Dog ACL Surgery Recovery Timeline, Tips, and Advice
Hi everyone! Today I’m sharing everything about the process of my dog Ruby’s ACL surgery and recovery - from the timeline to tips and tricks as well as where we had the surgery done. While I’ve grown up with dogs and have lots of friends with dogs, this ACL surgery was a new experience and there was a lot to learn. It was not as overwhelming or scary as I thought it would be, so I wanted to compile all of the details of our experience in case anyone is going through something similar. My vet (and his team) is the absolute best and I’m always able to call with any question I have, but I know that sometimes things pop up overnight or on the weekends when the offices are closed, so I hope this helps anyone going through something similar with their beloved pup!
Please note - I am not a vet, so make sure to consult your vet for their expertise. This is just me sharing my experience as a pet owner, but your vet will have more specialized knowledge and advice based on your pet and their history.
Another note that might make this post a little confusing - our vet does not perform surgery. He has a specialized surgeon come in and do the procedures in his office. I never met the surgeon, just a brief phone call after the surgery. My dog was seen by the vet (and the vet tech) for all follow-up appointments. I did not have a problem with this as I trust my vet with everything, and my vet was still able to monitor Ruby’s progress without any issue.
how to know if your dog tore their ACL
I’ve seen my dog limp before, and having active dogs, it’s not entirely uncommon. Our property has stairs, mulch, and tons of room to run. Like humans, sometimes dogs tweak something but usually turn back to walking the next day (or shortly thereafter). My dog Ruby was playing in the yard with her brother and came back in limping. She was relatively quiet that evening, still jumping off the couch but continued to limp. I looked her over to make sure there wasn’t anything stuck in her paw, and she did not yelp, whimper, or move around during the check - that’s when I got a little feeling that it must’ve been her knee, even though she let us touch it, because she was eerily calm. I scheduled a next-available vet appointment (not emergency), and got her in within a week, where the vet did a physical exam. All signs pointed towards an ACL surgery, and she had another appointment scheduled for the following week so that they could do sedated x-rays. That’s when we got confirmation, and knew to schedule an ACL surgery.
how to prepare for a dog’s ACL surgery
These are a few things we did (and wish we did) to prepare Ruby for her ACL surgery:
Make sure your dog is crate-trained or used to sleeping on a bed that is ground-level.
Ruby has never liked the crate, and the vet wanted her to sleep in a bed the first few nights so that she would stay still in a more confined area. Ruby hated this, and it was hard to add something new on top of the surgery recovery the first few nights (especially since she also had to wear a cone).
Prior to surgery, Ruby spent her days sleeping on the couch and slept on a bean bag that’s about 18” above the ground at night (diva, I know). Neither were allowed post-op, so we had to transition her to a normal dog bed that was ground-level. I wish we had gotten her used to it prior to surgery.
Separate your dog from any other pets you have at night.
Ruby was used to sleeping with her brother, Charlie, and we couldn’t allow that post-op because we couldn’t risk Charlie licking her wound. Transitioning them to sleep separately was tough, and I wish we had done that prior to the extra-stress that surgery added on them (and us).
Add a note of questions onto your phone.
I had tons of random questions pop up, and instead of calling the vet each time, I made a list. I’ve added most of the answers to my questions in this blog post in case you have similar ones, but definitely keep a running note that you can reference at your pre-op appointment.
dog ACL surgery and recovery timeline
Ruby tore her ACL on May 28.
She had her first vet appointment on June 13 (soonest available), and then had the sedated x-ray appointment where the ACL tear was confirmed on June 19.
Because Ruby continued to limp and our vet couldn’t get her in until June 13, I scheduled a check with a random vet just to make sure there weren’t any emergencies. This vet basically agreed that we should see our original vet, so this appointment was kind of a waste.
Day of surgery: Friday, July 19
I’ve been told there is a 2-3 month wait for ACL surgery, but fortunately our vet had an earlier opening. I was a little nervous to have the surgery on a Friday since our vet is closed on the weekends, but we were given the vet and surgeon’s number in case we needed to check in.
If you work, I would recommend scheduling the surgery for a Thursday or Friday, so you’re able to be home with your pet for the first few days post-op.
Ten-day mark: July 29
I note this day because it’s when we stopped giving Ruby pain medicine as directed by the vet. She went from receiving it 3x a day (morning, afternoon, and night with food) to twice a day at the six-day mark (July 25), and then we stopped entirely on July 29. She did not seem to be in any pain and we thought it was a smooth transition.
Two-week appointment: August 2
This was to have the staples removed and check on her initial progress. We met with the vet tech, not our vet for this appointment. We did not pay for it (included in the surgery cost), and it was a quick, 15-minute appointment.
