Hello again,
boy it has been a while, we have been busy and had Internet and email changes. Now we are back on line. Yesterday, Dr. Moody, a surgical specialist was at our Chandler location, Chandler Gilbert Animal Hospital, to perform a special knee surgery for repairing the cruciate ligament on one of our large patients. These athletic dogs combined with certain conformations sometimes end up with these "football" injuries. They can return to activity and delay serious arthritis with appropriate surgery (there are a few types of surgeries, from those that the orthopedic specialist does to some that we do in general practice). These injuries do much better as far as pain and delayed development of arthritis if they are diagnosed early in the disease and corrected. All types of breeds can get these knee injuries, but the larger breeds such as Labs and Rotties are more prone. People sometimes ask how to tell if a dog is in pain; if they are limping or won't jump or run like they used to, they are in pain.