Torn ACL At Home
Hi Everyone! My name is Dan, and I am a veterinarian.
Today I am covering a torn ACL in the dog. In this video my goal is to help educate everyone on what to look for and what to expect at home if your dog possibly torn their ACL or anterior cruciate ligament.
Any dog can tear their ACL. A dog can tear their ACL doing very little or being very active. We know now that some dogs are more predisposed, and if one ACL tears there is a really good chance that both ACLs will tear in the future.
The first thing that may surprise you is that a dog can tear their ACL doing basically very little. If your dog is just walking around the house, and then randomly they are limping it might be a torn ACL.
When a dog tears their ACL they will have some toe touching lameness. Toe touching lameness is when the dog will gentle place their toe on the ground and then raise it back up into the air. This is because, when the ACL is torn the joint is weak or unstable. When the dog places their foot down they then raise their foot again.
Because a torn ACL needs surgery, a dog that is limping from a torn ACL will not get better. A pet owner may be monitoring at home, or they may start some medications with their veterinarian for inflammation and pain, but a torn ACL will be a chronic problem.
A dog may or may not show pain from a torn ACL. The veterinarian community is not sure how painful it is, but I feel like it probably hurts a bit. With that being said, some dogs will not show pain even when the leg is being manipulated and others will.
Disclaimer: This video does not replace veterinary care. Always go see your veterinarian if your pet is sick. This video is only for educations and entertainment purposes.