Cranial cruciate repair surgery is an expensive proposition for all dog owners. Regardless of the procedure chosen – TPLO, TTA, or traditional extracapsular repair – dog owners can expect to spend anywhere from $1000 to above $5000 to have their pet’s knee repair performed by a licensed veterinarian. While there are not an abundance of financial assistance options for owners needing to push ahead with CCL surgery for their dog, there are a few organizations and financing companies that understand the type of burden CCL repair surgery can put on a budget and are willing to offer their help. Below are short descriptions and links to the companies I know about that may be able to offer assistance, if anyone else knows of other sites/groups please post a comment so I may add it to the list.

Below is a list of financial help resources for dogs facing illness, disease, surgery or a life threatening emergency. Click on the underlined titles to be taken to the rescue and/or financial assistance website.

For Cruciate (CCL or ACL) Liament Injury Specific Financial Assistance Information Visit Our Page – What If I Can Not Afford CCL Surgery?

General

Care Credit – This is the most readily available and easiest to obtain of all the financing options for CCL repair surgery. They offer a full range of payment plans with low/no interest for a set period, which depends on the agreement CareCredit has with your veterinarian’s office.

Good Sam Fund (DISCONTINUED) – Good SAM (Special Assistance and Memorial Fund) was established to create financial aid for sick or injured animals who either are stray or client-owned animals in special circumstances. The fund is supported entirely by outside donations and your pet must meet one part of their criteria to be considered for financial assistance.

IMOM – IMOM is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 charity that receives all its money used to help animals from outside donations. The organization was founded in 1998 and since then they have raised over $1,000,000 and saved the lives of over 1,470 companion animals.  This is for animals facing life threatening emergencies.

The Pet Fund – The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c) 3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need veterinary care. Their mission is to help companion animal owners to avoid the difficult decision to put an animal down or neglect medical needs because of the costs involved.

United Animal Nations – Founded in 1987, United Animal Nations (UAN) is North America’s leading provider of emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services and a key advocate for the critical needs of animals. The RedRover Relief Grants (formerly the LifeLine Grant Program) offered by the UAN provides funding to Good Samaritans, animal rescuers, non-profit organizations and pet owners to help them care for animals in life-threatening situations.

AAHA – AAHA Helping Pets Fund works with selected veterinary practices to help owners facing financial hardship.  If your pet is a patient at an AAHA-affiliated location, your vet can recommend for you to be part of this program, and you may receive assistance from their emergency and non-elective fund programs if you qualify.

Help A Pet – HELP-A-PET is a nonprofit which provides financial aid to the following types of pet owners:  physically and mentally challenged individuals, senior citizens and children of the working poor.   They assist in paying for the medical care of pets for owners are unable to afford the expense.

Ashley’s Angel Fund – Pet assistance for North Carolina pet owners whose pets are facing a life-threatening condition, and demonstrate an inability to pay for their pet’s treatment.

NY Save – SAVE: Save Animals in Veterinary Emergency.  Program for New York City pet owners whose pets are facing a life threatening medical emergency.  The SAVE program allows owners to take their dog to receive emergency treatment, regardless of ability to pay.

The Mosby Foundation – Virginia based pet assistance program to assist in the care of sick, injured, abused, and neglected dogs through financial support and public education.

Brown Dog Foundation, Inc. – Assistance for pet owners facing financial crisis for their dog facing a life-threatening, but treatable, condition.

Breed Specific

Pit Bull Rescue Central – Financial aid resources for Pit Bull and Pitbull mix owners facing expensive veterinary treatments and evidence of hardship to pay.

Westie Med Inc. – Entirely volunteer run, non profit organization focusing on providing financial aid to injured or ill rescue Wesites.

Labrador Life Line - This assistance program is specifically for purebred labs, and their financial assistance includes, but is not limited to, covering various medical costs (surgery, treatment, medication) and help to cover rescue or transportation expenses.

Corgi Aid – Financial resource for Welsh Corgi owners facing financial difficulty paying for the treatment, surgery or care of their Corgi.

Special Needs Dobermans – Organization dedicated to assisting Doberman owners facing hardships and difficulty paying veterinary bills.

Dougal’s Fund (DISCONTINUED) – Westy and Corgi owners needing financial assistance and help to pay for their vet costs.  Their mission is to see to it that all Westies and Corgis get the medical care they need.

Labrador Harbor – To provide charitable funds to private citizens or non-profit rescue organizations that directly benefit the immediate physical well-being of Labrador Retrievers including medical intervention, surgery, after-care, hospitalization, rehabilitation, behavioral intervention, or other health related needs.

LABMED – Internet-based non-profit organization created to distribute financial aid and assistance to injured or ill rescues around the country, giving them a second chance at adoption and love from a permanent family.

Jake Brady Memorial Fund – Their goal is to provide funding for corrective, suitable, and life-saving medical treatment to companion animals of families in need, focusing on major incidents including: emergency treatment, surgery, x-rays, preventative therapy and room/board.