Eight-week appointment and all-clear given: September 13
The first (and hopefully last) time Ruby saw the vet, not just the vet tech. He did a routine physical exam, gave her the all-clear to walk normally, jump on/ off the couch, and climb stairs. He let us know it might take some time for her full strength to return, or she might mentally “favor” limping for a little, but she was considered healthy and good to go eight-weeks post surgery.
how to help your dog after ACL surgery (tips)
night before surgery
The vet instructions were pretty standard - no food/ water after around 8pm. We stuck to our normal routine and went to bed around 10pm.
day of surgery
I dropped Ruby off at 9am, and she was out of surgery around 12. The surgeon called us to let me know everything went well, and to give us his number in case of anything came up.
Ruby stayed at the vet’s office for a few hours so that they could monitor her while the anesthesia wore off.
I picked her up around 4:30pm. The vet let us know that she might whimper/ cry a little, which is a normal response to the anesthesia - it doesn’t mean they’re in pain.
the night after surgery
Ruby was very quiet and slept for most of the afternoon/ evening once she got home. Charlie was cautious of her; he obviously wanted to sniff her but was gentle and knew something was off. Most of the time, Charlie always wants to cuddle her and be right next to her, but he gave her space.
I attempted to feed her that evening since it had been 24 hours since her last meal, but she wasn’t hungry. She was pretty out of it until the next day.
The vet injected her with an antibiotic, so the only medicine I had to give her was an anti-inflammatory and her pain medicine.
first week after surgery
Having your dog be crate-trained makes the first week easier, because you can put them in their crate safely and know they won’t wander off or try to jump on the couch. Because Ruby doesn’t like the crate, my family worked in “shifts” so she was never left unattended.
I let Ruby sit on the couch with me as long as she was right next to me, so there was zero chance of her jumping on/ off the couch.
Keep the cone on your dog. It helps the get used to it, especially since they need to wear it overnight. We did not take the cone off at all for the first two weeks.
Medicine-wise:
Ruby continued to take her anti-inflammatory 2x a day. She took her pain medicine 3x a day for the first six days, then 2x a day for days 6-10. The vet said she didn’t need it after day 10; that seemed early to me, but she did not seem to be in any pain or act differently throughout the weaning process.
The vet pre-portioned all of her medicine, since some pills had to be cut in half. I used a pill crusher and the put that in a little bit of peanut butter and Ruby took all her medicine easily.
Drinking water with the cone on was tricky for Ruby; I think it was the noise of the cone hitting the ground that was more startling than actually wearing the cone. I had a little syringe from the vet and fed her water through that.
Ruby’s energy was low and she was very quiet the first week. She did not seem to be in any pain and could limp around like she did before the surgery.
On day 7, Ruby was much more alert and showed that she kind of wanted to be more active. She wasn’t trying to run around, but did want to jump on/ off the couch, so keep an eye on that. Maybe it’s her just her diva nature, but she was not shy about letting me know when she didn’t want to walk anymore and wanted to be carried, even though her steps were very minimal.
second week after surgery
During the second week, Ruby seemed to get back to herself a lot more. She wasn’t the most energetic, but we had to spend more focus keeping her still, like if she heard someone getting a snack in the kitchen (usually she’d want to follow).
Her bathroom breaks were back to normal, and she was limping better (still no pressure on the leg), but preferred to be carried.
She started to stretch a little! I was worried this would cause her pain, but the vet said it was normal and a good sign.
Charlie was back to normal around her, and seemed much less fearful/ concerned. He was not afraid to play with his toy (Ruby isn’t a fan) or bark, whereas he seemed quieter and matched her mellow vibe during the first week.
Ruby stopped taking any pain medicine at the 10-day mark, as directed by the vet. She seemed fine and we didn’t notice any difference in her demeanor. She did not seem to be in any pain.
Ruby had her two-week appointment to get her staples out, and the vet tech recommended keeping the cone on for the rest of the night so she wouldn’t try to lick her wound.
After that night, we slowly started with less cone time, but this is optional. It’s easier on you as a pet owner to keep the cone on, because you don’t have to monitor your pet as closely, but I prioritized her comfort and slowly decreased cone-time.
There were a few times when Ruby tried to lick her wound, but nothing extreme and she stopped when told.
After her staples were removed, Ruby started sleeping with Charlie again, especially since Charlie never took an interest in her wound. This was great for their morale, and I think helped a lot with the mental side of her recovery.
weeks 3-8 after surgery
Ruby started to crave more outside time, but we had to be mindful of her shaved fur spot, which tends to get pink when she’s in the sun for too long.
