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A week ago my 3 year old Labrador mix popped his ACL (CCL) running around in the fenced yard. I did not see what happened to him, I underestimated his ingenuity and he was able to escape from the kennel. When I saw that he had escaped, I immediately called him over and noticed he wouldn't put any weight on his back right paw. A few days later we took him to the vet and she suspects a CCL tear. She wasn't able to do the drawer sign (whatever that is) because of the pain my dog was in, but she's pretty confident of her diagnosis. We left with anti-inflammatory meds while we weigh in our options. No surgery: really only done with small dogs, on bigger ones they'll develop arthritis and be in pain. Over 10 years, the cost of the injections and medication will come out at ~ $2000 CAD. FLO surgery: most common technique (from what I gather) but also the weakest one. Pain could be an issue over time. ~ $2200 CAD. TTA surgery: very good technique, unlikely to give over time, unlikely to leave the dog in pain over time. ~ $3200 CAD. TPLO surgery: the best technique and the best results. ~ $4000 CAD. Modified FLO/Tightrope surgery: new technique (I think) similar to TTA surgery but no official consensus on which of the two is better. ~ $3300 CAD. All the prices include x-rays, medication, rehab, etc. Does anyone have any experience with either of these procedures? If we go forward with the surgery, we'll be terrified he'll tear his other CCL (which is apparently quite common) because it will no doubt suck for him AND it will cost us another 2-4k.  I'm afraid that means his days of running around like a maniac are over. With that in mind, I'm thinking of going with the cheapest (FLO) surgery, unless it's somehow terrible and way, way worse than the TTA surgery. It makes me feel like poo poo to think I'm trying to save money over his well-being, but we've already paid for a $2000 surgery because he had swallowed a toy and we've been paying $50/mo for his anti-anxiety meds. I know it sucks to tally how much money you've spent on a pet... but when else do you stop? It has been a lovely loving week and we don't know what to do now. There's also one last option on the table but I can't even think about that right now. What do you guys think?
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Sep 24, 2016 19:12
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 15:48 |
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Here he is:
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Sep 24, 2016 19:12
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Pet insurance? I spent $6500 USD on my dog's pelvis repair and it was worth it because she's pretty cool. I didn't have insurance so I'm making payments. But if you're worried about him needing surgery again insurance would be a good investment.
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Oct 3, 2016 08:54
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I know this is over a week old now, but just in case you are still looking for advice... I am not a vet, but I was a surgical assistant for a veterinary surgical practice for many years. I've assisted on hundreds, if not close to a thousand TPLOs and have seen nearly all of those through their initial evals to their 8 week follow up x-rays. These have been my observations, so take them however you will: -Labs are extremely prone to CrCL tears, so don't beat yourself up too bad if you're feeling any guilt about him getting injured. -If the vet's not getting drawer, there's a pretty good chance that it's still just a partial tear. You may be able to manage it medically for a while with drugs and rest, but there's a high probability that it will fully tear at some point (at which you will have to do something about it.) -If you're choosing the surgical option, I would steer clear of the tightrope and FLO for such a large and energetic dog. TPLOs and TTAs have very high success rate in terms of minimal complications and return to normal activity. We did only TPLOs (and the occasional tightrope if it was a very small dog), mostly because the TTA has more stringent requirements for candidates, but if your dog meets the requirements, it's a good option as well, especially if it's cheaper. -Keep in mind that the risk of the other side tearing is always going to be there whether you do surgery on the right side or not. As he learns to rely more on his left leg for weight bearing, that puts more strain on that knee, and if his joint is already compromised either because of conformation or a minor injury that hasn't presented itself yet, it may cause that side to tear, too. All that said, if I were in your shoes and knowing what I know from my work experience, I would do the TPLO or TTA, and do it soon. I know it's hard justifying spending the extra money on a more expensive procedure, but if you have complications (which there's always a chance of, but way more so with the cheaper options), you could end up spending way more than the cost of going with the TPLO/TTA in the first place. Trust me, it will be money well spent and he'll be back to his normal antics before you know it. If the left side tears before the right side is fixed, then you have a large dog with bilateral CrCL tears who may or may not be able to walk unassisted, and trust me, that is NOT fun to deal with. pastor of muppets fucked around with this message at 17:14 on Oct 3, 2016 |
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Oct 3, 2016 17:10
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