Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am new to the area and have a larger breed dog who has been diagnosed with ACL damage. Only testing so far was Xrays but surgery is suggested. Has anyone in the area had any experience with this type of surgery and who would be recommended to do it. As always, thanks!
I'd question your vet how acl damage can be a diagnosis just from an xray. Xrays show bone. ACL is a ligament. I'd be weary of your vet being so quick to suggest surgery. ACL damage can be repaired without surgery. A minimum of 8 weeks of indoor restriction, no outside playtime, leashed potty times, slow walking only, and no going up stairs (going down is fine). It does require devotion and time from the pet owner, unfortunately something a lot of owners aren't willing to give. For a large-breed dog I'd expect 12-15 week recovery with a slow introduction to outside time.
Agree with the above. We had a dog with a torn ACL and were told surgery was a last resort because there was a very good chance it would tear again after the surgery.
I think they have to do a "drawer test," which is a physical manipulation, to determine conclusively whether there is a tear, but I'm not positive.
Our large breed dog had two tears that were repaired last summer. For the larger dogs, I think TPLO is generally the recommended procedure. We got quotes from a couple of places, discussed treatment plans, etc. We ultimately went with VSH, because that's who our rehab vet recommended. We knew that the surgeon and the rehab vet had a good working relationship and that the surgeon was supportive of various therapies during recovery (which, I believe, really help with recovery.)
We also got a quote from another highly recommended surgeon at VSRP.
Feel free to PM me for details.
Edited: Between starting this post and posting it, others have replied. I wanted to add that we tried to avoid surgery and did extensive therapies for a year. We did all the restrictions, etc. It's possible that you can avoid surgery if the tear is not complete, as our dog's were, but you could still end up needing to do the surgery. My vet says these tears often just happen over time, through routine activities, like walking. It's a tough call, whether to go straight to surgery. Our rehab vet says it's harder to avoid it in the larger dogs. Your vet may also be able to tell you whether the angle of your dog's knees indicate a likelihood of the tear worsening.
If you can, go see Dr. Gallagher at Quartet Animal Hospital. One of my pack is having a CCL tear repaired next month (TPLO). So far he has been wonderful and very thorough in making sure my pup didn't have anything else going on before his surgery (he did, he found a heart issue). He came HIGHLY recommended to me.
Large breed dogs will need to have the surgery. Smaller ones may not. After several weeks and on pain killers my 50 lb dog would scream when you touched her leg and refused to use it.
You're looking at $3k-$4k to do it the better way, there is a less expensive procedure but if your dog is over 50-60 lbs it's not really a fix.
No experience personally but I used to be on a Labrador Retriever forum and so many owners had it done.
Everyone recommended a 2nd opinion before deciding. One thing they mentioned too was the likelihood that the opposite leg would also need surgery afterwards because they will wind up putting more weight on it during recovery.
Depending on the size of the dog, I'd definitely try to slim the dog down as much as possible regardless of what you decide. I knew one of my Labs had worsening arthritis and the potential for problematic hips so we kept her slightly lower than the recommended weight, with the blessing of our vet.
Last year, end of February, my 5 year old 73lb Labrador Had TPLO Surgery. Dr. Bud Keller from Quartet Vetinary Hospital -Surgery performed the surgery. My dog had a partial CCL tear of her Left Hind Knee. The surgery and recovery could not have gone better.
I tried the conservative treatment (basically restrict her movements) for a few months hoping it would heal itself. Every morning she would struggle to get out of her bed and walk on three legs until she limbered up a bit.
The only problem I had was getting my dog to take her medications.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
