Pet Health And Care >> Dog Health >> Dog Torn Ligament

Dog Torn Ligament - Information on Symptoms, Treatment, Dog Ligament Surgery and Cost

Dogs are like little children.

They love to run around and play, and while they are doing that, they often get injured as well. A dog torn ligament is an injury that occurs due to trauma on the muscle and the ligament. These injuries may be sudden, but mostly, a dog torn ligament develops very slowly. Since the knees are the most used joints in dogs, dog torn ligament in knee is especially common.

The torn ligament gradually breaks down causing intermittent lameness in the dog. The lameness may be mild at first, but noticeably worsening as the ligament breaks further down.

Dog Torn Ligament Symptoms

Dog torn ligament symptoms can be seen after a dog has gone through some stressful events or a traumatic injury. Since ligaments are usually found around various joints, the ligament injuries may largely affect the joints.

The injury may hurt other parts of the joint as well, preventing the dog from being able to put its weight on the ligament. Depending on the kind of injury the dog has sustained, the dog torn ligament could be accompanied by a lot of swelling and pain. You may see the dog hopping in pain and refusing to put weight on the injured limb. If the dog torn ligament has been chronic in nature, the symptoms may be very mild at first, and could be observed worsening slowly.

Dog Torn Ligament Treatment

Hesitation to sit, refusal to bear weight on a particular limb, and the inability to walk with a normal gait are all indications of an injury. Check the dog for any outward physical injuries. If you cannot see signs of injuries on the limbs, the symptoms could be related to dog torn ligament. The first thing to do as part of the dog torn ligament treatment is to ice the injury. If there is a swollen joint as a result of a traumatic injury, apply ice on it to soothe the pain. Do not apply ice directly. Instead, use an ice pack for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time. In the first few days, ice packs will help relieve the swelling. However, once the swelling has subsided, use a warm pack to increase blood circulation in the area. A cold compress would usually not be very useful if the ligament problem is chronic.

Dog Torn Ligament Surgery and Cost

In severe cases of dog torn ligament, surgery remains the only option. A dog torn ligament surgery is performed to remove the damaged ligaments and use grafts to heal the trauma. The dog torn ligament surgery cost depends on the ligament which is being operated upon.

Submitted on January 12, 2012