# Maddie is limping



## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

It's her right hind. Seems worse after she has layer on it. She still itches with it but doesn't want to put weight ob it. I bought a fluffy new bed for her to lay on to help cushion her hip as well as some glucosamine/msm pills. They say 1500 mg per 3, how many should she get?


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

How much does she weigh? Has her leg been looked at? When my girl started limping it was a torn acl and all the supplements in the world aren't going to fix that. I was giving osteo bi flex for 6+ months but it didn't seem to make a difference one way or the other.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

GoingPostal said:


> How much does she weigh? Has her leg been looked at? When my girl started limping it was a torn acl and all the supplements in the world aren't going to fix that. I was giving osteo bi flex for 6+ months but it didn't seem to make a difference one way or the other.


90ish pounds. No it hasn't, it just started. She hasn't done anything to injury it


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

RedneckCowgirl said:


> 90ish pounds. No it hasn't, it just started. She hasn't done anything to injury it


I never saw Riddle do anything when she partially tore her ACL. Either ACL, actually. The first one I think she did while jumping into a pond after a toy... we were there for hours and she never cried out, fell, etc. But she limped that night. The second one I have literally no idea. She was home all day and didn't exercise, then got up off the couch that night and was lame. 

Yoiu should really have it looked at. Dogs don't randomly go lame out of nowhere.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

Savage Destiny said:


> Yoiu should really have it looked at. Dogs don't randomly go lame out of nowhere.


I'll take her in today to have it checked. What do they do if its ACL? Pain meds and crate rest?


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

My girl didn't seem to do anything to tear hers either, just ran outside to potty like she always does and started limping. It's often just a progressive thing, give it enough time and they will tear just from normal movement if they are unsound is what I read. Anyways for that size dog surgery is really your best option if it is a torn acl, but some people buy braces, some do conservative management. A friend of ours has a large mastiff with both torn and has done nothing for him, he struggles to get around and up especially, I expect they will be putting him down within a couple years as the arthritis gets worse which is sad, he's a very young dog and they can afford the care just won't. Hopefully that's not what it is though, I knew as soon as my girl started limping that's what she'd done and unfortunately I was right.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

Still taking her to the vet, but I checked for drawer movement and it is VERY slight, barely noticeable. Hopefully the vet will confirm what I'm seeing and feeling.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

Got back, the vet pretty much confirmed what I knew. She is on strict rest and some supplements to hopefully stave off any joint issues for as long as possible. I take her back in in three weeks and if it ruptures then she will need surgery because of her size.


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

Good luck.  ACL tears are nothing to mess with. We tried conservative management for Riddle's first tear, but ended up having to do the surgery anyway. I would look into a supplement by Standard Process called Ligaplex I. Riddle has been on it since her first ACL tear. She made it 3 years between knees, and I attribute it to the Ligaplex... usually dogs only make it about 6 months before the other one goes.


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## GoingPostal (Sep 5, 2011)

Sorry. I bought a cheapo exercise pen off ebay, kept Jersey in there with a papasan cushion plus dog beds. We pretty much moved downstairs for several months since she was upset about not getting to go up to bed with us anymore. The first couple weeks were hard and then she kind of got used to being confined but luckily she is my lazy dog anyways. Lots of frozen Kongs and chews. She had surgery 5 months ago.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

My boy had an injury and a small terr in his alc. I got a brace for it, he wore it for several months when he was active, at rest I took it off. I also did exercises that my vet gave me along with stretching after walks. He is awesome now. No surgery :thumb:

I also gave him MSM and fed him trachea and stuff like that for condrotent sure I spelled that wrong also:shocked:


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## tuckersmom20 (Dec 12, 2010)

Acl tears are usually quite sudden... Some dogs yelp and some dont.

Sam didn't... My 16 lb shih tzu. He'll be 10 in December.
He tore his right one when he was 5, and only shows occasional arthritis pain and odd time hobbles on his left.
But vet says his left is intact... Even if its been 5 years since the right got done.


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

Went thru 2 ACL's with our Rottie (RIP) exactly 1 year apart. Unlike a human, a dog does not need to have an impact or injury to cause the ACL to go. It's truly the genetics and degree in angle of the knee that is the cause. Hopefully the rest and supplements will at least buy you some time.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

Just wanted to update, Maddie is doing well. She is still limping on her potty outings, but it is less pronounced and she has started occasionally sleeping on that side again (for short periods, then she switches again)


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## Rvent (Apr 15, 2012)

Babs tore her acl and ruptured the meniscus as well, with a small tear in the other knee as well. she had surgery on the really bad one about a year ago now, it was a long road to recovery keeping them still is a big thing to making sure the procedure holds, I too moved downstairs with her, it took a lot out of her she was around 10 or so when it happened so I was not so keen on doing a second one anytime soon, I took her to physical therapy (underwater treadmill) to strengthen both knees so she didn't completely tear the other one while healing from the surgery, they also gave her laser treatments.. she has had no real issues with the other an occasional limp when she over does it outside, I give her ice and I was doing meta cam but started incorporating some holistic remedies as well. I find if I make her rest, no outside activities ( she protests terribly) and ice her, a little massage and some anti-inflammatory she does good.


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