Knee Ligament and Knee Joint Repair Options for Labrador Retrievers
Aug 19, 2008 | | Surgical Options
Whether you have a black lab, yellow lab or a chocolate lab, you will typically be looking at 1 of 2 knee repair procedures for larger dogs - TPLO or TTA surgery to repair the torn or ruptured cranial cruciate ligament in your dogs knee. The traditional technique (extracapsular technique) typically isn’t used in large breed dogs, such as Black Labrador Retrievers, Yellow Labrador Retrievers or Chocolate Labrador Retrievers due to the added stress on the joint from the extra weight of the dog.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:49 am
So, our black lab just starting limping one day, our primary care vet is sending us on to a surgeon. What happens if you don’t repair the anterior cranial cruciate ligament?
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
i have a 10 month old lab puppy with a torn ACL in her right rear leg…she is 63 lbs and growing..will these surgeries work on a lab pup 10 months old????
October 25th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Hi Tom,
I’m no expert, but as far as I know, these are the most common procedures to repair torn ligaments in dog stifle joints. I’d recommend talking to your vet, and maybe even get a second opinion, but I’m assuming one of the surgeries you find on this site will be your only option. And since your dog is only 10 months old, the hardest part of the whole process will be keeping the dog confined for long periods of time.
Best of luck, and I wish you and your dog a happy, healthy recovery.
October 25th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Hi Connie,
We have a friend who has a 3 year old yellow lab and they opted not to have the ligament repaired. The dog can no longer run and play, and in my opinion, has a very poor quality of life. It’s really sad to see a dog that used to be healthy and active turn into a “couch potato”.
If you elect not to have the surgery, you should REALLY make sure you watch the dogs weight. The less weight they have on the joint the better.