1. Keep your dog rested for two weeks. A dog with a torn ACL will redistribute his weight onto his remaining three legs, which places extra strain on them. He is therefore less mobile and needs to be rested.
- For the first two weeks this means strict rest to let the initial inflammation in the joint settle down. Keep your dog from jumping on furniture or into the car, and stop him from using stairs. He should not be walked at all, and when he goes outside to the toilet he should be kept on a lead in case he runs off, chasing whatever he sees in his periphery.
2. Put up ramps and stair-gates to keep him off his leg. Part of caring for a dog with a torn ACL is making sure he rests. To stop him going upstairs, try putting a child's safety gate across the bottom of the staircase. Likewise, try to avoid having your dog jump up or down to and from the car. For large dogs that are too big to carry, invest in a collapsible ramp for him to walk up and down.
- Move his things as necessary. If his room is upstairs, make a temporary, make-shift spot for him downstairs so he can feel more comfortable and have a space all his own. This will help him ease into this new, more confined routine.
3. After two weeks, take short, 5-minute walks twice a day. The principle here is not to overstress his good legs and to give the injured leg time to heal. He must be kept on a lead because running or chasing places a strain on the joints and could disrupt the tissue healing.
- By resting the dog you are waiting for fibrous tissue to bridge the ends of the torn ligament and this scar tissue eventually stabilizes the joint. Some of the surgical procedures, such as the de Angelis suture, provide temporary stabilization whilst scar tissue forms, and it is this fibrous tissue that eventually provides permanent stability.
4. Give your pup NSAIDs, like Metacam. A torn ACL is a painful condition and moderate pain relief through medication can be incredibly helpful to your dog. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) have a high safety margin (when used correctly), provide a good level of pain relief and are safe for long term use. NSAIDs commonly prescribed by vets are meloxicam (Metacam), carprofen (Rimadyl), and robenacoxib (Onsior).
- The maintenance dose of metacam is 0.05mg/kg by mouth, with or after food, once daily. The oral suspension contains 1.5mg/ml; a typical 30kg Lab requires 1ml daily on his food.
- NSAIDs are prescription drugs that reduce inflammation and dull pain by inhibiting the COX-2 enzymes that mediate inflammation within joints. They also having fewer effects on the COX-1 enzymes that maintain blood flow to the stomach and kidneys. Because of this, these drugs are less likely to cause the potentially serious side effect of gastric ulceration and have a higher safety margin than drugs such as aspirin or paracetamol.
5. Carefully consider giving your dog aspirin. In a healthy, well-hydrated dog, aspirin has a place if no other pain relief is available – especially if your vet gives you the okay. The recommended dose is 10mg/kg given twice a day, with or after food. Aspirin commonly comes in 300mg tablets, so a typical dose for a 30kg Labrador would be one tablet twice a day with food.
- Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) can provide mild to moderate pain relief, but long term use can be associated with side effects such as gastric ulceration. This is because the aspirin reduces the blood supply to the stomach, gut lining, and kidneys. The side effects are minimized if given with or after food.
- Aspirin should never be given to a dog on steroids or on NSAID medication. This is because the combined drugs are even more potent and will more likely cause gastric ulceration, with possibly fatal consequences.
6. Much like aspirin, carefully consider paracetamol as a pain reliever. A veterinary approved prescription is preferred, but if no other pain relief is available, it is acceptable to give your dog paracetamol with food, as long as care is taken to observe the correct dosage.
- The dose is 10mg/kg by mouth, twice a day, with or after food. Most tablets are 500mg and so a 30kg Labrador can take a maximum of three-fifths of a tablet twice daily. If in doubt, always give a lower dose and for small dogs, consider using the pediatric suspension.
- Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) provides mild to moderate pain relief. Overdose causes liver damage by overloading the liver with a toxic metabolite called N-acetyl-p-aminobenzoquinonimine. Great care should be taken not to exceed the recommended dose or liver failure could result.
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