My 4 year old Japanese Akita has just been diagnosed with a cruciate ligament injury. After x-rays were taken it was decided by the vet that surgery was not necessary. My dog is now on anti inflammatories and a strict exercise regime. We have been told that it will take months of recovery but the vet is very vague when it comes to the long term prognosis. Does anyone else have any information on this condition and its long term effects????

Hi Angela I have Labs & a few yrs they got in the chicken run & went charging around & 1 ended up with a partial tear. I was adviced to cage her with very strict instructions to keep her on lead when she went out to do her business. It took ages but it was worth it & she didn`t need surgery. Twice since then, when she has been going mad she has held her leg up but other than that she is now fine & has no problems so it worked for her.
Christine2

Hi Andrea - sorry to hear about your akita's injury. There's a Yahoo support group which deals with orthopaedic conditions but also has a lot of info on ligament problems. Let me know if you'd like more detail.
Joyce