MSM hasn't been clinically proven to help, but many people swear by it.

My Ana has terrible rear leg deformities, and I gave her adequan. She didn't improve until the 6th shot, and only a little bit. Of course she had her problem for 4 years before I started the shots. Maybe adequan does better if started immediately. My vet told me that if it didn't help after the first series that it wouldn't be worth continuing, so Ana isn't on it any more.

NSAIDs such as deramax, rimadyl, piroxicam, and others all have similar side effects in some dogs such as GI upset, gastric ulceration (rare but life threatening problem), and possible kidney damage. However monitoring for these problems with bloodwork prior to starting and on a regular basis afterwards may help see a potential problem before it gets serious. My own K'Ehleyr is on rimadyl and has been for year due to back problems. I get her labwork done every 6 months and she has been fine.

Another medication which is not an anti-inflammatory but is a pain reducer is Tramadol. It is a synthetic opioid and is not associated with any negative side effects except for sedation. This usually wears off after a couple of weeks of being on the medication. It works really well with an NSAID. Tramadol has a very wide margin of safety, so the dose can be increased without risk except for sedation. K'Ehleyr is on this along with the other meds.

Some other things that may help are Duralactin, which is a milk protein concentrate that has anti-inflammatory effects. I have Ana and K'Ehleyr both on it and it does seem to help them both. There are no known negative side effects with this supplement.

Omega 3 fatty acids such as salmon oil are associated with decreased joint pain in people. My girls are on salmon oil daily too.

Other treatments that may be beneficial are acupuncture, swimming, and physical therapy if these are available in your area.

The absolute most important thing for your dog is losing weight. Every single moment that she is on her feet and overweight, she is putting increased stress on her knee. She will feel a whole lot better, and reduce the risk of tearing the other ACL, if she loses weight.

Surgery can be really expensive. You may want to try looking around at different vets for the surgery though. The hospital where I am applying does the ACL surgery for a heck of a lot less money than the vet school or specialty hospital where many patients are referred. They find this hospital and are happy that they can do that for their dog.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck with your dog.

With a little more research I found WoundWear Inc. After speaking with Dr. Spatt I finally felt like we could get through this. He gave me positive information, incredible support all at which would not cost me an arm and a leg. Daveys brace was sent out immediately, it fit him perfect and I saw immediate results! 4 months later Davey could be a dog again, he was able to play with the other dogs, go swimming and go for walks. The joint was stablizing very well, all with the help of the A-Trace Dynamic Brace.

Unfortunately, Davey injured the other hind leg this summer. I immediately contacted Dr. Spatt who again was extremely supportive and was able to get the right leg brace sent out right away. Davey is now wearing a bi-lateral A-Trace Dynamic Brace and is doing very well. It has only been a week but already I am seeing improvements.

I know Davey is a very lucky dog to even be alive but because of Woundwear, he will be able to live a longer, happy life. I highly recommend this product for any dog with ACL injuries!

-Kelly B.