Bullmastiff torn knee ligament

[Bøgh]

Hello, this is my first post here, i've been reading the forums ever since i got my now 9 month old bullmastiff, Manfred. this Tuesday i had to take him to the vet, because he wouldn't stand on his right hind leg. The Vet believes that it might be a torn knee ligament, however hopes it might be pano. So he got some pain-killers and i was told to keep him resting till monday, and we would see if there have been any Progress, now after 2 days of painfully watching his leg i still see no improvement. He will not let it touch the ground when he stands still. Hoping some people has experiences with this sort of thing. And what is in the future if it is a torn knee ligament? can it be fixed with an operation on a dog this Young? Kind regards Mikkel

 

[Bøgh]

Sorry about the wall of text, not sure how to make Spaces inbetween.

 

[tmricciuto]

Mikkel - so sorry to hear you are having some issue with the puppy. Thoughts go out to yo and Manfred.

 

[Joao M]

Mikkel,
It is difficult to say with that info if it is a knee ligament injury or pano. Have you done X-rays?
As regards the operations at that age, from what I have read, it is feasible albeit not ideal.

p.s.: in order to avoid a wall of text you have to end each sentence with < b r > (without the spaces)

 

[angelbears]

Yes, your pup can over come this. Usually, with a very extended restriction on activity. Some of us on this forum have done it. I will try to find the link to an excellent website that walks you through healing ligament damage without surgery. Surgery is an option. However, I would try limited activity first. I would also look into some joint supplements. I like Phycox but do a search here. There are tons of different ones and some that are cheaper. I'll go look for the link and post it.

 

[angelbears]

Here is the link. Non-Surgical Treatment

 

[Hiraeth]

Pano is usually indicated by mild to moderate limping that alternates between legs. The limp does not stay with one leg consistently. HoD is indicated by more severe limping and swelling/tender joints.

To me, it doesn't sound like pano or HoD. I think you should take him back to the vet, tell the vet that no progress has been made and take steps towards confirming a diagnosis.

Surgery can repair the knee. However, keep in mind that the odds of him blowing out the other knee because the other leg is currently supporting his entire weight are high. You need to minimize activity and jumping as much as possible. Take the stress off of his remaining useable hind leg by helping him up any stairs with a towel or blanket under his abdomen. Lift him onto or off of furniture, if he's allowed on couches and beds. If he blows out the other hind knee while the damaged one is still in recovery, it's going to be a very long and hard road ahead.

As a side note, 9 months old is pretty young for a cruciate tear. How much does he weigh? Is he neutered? How did the injury happen? Is he often walking or running on 'slippery' floors or is there ice in the yard he could slip on? Did you buy him from a breeder and have you informed them of the problem? Any reputable breeder would want to know if one of the puppies they produced was experiencing major problems so young in life.

 

[Bøgh]

thank you all for the help so far
Hireath: he weighs around 100 Pounds, he is not neutered. I'm unaware of how the injury happend, in the morning he was limping, there were no signs when we went to sleep. He sleeps next to my bed. There are no ice or slippery surfaces. i have yet to infrom the breeder, i will when i have a certain diagnosis.

 

[Bøgh]

the vet visit

The vet examined him, however could not get him to show any pain what so ever. He let her touch him, and check all of his joints.
She checked for fever as well, which it turned out he had. Not massive fever, but fever.

 

[Hiraeth]

It's odd that his limping would be so acute after a night of sleep with no obvious cause of trauma.

Whether you decide to wait it out or go back to the vet, most of what I recommended still stands. His remaining useful rear limb is at risk while it's supporting his entire weight, so you want to make sure to stress it as little as possible.

 

[NYDDB]

Did your vet check for Lyme disease (or any other tick related diseases?) I don't know where you live (it's the dead of winter here, so tick bites would be very unlikely), but you may live in a more temperate climate...

Anyway, just throwing it out there, as it can cause lameness and fever.

 

[DennasMom]

Our first dog did that... woke up limping... we did the whole vet/x-ray/etc. (first puppy over-active parent syndrome)... nothing... best we could figure, he slept on it wrong. Today, I'd guess it was pano... in any case, it resolved itself in a few days.

I'd be sure you're ignoring it and not 'rewarding' him for limping (with extra sympathy, pats, etc.). I'd walk him around SLOW to keep blood moving, but not put excess tension on the area. Maybe do some massage (all over, so you don't bring undue attention to the area in the dog's mind).... and LOTS of rest. Do some brain-games to keep him mentally tired and minimize the chances for zoomies.

And if you're not comfortable that things are improving after a week (or less), I'd talk to your vet again or try a different vet with more giant dog experience, and go from there.

 

[Bøgh]

Update on the situation. He had x-Rays done, and it turned out to be pano,

so i'm very thankful!

 

[fizzed]

glad you got a diagnosis and you can move on with him - he is just a baby bless him