TPLO is scheduled but....

[rawnzgrl]

OKay so I haven't posted on her for a long time but I have been reading and have found that this cruciate ligament tearing is common in our wonderful breed. About a week ago, my Katy girl was running at the park and she came back limping. By the following day, she was basically dangling her back leg and hopping on other three legs. We took her to vet early that morning thinking it must be broken. The vet told us she had torn her ligament and would need surgery. We have the TPLO sceduled for January 4th... Because of the holidays, earliest I could get her in. She has been on Medicam since last Sunday. This is an anti-inflamatory I guess.
Well geez there are days that you wouldn't even think that anything is wrong with her? This is a ton of money to spend, and as far as I am concerned she is worth every penny but people around me think I'm nuts to get this surgery on a dog that isn't even limping????!!!
She seems to be healing... and I know that it is very unlikely that a torn cruciate will heal in a large dog, but she is otherwise very healthy and lean... She is only about 75 pounds and is a very small rottie... Is it possible that it is healing??? Where I am this surgery will cost about $4000 cdn. which is just under $3500 USD. (this price includes the consultations, follow ups etc.)
What do others think?

[Skip]

The pills might be masking the pain.

[RottsNScotts]

Are you keeping her on leash and limiting her activity until surgery?
given that the meds are probably masking the pain, she is likely making the tear worse if she is free exercising. There is no way to explain to her to take it easy.

[frontierrots]

cut her meds by 1/2 at least. If she's not a tad bit uncomfortable she's going to just act normal and that's really bad for the knee

[rottcrazed]

Hi!

If you are truly questioning your decision, get a second opinion. That way you will not second guess yourself down the road. Metacam is a good strong drug, and will most definitely mask the pain for this stoic breed.

If a dog has only partially torn their ACL, they can weight bare if they are so inclined, and by letting her play on it, she will eventually fully tear it; it is only a matter of time. Same surgery to repair a full tear, but why allow it to fully tear if you don't need to?

I can recommend to you a vet clinic that I am happy with all around, and who did the surgery on a friend's Rottweiler not long ago. He apparently has excellent bedside manner where I have heard a few vets who are doing the surgery do not.

Also, if you are going to be spending that much money, you want to know the doc really knows what they are doing, and have done the surgery many times before (the vet I am thinking of has done it and really does know what he is doing).

There is also a facility here that offers hydrotherapy, which I highly recommend for your girl to help with the recovery process. My friend actually does the 'swimming', she is trained to do so (and owns Rottweilers), and my old man LOVES it in light of his back issues.

PM me if you wish for further info as I don't want to put more info on the site than I am allowed to do!

Kristi

[fbkeays]

My own girl blew her cruciate. A year later her cousin also blew his cruiate. The difference was that I saw Misty's when it went. She was doing a recall. I heard a pop. She yelped and went three legged. I immediately knew what had happened in my gut. Went to a local vet to get the referral to the specialist vet.
At the specialist vet, before the vet actually examined Misty, just me talking to the vet and Misty bouncing off the exam room walls, jumping up and touching my hands (I was talking with my hands and had recently taught her "touch") and she was jumping up and down off the bench.
The vet told me that based on Misty's behavior in the exam room that there is no way she has a torn, much less, blown cruciate. I was not medicating her beyond asprin. She performed the drawer test. There was no doubts then. The vet actually gasped when the test was positive and Misty was not sedated either at the time.
Misty's cousin, Boris just had this ever so slight hitch. Sometimes it was noticable and sometimes it wasn't. My friend's husband wouldn't pay for a vet visit (she was a stay at home mom and he controlled the $$). My friend did take him to the vet for the dx. Finally hubby relented when he found out that my husband had no problem with the repair cost. She also told him that if he wasn't willing to pay for the repair, then the only humane thing to do was to amputate the leg.
So just because you dog isn't completely three legged 100% of the time doesn't mean that there is nothing wrong. Look at her while she is just standing, being bored- ie, relaxed and not focused on anything. You will see her "toe touching" the ground. She will not be putting her full weight on it.
Good luck with her recovery and you are not nuts for spending that kind of money on a dog.

[Ilovemypuppy]

FYI...

http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/ccl/symptoms.shtml

http://homepage.mac.com/majoie/Conse...ersonal54.html

[Sharon Marples]

Originally Posted by rawnzgrl

Where I am this surgery will cost about $4000 cdn. which is just under $3500 USD. (this price includes the consultations, follow ups etc.)
What do others think?

Oh gosh, check around. I had a TPLO done in Spokane, WA for only $1700 (US)! Your pricing seems way high! Maybe check for some other orthopaedic surgeons in your area so you have something to compare to.

And I agree with the others, the meds are more than likely masking her pain. And if it is partially torn, it will never heal. Best to have the surgery done.

[BostonRott]

I paid $2500 for my TPLO. The dog was not limping, the vet tech had to ask me which leg and then double check the chart, the day of the surgery b/c you couldn't tell.....and she wasn't on ANY pain meds. Not one grain.

I had the TPLO done b/c my dog is EXTREMELY active and needs to be so in order to be happy. A traditional repair or no repair would not have let her lead the life she wants to live. That said, she's now competing in agility again and doing a bang up job.

[SABELLESMOM]

You are most certainly not nuts to spend the money. Your friends are well meaning, I'm sure, but they are not vets. TPLO's work well with the larger breed dogs. I've known a few who've had it done and no one has regretted it yet.

Our Cocker, being a substantially smaller breed was able to get away with the standard ACL repair...a bit less involved and less expensive...he was 11 at the time. He runs around like he's 2! And he's nearly 13 (Feb).

Good luck with the surgery!

[Mavides]

Originally Posted by BostonRott

I paid $2500 for my TPLO. The dog was not limping, the vet tech had to ask me which leg and then double check the chart, the day of the surgery b/c you couldn't tell.....and she wasn't on ANY pain meds. Not one grain.

I had the TPLO done b/c my dog is EXTREMELY active and needs to be so in order to be happy. A traditional repair or no repair would not have let her lead the life she wants to live. That said, she's now competing in agility again and doing a bang up job.

Ditto for Legend on all of this!! We had our one year post-op anniversary on December 9th and you'd never guess he had anything done. Worth every penny in my opinion!!!! Best of luck with yours!

[Nitro&Bailey]

Our male has had both done within one year of ecah procedure. I believe it is the only way to go for large dogs especially. The rehab is as crucial as the procedure if you wish the very best outcome.

[Iron Mike]

Our last Rotti blew his out at 6 months old and the surgury went off without a hitch but I paid no where near what you are being quoted. If I recall it was in the neighborhood of $1200 including all of the follow up pain meds.

Best of luck.

[frontierrots]

Originally Posted by Iron Mike

Our last Rotti blew his out at 6 months old and the surgury went off without a hitch but I paid no where near what you are being quoted. If I recall it was in the neighborhood of $1200 including all of the follow up pain meds.

Best of luck.

That sounds like the high end price for a traditional repair. These folks here are talking about a different procedure where the bone is cut and a plate put in and that is MUCH more expensive but also more durable

[rawnzgrl]

she is having the surgery where her bone is being cut...