Can you help with advice... CRUCIATE KNEE LIGAMENT

[Randi]

Hi all!

I got an e-mail from a friend of mine in London. One of her dogs, Macy has problems with her leg.

Annette has just had an eye operation, so is not up to joining PT until she can see better, so she asked me to ask PT for advice, if any of you have/had a dog been through this procedure?

"Macy has been to see a vet and was diagnosed with possible ruptured CRUCIATE KNEE LIGAMENT and is due for surgery, using a technique called TPLO (TIBIAL PLATEAU LEVELLING OSTEOTOMY) we are very worried as you can imagine, so I wonder if you know of any dog who has been through this procedure? I desperately need some feedback, also regarding vet fees, we have spend a fortune already, e.g. £208 just for a consultation with an Orthopaedic specialist and the operation will cost a lot more. We will of course do everything we can to get her leg back in shape."

Annette sent me some pictures of Macy, she is 8 years old.

Here she is:

[Seravieve]

We just had a TPLO done on Eli in January. I made a post about it in Dog Health. Link I know there's some other Pt's that had it done as well.

We were very nervous because it sounds like such a risky procedure, but it went perfectly. I'd really emphasis being comfortable with the vet who will be performing the operation. Get one who really knows what theyre doing. And of course, the vet will tell you, the operation is the easy part, as a parent you have the hardest part... keeping them calm and restrained during the healing process. =)

It's been 5 month since the operation on Eli. Just went last Saturday for a check up and he's doing AWESOME. Don't read about TPLO online.. its a bunch of horror stories! We got so freaked out.. and our vet was like I totally understand.. He had one done on his own dog as well. Its expensive I know.. was about $2,500 USD for us. But to see him so happy again, its totally worth it.

[Randi]

Thank you so much Seravieve! This just what my friend needs. She is also terrified because of the stories she read on the web.

I'm hoping she will join PT in a few days, so she can keep us updated on what's happening.

Eli looks like a big dog, too - he and the others are gorgeous!

Thanks again!

[snakemama]

When I was a vet tech, I got to assist on several TPLO surgeries. It's a long procedure, but something that is done regularly, especially with canine athletes.

From the patients I saw, every single one where the owners followed the follow-up advice did fabulously! (Keeping the dog's weight down, following the exercise schedule provided) The only dog I worked with who did NOT do well post-surgery was a dog whose owners allowed him to put on over ten pounds after the procedure!!

A very close friend of mine had a TPLO performed on his older St. Bernard two years ago, and she recovered quickly and last time I saw her was running around the backyard with her little boy.

[Freedom]

Quite common here, I know of 3 dogs who have had that surgery. If you have the dog in Agility, the risk for needing it increases. Also, these smaller ones, if they land wrong jumping off a chair, sofa or bed, they can need it.

The recovery is the hardest part. After 3 to 5 days, the dog feels great, the pain meds are working, and the dog wants to do all sorts of things it can't do for a few more weeks, lol.

[Seravieve]

Full healing time is ~6 months.. The first 8 weeks we had to keep him confined to the living room, and usually on a leash so we could keep him under control. We also crated him if we needed to leave. No stairs for 3 months. This was a big problem for us, as our bedroom is upstairs, so we moved to sleeping on the couch and floor with him.

There are THOUSANDS of stories of people having MAJOR problems from TPLO surgeries, but these are people who don't follow instructions. With this type of surgery, the dogs feel so much better in a short time that they often overdo it too soon. That is why it is so important to follow all directions post-op. Also, we saw a lot of pictures of dogs with HUGE scars all over from the surgery... not the case. Eli's scaring is SO minimal. Another thing to remember with TPLO is that the dog will try to overcompensate for the injury and often injures the other leg as well. Our vet estimates 45-65% of dogs who damage one knee will damage the other. Just something to keep in mind. Makes you really want to follow the directions post-op so you dont end up out of $5k instead of $2500.

Glad I could help! PTer's have helped me a lot, so I'm glad I can offer advice! =)

(Eli is a big dog, lol... for a Boxer. He's 70lbs now.. had him in the low 60's after his TPLO. Everyone says woof woof, thank you for the compliments!)