Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture and Medial Meniscus - Need LOTS of Prayers

[Debbie and Toby]

A couple days ago Toby was running across our yard, and when he tried to turn around to run back his rear left leg went out. Immediately took him to our vet. We have our yard fenced in and he is never out alone, we are ALWAYS with him.  Diagnosed as above and referred to a specialist. We were then referred to a surgeon. All have reached the same conclusion that he needs surgery.We just had our first consultation with the surgeon and got all the bloodwork done. His surgery is scheduled for Monday morning. I am terrified. He is a seizure dog, and is a huge momma's boy. He is VERY active and energetic for being almost 8 years old. He requires a lot of daily exercise. I am wondering how I will ever do this, keeping him "quiet and settled" for several weeks. he does not like to be crated during the day. He gets frantic when he is crated,  also very high anxiety which triggers seizures in him.  He also is capable of taking off a cone, which he has done in the past. The surgeon said he will need to be crated and wear a cone for awhile. We are putting a handicap ramp up off the back deck so he will not need to go down the steps to go out for potty when we take him out after we bring him home. We have laminate floors in the dining room and kitchen which has been extremely difficult for him to walk on the past couple days. He is sliding all over. So we just bought carpet runners to get him from the living room to the dining room patio doors and through kitchen, which gives him greater stability when walking. Any suggestions to help us, and him get through this? I know many of you have been through this or know someone who has. What has worked for you to help keep your furbaby comfortable and quiet after a surgery like this? Last, but not least, I am asking for prayers. I am worried sick about putting him through this. He is my baby!!

UPDATE 1:  Surgery has been postponed for today. Toby has been vomiting since yesterday and will not eat or drink. I called the Dr. yesterday and they said to discontinue the Carprofen as that can cause stomach upset and vomiting. They admitted him this morning as they want to run more blood labs again, do a stomach xray and ultrasound. They want to be sure there is absolutely nothing else going on before they proceed with surgery. They will call this afternoon with an update. If everything is good, then I will pick him back up, rather than leave him all night, and take him back tomorrow morning for the surgery. They also said they discussed the Lidocaine and have decided NOT to use it in with the anesthesia and will not put a Lidocaine patch on him. They want to avoid anything that may trigger seizures. I am very thankful for that. Will keep you all updated.

Update  # 2:  Just spoke with Dr., they are keeping him today, do not want him to come home today. They want to put IV on him to make sure he doesn't get dehydrated, they want to monitor him throughout the day, then Dr. will let me know by 10:00 AM tomorrow morning if they will proceed with surgery. His tail is wagging, just doesn't want to eat. He will not get anymore Carprofen, as we aren't for sure if this is what caused the upset stomach now. My poor baby! He is definitely a special needs boy! Have I mentioned lately how much I love my doodle baby?? Will keep everyone updated.

UPDATE 3: Went to check in on my baby this afternoon.. he was resting comfortably so I did not wake him. They do have IV's on him now. Called when I got home to see how he was doing, and if he was awake, they said he was up and hungry and ate his whole dish of food...so, I really wonder now if it was the Carprofen causing the upset stomach and making him sick....He is so sensitive, I just hope we can manage pain without having anymore drug reactions. As of this afternoon, if he continues to eat and doesn't get sick anymore, they are planning to do the surgery tomorrow morning. Will keep you all updated. 

UPDATE 4: No surgery again today. Called several times last night to check on him, they said he was very calm and relaxed, no barking or anxious behavior. They agreed this is not normal for him. Spoke with Dr. twice this morning, he said he is not comfortable with the surgery at this time, they have taken him off the Carprofen, now they just want to see if once that clears out of his system he will improve. They said we could take him home and tentatively scheduled surgery for next Wednesday morning now. The Dr. said he can't do the surgery until he improves and we find a pain med that doesn't cause  a reaction with him. He can not have "steroid" drugs and now had severe stomach upset with the Carprofen. He is now on the following meds: Gabapentin,Pro-Pectalin, Metronidazole, Famotidine, and Sucralfate, in addition to his seizure meds. I actually have made an excel  spreadsheet to keep track of all his daily meds and doses now.  Question...since Toby was vomiting and wouldn't eat on the Carprofen, is it also possible that the Carprofen caused irritation to cause the bloody stools? I am worried sick. Since we are going into holiday, the Dr gave us his cell phone number and wants me to check in with him every day, and of course if things get worse to take him into emergency. He feels he will improve being at home and on the new meds. He was very excited to be home, in fact he didn't even want to lay down this afternoon. He heard the UPS truck drive by our house and wanted to chase him off...he is resting tonight, is eating, but only a little bit at a time, he is drinking water, also not a lot, but drinking regularly.  I am going to sleep on the floor again tonight with him. Any thoughts on all of this? Dr said he is really baffled, he is consulting with other Dr's now because Toby has so many special needs, restrictions and sensitivities that he wants to be 100% sure they don't miss anything and want to be sure that they find the right pain meds that work for him without any complications.

