10/31/2026
Our Sweet Koda.
We are looking for anyone who has had experience with a large dog with a torn ACL/CCL. Last week we went to pick up our two huskies, Koda and Kuva, from their day home to take them home with us for the night. Koda is 8 years old now and big for a female Husky at 76lbs and pulls like an Ox, we were taking them from the lot to the Tahoe as we have done for many years and Koda was wide open and tried to jump in too soon and didn't make it all the way in causing her to hit her right hind leg on the bottom of the door opening.
She whimpered and was holding her leg up while we were driving home. Regina and I picked her up to get her out and let them both go potty before going upstairs. She hopped on her 3 legs and we thought she might have pulled a muscle or sprained it. We carried her up 29 steps to get upstairs for the night. The next morning, she was still favoring it, so we called and made a Vet appointment to get her checked out.
We carried her back down the 29 stairs and loaded her up in the
Tahoe to go to the vet. They looked her over and said she probably sprained it, said to do x rays and a more better exam they would have to sedate her. They said to just watch her and gave us some pain meds and something for the inflammation, if she didn't show improvement in a week to bring her back and they would sedate her to do an exam with x rays and possible MRI.
During this past week we carried her up and down the stairs when taking her outside or to day home lot, she started putting a little weight on it but wasn't walking right and sometimes hopped like a bunny. So yesterday she called another vet, that we originally wanted to take her to, but she was off for a few days last week when we took her to the other vet.
We arrived at the vet and waited our turn to see the Dr. Tthey came in and got her to take her back to examine her but came back a few minutes later and said she wouldn't let her touch her leg or behind area and they would have to sedate her for x rays and the exam.
We told her to go ahead, patiently and nervously waited for an hour outside with our other husky Kuva. When she came out and told us she has a torn ACL/CCL in her right leg. She was in pain and the best option was surgery for repair. Surgery was the best option for her because of her size and the possible atrophy of muscle if not repaired. This can possibly have and effect on her other leg as well, so if we had the budget for surgery, that would be the best.
Our dogs Koda and Kuva are like our kids, we love them both dearly, they are our family and we will do what is necessary to make sure they are happy and healthy. The vet said she knew a surgeon that she would recommend that was specializing in this kind of surgery so she called her to see how soon we can get her in for the surgery. They are so booked up that they can't even get her in until mid-November and that they would call us when they can get the surgery scheduled. The vet gave us some meds, something for the inflammation and got Koda up to date on her vaccines before the surgery, she said in the meantime don't let her run or overdo it. Keeping a very active husky calm and inactive is no easy task.
My question, has anyone with big dogs with a torn ACL/CCL used the braces for one leg or both, if so how did they work? If your dog had to have surgery, what did you do pre and post op? After the surgery, how is your dog doing now?
Thanks
Jon and Gina
