The Details

On December 4th, 2009, Cosmo was diagnosed with a CCL tear in his right leg. A dog’s CCL is similar to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans.

He was playing tug of war with our other dog, Bailey. They were playing quite rough and afterwards we noticed that Cosmo was limping. He had strained his left leg prior so we were hoping that it was another strain. The next morning he refused to put weight on the right leg. The vet x-rayed both legs. Since this was the other leg, we wanted to rule out other problems (x-rays do not show a tear). The diagnosis was a CCL tear in his right leg. We decided to go ahead with Conservative Management, as surgery was not an option we wanted to consider. Our vet is onboard with helping us with this approach. If we are not successful, we will have to move forward with surgery. I have read way too many horror stories (with the surgery) so I am going to do my best to make this work for Cosmo. Conservative management is always an option for a strained or partially torn cruciate, or if surgery is not an option. Conservative management can include strict rest, physical therapy, acupuncture, knee braces, and supplements.

Fast forward to this week. We had Cosmo limited in his exercise but not enough. He had a major set back. He took off in a run in the back yard and that caused strain to the left leg. It is not unusual for dogs with this injury to injure the opposite leg.

On Monday, January 25th, I visited the vet and got Rimadyl for pain medication. He will be on it for 2 weeks. Cosmo could not get up unassisted. We moved his bed (a Serta twin mattress that we bought him in December) to the living-room. He stayed on it the entire day. We took him outside (using a towel as a sling) 3X for potty breaks. It was a very sad day.

Tuesday: He came into my room to wake me (limping but walking). I went into the kitchen with him and got his breakfast. He ate and laid on his bed. I started giving him meaty marrow bones as a treat. He started swim therapy. We took him in the pool for 10 minutes. He swam back and forth to the end of the pool. He was so happy to be playing in the pool. We used the towel sling to get him in/out of the house.

Wednesday: He went through the pet door to go the bathroom. I woke up hearing him come inside. The day went similarly to Tuesday. The pet sling I ordered arrived and it much easier to use than a towel (see link below).

Today: Once again he went out through the pet door. He only uses it in the morning. He didn't seem to enjoy swimming today but he still went in for 10 minutes. He does not seem as wobbly but we will continue with supporting him for at least 2-3 months. I do not want another set back. He likes his bed in the living-room. That is where the most action is. Since we homeschool, the kids & I are with him most of the day. They take turns hanging out with him. Bailey (the other dog) likes to cuddle with him on the bed.

I am starting this blog for a few reasons:
~To keep track of his progress
~To help provide resources that I have found on Conservative Management

I will try to post often with updates.

Food/Supplements:
Currently, Cosmo is taking Cosequin, Rimadyl, & Fish oil supplements. He eats regular dog food and additional protein in raw meaty marrow bones (from the butcher) and the occasional hard boiled egg. He is a purebred Black Lab and we are trying to help him lose weight. He currently is approx. 135 pounds. I want to get him down to 100. The weight loss will help in his recovery (take some of the pressure off his legs)
We also use Traumeel Anti-inflammatory Analgesic to massage both legs daily.

Our Current day at a glance is: 3-4X potty breaks, swim therapy for 10 minutes, 2X leg massages, the rest of the time is spent hanging out on his bed with various toys or his meaty marrow bones.

Links:
Alot of information on Conservative Management:http://www.2ndchance.info/cruciate.htm

and http://www.tiggerpoz.com/

The Sling/Harness we are using:http://www.k9caddie.com/

A group Yahoo that has other pet owners dealing with the same thing:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ConservativeManagement/