UPDATE 5: Toby is doing well. Is eating fairly well, eating small amounts at a time, but eating often, which is good because of tall the meds he is on right now. and is drinking plenty of water, Stools are almost normal again. He definitely has some energy back, although he tires easily. He takes several naps a day now, compared to none before. When he wakes up he is full of it! He will sleep on his bed, but when he wakes up he tries to tear it up. So we have to put it away when he is awake. That's our Toby! Our biggest issue right now is when he is awake he has no concept of being injured. He does not tolerate being crated, tries to dig his way out. We have the furniture covered so he can't jump up on it, we have to keep the living room drapes shut as he wants to chase off all the delivery trucks he sees going by this time of year,  disabled the doorbell...still wants to run through the house. He seems to be handling the meds well. We are using the Gingerlead sling to help him out as his right rear legs seems to be a little weak at times. Praying that doesn't go out anytime soon, or at all.  Just trying to make life as good as possible for him right now, as much as I don't want to put him through surgery, I just want him to get better. Praying he continues to improve.  Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Will update again in a couple days.

Update 6:  Asking for prayers for Toby! He is being admitted tomorrow morning for surgery.  They are going to monitor him for a few hours before surgery just to make sure all is well. He is doing better, still sleeping a lot, though. He does get small bursts of energy, which is good. He has been eating fairly well, drinking water and has had normal stools so per my conversation with the Dr yesterday he thinks the surgery is a go for tomorrow.  I  hope we are making the right decision. I want him to get better, he struggles with the leg. But I don't want to put him through the surgery.  Will update again later tomorrow or Thursday.

Update 7: We are home! Picked Toby up late this afternoon. Dr said he has done fairly well with pain just on the Gabapentin. Tomorrow morning we will start his home therapy, muscle massage, PROM and icing the knee.  In 3 weeks he will start hydrotherapy, as well as other excercises in addition to the home therapy. He did have a seizure about 2AM in the morning, so we are on seizure watch now as he almost always clusters, or has 2 - 3 seizures with a week of the first seizure.  So happy to have him home, but so nervous about caring for him. We bought the Tractor Supply 5' x 5' gazebo pen for him. We set this up in the living room so we can watch him at all times. Of course, this also means my new bed for the next several weeks is the couch. But I am OK with that. Whatever I need to do to keep him safe. Just like the Ex Pens, but a lot sturdier. He is not liking it too well, as he doesn't like to be confined at all, but the Dr  said it is important to keep him leashed or confined the first 2 -3 weeks to help him heal properly. So, thank you so much for all the prayers.  This is our first night home. Praying he sleeps well.  WiIl update again in a day or two.  Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Update 8:  Had 10 day follow up appointment this morning, staples are out! The Dr. is a little concerned that he is not even trying to use his leg yet. He said most dogs do start to use the leg a little by the 10th day. The plan was to start hydrotherapy in 2 weeks, but he wants to go ahead and start Tuesday morning. We will be doing the laser treatment and hydrotherapy 2 - 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Then we will re-evaluate. Toby was such a good boy this morning. Dr is pleased that Toby did so well considering he was on minimal pain meds. Dr also said he is very pleased with the healing of the incision. Some of the staples were starting to sink down in, that is why they wanted us to come in this morning rather than Monday.  I was a nervous wreck this morning, wondering how they would get some of the staples out without hurting him. My husband even asked if I should leave the room. I stayed and talked to Toby the whole time, telling him what a good boy he was! And before we knew it, we were proudly walking out to the car. So thankful we are making progress. Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers.

[Nicole and Teddy]

Praying for you and Toby- know how hard this must be for you!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry, Debbie. I know how scary this is and how worried you must be. I'll be sending positive thoughts and energy for you and for Toby, and hoping for a great outcome. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

So sorry to hear this Debbie. Sending good thoughts and prayers your way for Toby.
Hoping for a good quick recovery.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I'm so sorry that you and Toby are going through this, I would be the same stressed out mom if it were Tara!   I have no experience but have a couple of ideas. 

There are many types of cones out now, perhaps you can find one that will be more user friendly for him. Perhaps something like this one:

http://www.chewy.com/dog/kong-cloud-collar-dogs-cats-small/dp/47472...

Also, would an ex-pen be useful during the recovery? It provides some confinement without the cramped space of a crate.

http://www.chewy.com/dog/midwest-gold-zinc-exercise-pen-step/dp/102...