Her appetite was back to normal, and she was back to asking for snacks.
She still needed to be kept still, and started to get used to the fact that she could not jump on/ off the couch.
She seemed more energetic, though, so she needed to be watched very carefully! If you don’t want to have to do this, keep your dog in a crate or on a traditional floor-level dog bed.
Everything seemed very normal, or at least how things were before her surgery. She still limped, but acted like her old self.
week 8 post-op and onwards
The vet gave Ruby the all-clear at her 8-week appointment, and today is one day shy of 16 weeks post-op. She still limps at times, but that’s mostly her muscle memory, not the pain. Her fur is still growing back, but is fully recovered and the surgery was a success.
tips for helping your dog heal after ACL surgery with other pets in the house
If your dogs all sleep together, get them used to sleeping separately. You don’t want one of the other dogs to try to lick the wound, so it’s best to separate them at night.
Try to keep them separate during the day, too. Ruby didn’t want Charlie to accidentally bump her cone, and she wanted to “keep up” with Charlie as he jumped on/ off the couch or walked around. When we kept them separate, Charlie got to do his own thing and Ruby was able to focus on resting rather than what he was doing.
Try to make time to give your other dogs attention! It’s kind of like bringing a baby home, and you don’t want your toddler to feel left out. Try to stick to the other dogs’ normal schedule, including walk time.
My mom helped watch Ruby for an hour in the morning and evenings so I could get one-on-one time with Charlie, which was really important for both of us.
You’ll also need to monitor the other dogs more closely when your dog gets their staples removed. Fortunately, Charlie didn’t take an interest in her wound, so we were able to give them more together time, but you’ll need to keep your dogs separate if they try to lick or bother the wound.
dog ACL surgery and recovery FAQs
how much is ACL surgery for a small dog?
The random vet I mentioned earlier that Ruby saw once said ACL surgery for a small dog would cost “at least $5,000 but probably more if you want it done right.” This floored me, and in all honesty, was just a red-flag that this vet was sketchy.
Our vet quoted us at around $3,000. The surgery ended up being $2,544 which included everything - medicine, anesthesia, the cone, etc. There was no charge for either follow-up visit.
how long until my dog can walk again after ACL surgery?
Ruby was allowed very short walks to go to the bathroom the day after surgery (still limping, of course). We really wanted her to rest, so we erred on the side of caution with this and kept her walks very minimal, mostly carrying her and having her walk just a few steps. The vet wanted us to still keep her relatively still at the 2-week mark, but said she could walk normally without restriction at the 8-week mark.
my dog jumped off the couch after ACL surgery - help!
The #1 rule the vet gave us was not to let Ruby jump off the couch… and she did the day we brought her home. I panicked and thought it would immediately undo the repair. She ended up being fine, so if it happened once, your dog will probably be okay, too, but if your dog appears to be in any discomfort or pain, call your vet.
when can my dog climb stairs after ACL surgery?
Our vet gave Ruby the all-clear to climb stairs at the 8-week mark. She’s a little slower climbing up and down (still regaining strength and learning to trust her knee again), but is not in any pain and fully capable.
how to lift a small dog after ACL surgery
The vet will show you; it’s easy. If your dog is standing on the floor, bend down and scoop your arm underneath them (through the middle) and then rise up. You don’t want to push their back legs together, so your arm will go in-between them. Hold your dog pretty flat (horizontal) rather than lifting their chest, as that can also increase pressure on their back legs, which you don’t want.
how long for fur to grow back after ACL surgery?
It’s been sixteen week (one day shy, technically) since Ruby’s surgery and the fur is still growing back. You can definitely tell she has been shaved, but the fur is slowly growing back. It has taken more time than we thought it would, but the vet said it’s normal.
best dog acl surgeon in the inland empire, california
This won’t apply to everyone, but if you’re anywhere near the Inland Empire region in southern California, I highly, highly recommend Dr. Costuma at Ark Animal Hospital in Murrieta, California. I no longer live in the area, but still travel 30-45 minutes to have all of my pets seen by him and it’s 100% worth it. He is the absolute best and most accurate, and my pets love him. He does not up-charge you at all; in fact, he tries to save us money by having us get prescriptions at Chewy and always tries a low-cost (yet still effective) option for treating our pets rather than recommend surgery or something drastic right away. As I mentioned earlier, he himself did not perform the surgery, but the surgeon he brought in to repair Ruby’s ACL did an amazing job. Another vet in the area had quoted us about $2,000 higher than what Dr. Costuma did (and what we ended up paying was $500 less than that), so if your dog needs any care and you’re nearby, this is the place to go.