buy. Very expensive and time consuming recovery.

 

[Trifecta]

There are several theories out there, but no solid understanding of the pathogenesis of cruciate rupture. Current theories- early spay/neuter causing abnormal bone growth and increasing the tibial angle; an autoimmune problem that results in cruciate rupture (seems this one may have been disproven, at least for now), or that in general lack of stifle angle (upright hindlimb conformation) increases the force on the ACL making it more likely to tear.

Hope your pup heals up quickly.