Hope and prayers for the best outcome and fast recovery for Toby. 

[Debbie and Toby]

Thank you for the suggestions...we have tried that collar and he was able to chew on it, we have also tried two different size cones and he has been able to remove them both...he is very strong minded and when he is determined to do something he doesn't give up...we had one of the exercise pens when he was a puppy. I'm wondering if the largest one would work now. I will definitely look into this. Thanks.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Oh I'm so sorry....sending lots of prayers and hugs.

[Debbie and Toby]

Thank you all for the positive thoughts and prayers. I will keep you updated. This is a very difficult decision and I wish I didn't have to put him through this, we have discussed other non-evasive treatments but for the nature of the injury the doctors feel the surgery is necessary.

[Trudy Harlow]

There are dog puzzles you can buy (might find someplace to borrow them since some of them are pricey) to help keep him from going out of his mind with boredom while confined.  You also could use this time to do some gentle training, such as small tricks that he can learn while sitting still (peek-a-boo, e.g.). You can google dog tricks and see what you can find. Your imagination is the limit.

My dog runs agility and there are numerous dogs that get the same injury your dog has all the time. These are high-intensity border collies and other breeds that have to go through the same crate rest (although they don't, generally, have seizures). Their owners manage the activity problem by keeping their dogs' brains busy. You just have to work at it a little. It's a bit like having a sick toddler.

I'm all for the ex-pen if your vet says it's an ok alternative and if your dog isn't going to try to break out of it, which could injure him further.

Is your dog left alone during the day? If so, I'd sure suggest you break the piggy bank and arrange for him to board someplace during the day where he won't go crazy and cause further injury to himself.

You'll get through this! It may seem endless while you're in it but it will be over before you know it. Then try to find someone who can work on conditioning on your dog so he's less likely to injure himself again.

[Debbie and Toby]

Thank you for the suggestions. I am a little worried about the ex pen, he most likely will try to break out because he absolutely does not like to be confined or restricted in any way. I am going to look at the largest one to see if it may work. It is a good idea, but he is strong, a climber and a jumper and I would want to be sure it would not cause further injury. He is very stubborn, strong minded and determined, The games or gentle training are also a good idea for mental stimulation. Toby is never left alone, either myself or my husband are with him, or he is in medical boarding.

[BG and Gavin]

Sending good thoughts for sweet Toby. I wonder if the vet can recommend some type of "doggy downer" just to take the edge off of his energy for the first while? Maybe something natural maybe? Rescue Remedy or something? Good luck with the surgery.

[Karen & Maple]

Thinking of you and your long road ahead. Thankfully the folks here have proven to be very creative and ingenious when it comes to solutions. I don't have experience with this but will put my thinking cap on. Keep us posted.

[Julia Deardorff]

Oh my, I'm so sorry for your precious boy. I'm sure your vet has told you that there is a high risk of tearing the other CCL within a short time. Our Harleydood tore his right rear CCL about 4 years ago (he is almost 10) so he was about six years old. He was frolicking in the sprinkler. My vet had us keep him quiet for two weeks to see if it got better - it didn't so we had the TPLO surgery at a specialist hospital. We have two doods and they play all the time and Harley is my most exuberant. We made it and so did he :)

He was kept in a crate for the initial healing time with the stitches etc. I didn't let him out alone at all. We have steps in our front and our back into the yard. Front is shortest flight with nine steps. The first few days my husband carried him down the steps - all 75 lbs. But we decided to get a sling so we could simply lift his rear off the ground and hold him up so only his front legs were on the ground for potty. We bought the GINGERLEAD and it worked beautifully. We bought the comfy cone as it allowed comfort for sleeping and turning in the crate. We also bought the carpet remnants and put them throughout the areas he would need to travel. I went to different stores looking for really inexpensive runners and big carpet pieces. Some were very ugly and nothing matched but I knew they would be tossed as soon as he healed.

There is a great forum/group on the internet that I learned a lot from. I'll see if I can find them and post the link. After Harley was pronounced healed, I took him to a canine therapist and he walked in a water treadmill and we did therapy everyday at home. The therapist was upset that the vet specialist hadn't referred me to him immediately. He said therapy can be started very soon after surgery and the muscle builds and heals so much quicker - much like with human therapy. So see if you can locate a doggie physical therapy facility. I would contact them right away. You can and will do this and he will be good as new.

And, yes, they give them drugs to help with pain and to keep them quiet. We didn't keep Harley in the crate after about the first 10 days to 2 weeks except when we weren't home. I just kept him in the room with us where we watched tv. It has all carpet and we put a gate across the doorway. Also, it's been 4 years and he hasn't torn the left CCL - yet ;)