Thank you very much for your quick reply. Im taking Jack to the city for a 2nd opinion as soon as I can get an appt. His leg seemed good after no walking on Thurs, Fri and most of Sat then on Sat he hurt it again so Ive been carrying him everywhere since and it seems to be better again.

My 24yr old is profoundly disabled and I care for him 24/7 with no husband or other support so I dont know how Im going to do this physically or emotionally on my own The surgery and associated pain and the separation anxiety Jack experiences anyway without being away from me for a whole day or 2 (not sure) worry me terribly. at least the vet knows he suffers from separation anxiety and the reasons why.

The vet has given me no pain medication or anything nor told me to do anything at all about confining Jack or stopping him from walking (found out about that on the internet). She gave me antibiotic cream for his paw because it has a mild infection in it and he keeps licking it but thats it. She only said about the crate and restrictive movement if he has surgery

Thank you again for your help and I hope Lola stays healthy and well for you

Dale

My dog Lola tore her ACL at age 7 (still acting like a puppy now at age 9) and not overweight. I just posted on the website all my details – but we went with pain medication the first few weeks, plus Rimadyl and Glucosamine and within 4 months Lola was her old self. When she was 8 1/2 she either hurt it again jumping and spinning or it just started feeling “tricky”, making her favor that leg. We took her to a holistic medicine vet who did chiropractic adjustment and she is again just like new.

My neighbor across the street had a 9 yr. old lab who tore her ACL about the same time. She opted for non agressive care and “Bailey” recovered to normal in about 3-4 months, too. I know vets believe they are offering the best option, but there is a lot of research saying the surgeries are not the be all and end all. A friend whose dog had TPLO at age 2 had arthritis set in very quickly – he has never really been completely well since. Best wishes what ever you decide.

The vet told me this afternoon that Jack, my shihtzu needs the surgery done. She is ringing me back tomorrow to tell me the price and talk about it. I didn’t know what she was talking about but after being on the internet for the last hr I have more of an idea.

The vet kept him all day and Ive been worried sick because I didn’t know what was wrong with him. Now reading about the problem and surgeries I’m even more worried

I live in Victoria, Australia and I was wondering how do I find out what vet is experienced in the TTA method of surgery or any of the other surgeries.

My dog is 10yrs old and not overweight. He was very good for his age. Most people thought he was a puppy because he was so playful and active….not since this morning though and I dont even know how it happened.

I have 2 dogs with TTO’s. Believe me it has been a challenge. I put boxes on my couch so the wouldn’t jump up. I walked them one at a time… and believe me you do a lot of leashed walking. No leash free activities as it is so easy for them to forget themselves. A simple soft tissue injury can set them back 6-8 weeks in their recovery.

Raven is active but more sensible and reasonable. We did weekly cold laser treatments and an underwater treadmill at the PT center. Otherwise? We walked! And walked and walked! Somewhere around 4 months, she was approved for trotting. So we walked and trotted. At 6 months she can run. But it truly took that long. The swimming Bryan mentioned, is excellent. Any under water activity works so well. There is less stress and weight in the joint, while the water’s resistance makes the muscle work hard.

My boy Stetson is brilliant but far more impulsive, sustained some soft tissue injuries despite what I could do to prevent him from it. He was leashed or tethered when he sustained them and i was right there with him. A flood displaced woodchuck came under the fence and alongside my shed where he’d hoped to make a new, drier home. Tho tethered for a potty break,Stets went ballistic! It doesn’t take much! It set him back 8 weeks… no lie!

It IS all about the recovery, Susan. Do all you can to prevent the stairs before your dog is ready. Be vigilant about their attempts to play together. Keep the leash handy and do your leashed walks. You start out small. A few houses down is enough for a beginning then 5 minutes then 10. Take it slow and always cut back if there is lameness. Pain management is so important.

Stetson is on tramidol (pain) and meloxicam (inflamation) in part, due to his excapade with the woodchuck. He was unable to take either the Deramaxx or the Rimadyl due to stomach problems. His recovery will obviously take longer… 8 months instead of 6. Use a leash. Check your area for a PT center. If not, and many areas do not, walk, walk, walk… on lead. If you find a place to swim, all the better! Good luck!

TTA surgery is supposed to be the same price or less expensive than TPLO. maybe ur vet isnt experienced with TTA surgery and thats why he is offering TPLO at such a lower cost? If you want TTA, i would look at other vets.

The waiting is the hardest part. We are 6 weeks out on our 2.5 year old Aussie Mix’s left leg and 1 week out on her right- both TPLOs. I actually took my meds I have for flying both days Scout went in for her surgery to calm myself down Just remember, the first few days are the worst. If you pick Scooby up tomorrow, he will probably still be disoriented from the anesthesia so don’t be surprised if he is a little vocal and ‘different.’

If you have a canine rehab facility, definitely go when it is time. We did the water treadmill 4 times between Scout’s first surgery and the second and we plan on starting again when she gets her staples out next week. It really does help.. so does the low-level laser if you facility has it.

Scout had two partials, both torn 50% and even though we are still really close to the surgeries, I’m happy we did them. She’s young and will have a long life of fun and running that she may not have had if we didn’t do the surgeries. Best of luck and remember, everday gets better, keep your head up.

If it helps, you can follow Scout’s recovery on http://www.helpscoutrun.com it shows how fast they progress post-op!