4 month old pup with blown knee?

[jbwrangler]

My pup has been limping a little off and on for the past couple of weeks. I took him to the vet and she thinks he may have a torn ACL. they will do x-rays tomorrow to confirm.

Anyone know of any canine orthapedic specialists in MS? Since he is only 4 months old I want to make sure we get this right.

Thanks

[LastFrontierLabs]

Too early for surgery. If I'm not mistaken, growth plates have to be closed.

[deadbird05]

i don't know much about this but i have a buddy who took his dog to MSU vet school for the same reason and his dog made a full recovery.

[BrettG]

That is truely sad. I hope all goes well for you and your pup. Make sure you explore ALL options. I would also suggest the vet school if the prognosis is bad.

[jbwrangler]

Thanks for the info. The vet school sounds like a good option. Pup is getting x-rays this morning. Hope to know something by lunch. Will post the findings when I know.

[Meeka]

Too soon. Pups can go thru stages where they limp and it will clear up. It is related to growing so fast. Discuss that with your vet. Discuss and consider changing the food from puppy to adult and cutting back on the amount too.

That being said, if a more reliable diagnosis is wanted, you need imaging done, like a CT, and an exam by an Orthopaedic Surgeon. They actually have practices like that, just like they do for people, but they are in places like Houston, Texas. So if you live in Mississippi, your best choice is usually a vet school, like at MititiTate. Make sure you get to see the top guy (or girl) there when you go. LSU is a good choice, so it kinda depends on where you live.

MItitiTate successfully did shoulder surgery on Sharkey and he made a full recovery!

I am guessing that you don't need all that info to fix a growth spurt, hope so anyway.

[jbwrangler]

The vet that examined Dude yesterday said there was a lot of movement in the joint. The other knee does not move that much. She is not the orthopedic specialist at the clinic though.

The doc with the ortho experience was there when I dropped off this morning. He had sort of a look of disbelief when he was reading the other doc's notes.

Hopefully it is not serieous. Keep Dude in your prayers.

[Squealer]

Prayers sent.

[jbwrangler]

Just talked to the vet. He said that both knees were loose, but he cannot imagine that a dog that young would have ligament problems in both knees.

He thinks it could be developmental. He is contacting the MSU vet school to see if this is something that they may have seen before. Will prob end up taking him to MSU for an examination at some point.

Hopefully this is something that he will grow out of.

[LastFrontierLabs]

I would go the wait and see route, but do know of puppies who have had this very problem and had to have surgery. The problem is there....just hope it's not yours.

[mharville]

My cousin had the same problem w/ his pup at around the same age. Went to the vet and got all the examinations done. Turns it was panosteonamy(not sure a/b the spelling. It just has to do w/ soreness of the joints. Pup is a little over 8 months now and still has a little problem on occasion. The vet recommended laying off work, or stopping when he began to limp. May be way off, but it sounds very similar. The pup is doing great now.

[5keepers]

4mo seems too early for a torn ACL...X-ray will not show tendon or ligament damage at all for that you need an MRI...very expensive. If its off and on and dog is acting normal, eating, growing, and happy I think I would wait and see...could be a hip or paw problems or even a back problem that will get better with time...last time I checked there is an orthopedic surgeon in Birmingham/Hoover...I can get the name and number if you like. I love MS state and the vet school but they can be a bit cut happy

[jbwrangler]

4mo seems too early for a torn ACL...X-ray will not show tendon or ligament damage at all for that you need an MRI...very expensive. If its off and on and dog is acting normal, eating, growing, and happy I think I would wait and see...could be a hip or paw problems or even a back problem that will get better with time...last time I checked there is an orthopedic surgeon in Birmingham/Hoover...I can get the name and number if you like. I love MS state and the vet school but they can be a bit cut happy

Is that Dr. Milton in B'ham? I was told that he is VERY good. Not sure if that translates into very expensive....

I am just looking for a conclusive diagnosis at this point. I think that he is too young for surgury anyway.

Thanks for the info.

[hcsmith]

I have been in your situation before! When one of my dogs was younger he would limp some and the vet said that is was due to the growth plates and the limping did go away however he is older now and has torn both acls and I had Tobias fix them he use to be a professor at Mississippi State and now has a vet clinic in Memphis (Emergencey Vet located on Germantown Road). I did a lot of research on this when my dog was injured and with both of my brothers being competitve field trialers I was able to talk to lots of pros who have had this same injury and all of them said to use Tobias or some vet in Birmingham.

My dog has done very well since the surgery and has hunted many years since. I will tell you that I was told in the begining that if the tear one the other is likely to go later. Also if I remeber correctly the surgerys were each around $2500 (expensive)!!!!

good luck let me know if you need any other info I will try to help

[hcsmith]

I too also went through what you are going through, not getting a firm answer from a vet. I found out why my dog was limping through a field trialer my brother was training for at the time. she diagnosed my dog correctly without even seeing him just because she has been around working dogs day in and day out for so long she and has seen so man y injuries and dogs reactions she was more familar with this injury than any vet was. that is when i went to tobias.