Pyramedic Trust – The misson of the Pyramedic Trust (PaT) is to provide financial help for Great Pyrenees’ owners/rescuers whose Pyrs are in need of emergency medical care.

Illness or Treatment Specific

Cancer

Canine Cancer Awareness – Canine Cancer Awareness, Inc. provides assistance to veterinarians providing care for dogs with cancer whose families cannot afford treatment.

Cody’s Club – Cody’s Club provides financial support owners with dogs needing to undergo radiation treatments on a limited income. Cody’s Club also offers emotional support services in the form of a hotline and in-person group that meets monthly.

The Magic Bullet Fund – The Magic Bullet Fund helps people who do not have financial resources to provide cancer treatment for their best friend. The focus of The Magic Bullet Fund is on sparing or prolonging the life of a beloved companion.

Diabetes

Diabetic Pets Fund (Still Operating, but not currently accepting any applications.) – The Diabetic Pets Fund is solely to help diabetic pets in need by providing owners with financial hardship with necessary supplies and veterinary consultations to keep their diabetic pets healthy.

For Working and Service Dogs

Land of Pure Gold – The Land of Pure Gold is a nonprofit organization providing treatment grants to working dogs diagnosed with cancer. They also fund research in comparative oncology.

Assistance Dog Special Allowance Program – This fund is available only for California residents. The Assistance Dog Special Allowance Program provides a monthly payment of $50 to service dog owners who use a guide, signal, or service dog to help them with needs related to their physical disabilities. The allowance is to help pay the costs of food, grooming, and health care for the dogs.

Create Your Own Fundraiser

Give Forward – GiveForward allows you to set up your own personalized fundraising page to share with friends/family to enable them to send encouraging words and financial assistance to those in need during times of medical crisis.

For Additional Information Visit the Humane Society Website for a State by State listing of financial aid available for your pet.

Financial Assistance for Dogs Needing Surgery is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information

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 and where you live. For example, a traditional repair can cost anywhere from $1000-2000+, whereas a TPLO surgery usually begins in the $2000 range.

There are some organizations that offer to provide financial assistance for dogs needing cruciate ligament repair, and they are mentioned below. Also, there are a variety of other, more creative options for financing CCL ligament repair surgery including holding your own fundraisers, negotiating with your veterinarian or choosing the (typically) lower cost services of a veterinary university hospital.

If proceeding with surgical correction for your dog is not an option, be aware that there are conservative management techniques that will assist your dog in recovering from cranial cruciate ligament damage.

Is there any way to finance my dog’s surgery?

Negotiate with Your Vet and/or Veterinary Clinic

Veterinary offices do not typically advertise the availability of payment plans. This is usually true because they are willing to work with clients on a case-by-case basis depending on your history with their clinic and financial need/life circumstances. If you have an established history at your veterinary office with past on-time payments, odds are that your veterinarian will be willing to work out a payment plan that will allow you to pay on a weekly or monthly schedule, negating the need to pay for the entire cost of surgical care upfront. Don’t expect to receive this same treatment as a new client at a new veterinary practice – in this economy not many clinics are willing to take the risk of an unpaid bill, especially for a procedure as costly as a cruciate ligament repair.

If a payment plan isn’t an option – try bartering! Does your veterinarian need assistance walking pets, filing charts or catching up on other tasks? If you offer your assistance you just may be surprised what could things may come.

Find a Lower Cost Veterinarian

There’s no harm in getting a second opinion, especially when faced with an expensive, time intensive procedure. Get a second opinion. Yes, you will need to pay a fee to be see initially by another veterinarian, but based on their surgical costs, you could end up saving in the end.

Costs for TPLO, TTA, TightRope and Traditional Extracapsular surgeries differ state-by-state and also depending on your region – whether you are located within a city center or more rural. Veterinarians in smaller towns tend to charge less as they have lower costs for overhead, i.e office space, advertising, etc.

Many veterinary schools offer low cost clinics and provide options for pet owners with limited incomes or financial hardship. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s website and has a list of veterinary schools by state.

Conservative Management Instead of Surgery

The use of Conservative Management is a topic which is covered extensively on this site. I have successfully rehabilitated my dog’s (Tucker) torn cruciate ligament using CM. There are also stories from many other owners who’ve had similar success without surgery.

Click Here to Read Conservative Management Success Stories

Weight loss, arthritis medications and nutraceutical supplementation (glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate) can have a significant, positive impact on your canine’s comfort level. Knee braces and harness devices can also prove useful as you undergo CM – after reading some of the stories on this site you will have a better idea of the items you may need and will be able to prepare adequately.

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.

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.

What If I Can Not Afford CCL Surgery? is a post from: Dog Knee and Leg Injury, Canine Cruciate Ligament Recovery, TPLO Surgery, CCL Injury Diagnosis, Dog Knee Brace Information