What If I Can Not Afford CCL Surgery?
Not all owners can afford the expensive surgery that cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) repair surgery typically requires. There is quite a range in prices depending on what procedure is recommended by your veterinarian for your dog’s knee repair. For example, a traditional repair can cost anywhere from $700-$1500, whereas a TPLO is usually in the $1700-$3000 range. If proceeding with surgical correction for your dog is just not an option, be aware that there are conservative management techniques that will assist your dog in recovering from cranial cruciate ligament damage.
Weight loss, arthritis medications and nutraceuticals (glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate) can have a significant, positive impact on your canine’s comfort level. Though in general this “conservative” approach is considered much less effective than surgical intervention, it does provide owners who can’t afford this surgery the opportunity to take responsible action. In fact, for most bigger patients, it seems that weight loss plays a major role in the recovery process for both dogs going through CM (conservative management) and those that have undergone traditional, extracapsular imbrication repairs.
Is there any way to finance my dog’s surgery?
Remember, there are many dogs that do well with just conservative management, and the smaller your dog, the more likely it is that they will have a successful recovery with CM in lieu of surgery. CM is not just a second resort for people unable to afford surgery, there are many owners that are unwilling or unable to put their dog through surgery, and they have recovered quite nicely with the use of CM alone. No surgical procedure will ever bring your dog’s leg function back to 100%, or pre-injury levels, so as long as your dog is healthy, happy and comfortable, you are making the right choice as an owner.
Share This May 31, 2008 | | Financing, Surgical Procedures, Conservative Management, Surgical Options
June 9th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Hi,
I just found out my dog ruptured her ligament and her knee can move 1 inch. It sounds serious, and while surgery is expensive, our concern is her age. She is a 50lb, beagle/basset/chow mix, and she is 12 years old. She is healthy and active, except for some growths on her ear and abdomen. Would you recommend going through with surgery for her age? I heard the success rate is small for old dogs and the other leg often goes gets CCL as well.
How likely do you think she will recover WITHOUT surgery? Our vet said 80-90%, but your site is saying 20% for dogs over 30lbs, which is concerning me. Which option would you do if you were the owner? I’ve bought hip/joint pills, padded our kitchen floor, and she’s taking anti-inflammatory pills. Is there anything else I can do to help her while we decide?
I’m completely devasted and feel terrible about her leg. She loved taking walks, and that has been deeply restricted. Thank you for your help. Hope to hear from you soon.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Hi Kim,
First, let me say I am very sorry to hear about your dog’s injury. These types of injuries can be tough, and while I am no veterinary professional, I personally feel that every dog should have a chance to heal with conservative management before going through with surgery. It seems like you are on the right track with moving forward in CM, the only thing I would suggest is that she is completely quiet during this time - only outside on a lead to relieve herself, and absolutely no steps. Really try to pay attention to the way she is feeling, and if she seems to be comfortable, I would keep at CM for a few months to see how the ligament is healing. I know how torturous this process can be, but CM does work, you just need to hang in there and be strong. Hopefully some other owners can share their experiences with CM with you on here, and be sure to keep us updated and let us know how your dog is progressing.
All the best!
July 7th, 2008 at 6:42 am
We have a 9 year-old female pit bull who ruptured her cruciate this past winter. We’ve been doing CM and it’s been working pretty well to keep her pain down and still maintain a good quality of life. After almost 4 months of rest (which was torture for her!) we’ve been taking her swimming in the local river. About 30-45 minutes of solid swimming (I wade in so she’s not running up on the bank) seems to be a good amount about 3 times a week. That night I ice, stretch, and lightly massage her knee/leg and we let her rest the following day. It’s been great to get her muscle tone back in her leg and to allow her some physical activity that’s not putting a lot of stress on her knee.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Pitbull Rescue helped us out. They were only able to put in $150, but I was thankful for that. (there site is pbrc.net)
The estimate for our pitbull’s TPLO was $2800-3200. The total: $2238. We saved our stimulus check for the bulk of this. We got a credit card with a 6mo 0% rate for the rest.
November 5th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
hello, i am very interested in any opinions concerning our 6 year old black labrador retriever. Last week he jumped into our pool and came out holding up his right leg. we took him to the vet and they are saying he needs the TPLO surgery. he weighs about 77lbs and is in very good health otherwise. He does seem to be in pain and is a very active dog. I just cannot decide on what to do, and im afaid if we try the cm and wait, he may even end up worse off, plaease help!!
November 7th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Hi. I have a 6 year old brindle boxer who tore his cruciate ligament about 2 1/2 months ago. He was playing in the backyard with 2 other dogs. When I got home, he was holding his leg up and would not put it down. At first, I thought he had just pulled a muscle, but I soon learned he tore his Cruciate. I took him to the specialist, but the surgery is $3000 dollars and recovery sounds like a nightmare. I am concerned because he is 6 years old and I don’t like the idea of a lengthy recovery or the thought of so many pain meds. I have been keeping him inside and off his leg as much as possible for about 6 weeks. He is doing much better, but I know he will just re-injure if we go to the dog park, or if I let him run and play like he wants to. I am not sure what the best option is, I just want him to enjoy life like he did before the injury. Any suggestions??