Torn ACL *3/6/10 8wk Check Up*

[boomersooner]

If he is able to put weight on it and walk, then I would guess it isn't completely torn, either. Kacie, our dog, couldn't or wouldn't put any weight at all on hers, and she was a small dog. Her leg was completely in the air until it was repaired.

[Seravieve]

Well We met with another vet yesterday, who was way way way more informative that the first. He did several tests on Eli's leg and says that it is partially torn, but very close to being completely torn. And after some more Xrays... it was determined that he's not a candidate for TTA, as the slope of his bone is too high, so TPLO it is. This vet didnt want to do the fishing line surgery on him either, so I figure there's reason not to when two vet's say no. We were really hoping for TTA, as they return to normalcy so much quicker than with TPLO, but of well. Nothing we can do about that.

So he goes in on Thurday for the surgery... We'll be dropping him off the night before and wont get to pick him up till Friday. Going to be a sad day and a half without him here.

[chocolatepuppy]

I'll keep Eli in my prayers that things go smoothly. It's so hard to leave them at the vets. My Lacey had surgery three times, I know, only two back legs Keeping them quiet is the hardest. For me, counting how many days down, how many to go helped.

[kokopup]

Seravieve I'm sorry I did not see your post asking about why TPLO was risky. I researched both tplo and the old tried and proven fishing line approach and the fishing line had the least risk. With TPLO they are cutting bone and pinning it back together. If there are complications to the pin splice the only thing to do for correction is amputation. I had the Vetarinary School at Auburn Univ. do Koko's since they train the Vet's that do the Surgeries. One of my best friends is a Equine vet and he advised me to go with the old procedure since it was successful for years before TPLO and TTA came along.

I had the same feedback from my local Vet and the traveling ortho Vet advising TPLO saying the fishing line would not work. My friend who had been involved with the outcomes of both procedures adviced me to go with the old tried and proven. There is no reason why it will not work. Is there a Vet school near you. If so you might give them a call. I had to drive 70 mile and leave Koko overnight but it was well worth the distance.

It has been three years since her surguries and she runs like a dear. She had both kNEES DONE
6 WEEKS APART.

[chocolatepuppy]

koko, I don't like the TPLO either. Too scary for me. My local vet actually did the surgeries. I called it rubberband, but am sure it was fishline, like you're saying.

[kokopup]

You ask a surgeon advice on what to do and they will always advice the more
involved surgery. They don''t have to live with the outcome if things go wrong.
It just puts more money in their pocket if things do go wrong. With TPLO
they cut through the bone above and below the knee and then put it back
together with pins. I did not like the Risk that gave no better outcome.

[chocolatepuppy]

You ask a surgeon advice on what to do and they will always advice the more
involved surgery. They don''t have to live with the outcome if things go wrong.
It just puts more money in their pocket if things do go wrong. With TPLO
they cut through the bone above and below the knee and then put it back
together with pins. I did not like the Risk that gave no better outcome.

I was thinking that same thing.

[Seravieve]

We went and picked up our Eli at ~1 this afternoon. He did very well through the whole ordeal. We got to see the after Xrays and it looks like Dr V did a great job with the bone cut! When he realigned the bone before attaching the plate, the bone is actually touching along the whole cut, so it should fuse well.

He is confined to the living room now, resting comfortably in his soft LIME GREEN cast on his favorite doggie bed... Although he'd rather be following us around of course. This will be a LONG 8 weeks of confinement.. sleeping on the couch and all.

Once he has recovered from the surgery, we will be looking into his abnormal EKG and determine if he does have cardiomyopathy. He had several irregular heartbeats during the surgery, not back to back - just intermittent, so Dr V wants to use some monitor thing on him and record his heartbeat for a few days.

[lizbud]

Well We met with another vet yesterday, who was way way way more informative that the first. He did several tests on Eli's leg and says that it is partially torn, but very close to being completely torn. And after some more Xrays... it was determined that he's not a candidate for TTA, as the slope of his bone is too high, so TPLO it is. This vet didnt want to do the fishing line surgery on him either, so I figure there's reason not to when two vet's say no. We were really hoping for TTA, as they return to normalcy so much quicker than with TPLO, but of well. Nothing we can do about that.

So he goes in on Thurday for the surgery... We'll be dropping him off the night before and wont get to pick him up till Friday. Going to be a sad day and a half without him here.

I'm glad you decided to get more info before deciding to go for the
surgery. Eli, at 3 yr is still such a young dog. That should be in his
favor as far as healing afterwards. Prayers & positive vibes for Eli.

[kokopup]

Seravieve you might want to check out this clinic at the UNIV of MO Small animal hospital. I'm sure a resident surgeon could be contacted by phone and give you advice before proceeding with TPLO.
http://www.vmth.missouri.edu/small_an_clinic.htm

[Seravieve]

Thanks koko for finding that link. I just hadn't had any time to look. J called this morning and they seemed to tell her the same thing.. TPLO, no more risks than with any other surgeries, blah blah blah.

J tore her LCL earlier this year, and wore a brace to help it heal. Not sure why we can't do that with Eli. Seems SO extreme to cut his bone and rebuild the joint.

I just don't know what to do at this point. Besides the limp, he's such a happy dog. I wish I could find someone who's willing to discuss non-surgery options or be willing to do the fishing line surgery. Just seems like an EXTREMELY important decision that I can't make. There's too many IF's...

[kokopup]

There may be some repair taking place if the dog is kept completely restrained for 6 weeks. Koko had both CCLs torn and they repaired one and she was in her crate for 6 weeks before we took her back to have the other repaired. In the 6 weeks of being in her crate to recover from the first surgery she stopped limping
on the other knee during the recovery. When we had the second one repaired she was ready to go within a week. I still kept her in the crate for 6 more weeks but she did not have the recovery time on the second one that she did on the first. On the first I had to carry her out for a week or so when she needed to potty but with the second she was walking out fine the day she came back from surgery. I have to believe her second knee was to the point that surgery may not have been necessary after the 6 weeks in the crate. I may be wrong about it being
completely well but I do know she had stopped limping on it before we took her for the second repair.

It has been 3 years since her surgery and she has no signs that she ever had knee problems. When she stands still her rear legs quiver but the local Vet thinks that is because of her hip dysplasia.

[Seravieve]

Well after LOTS of thought and phone calls and effort.. Eli's getting TPLO. I can't justify doing nothing and having scar tissue build up in his knee and cause arthritis. He's only 3 years old, so he has LOTS of jumping and playing so I want to do whats best. And with the 'slope' of his tibia joint, he will be more prone to problems later on if we don't do whats needed now.

We really feel that the second vet we took him to knows what he's doing. J actually called and canceled the surgery earlier today. And the Vet called her back and wanted to know what changed our minds. She then called me and we discussed some more.. and decided we should do it. So she took Eli up there and he spent another 45 minutes with J, going through web sites explaining what happened and disproving statements. He understood why we got so scared by all of the 'horror stories'. He said he's done ~25 TPLO/TTA surgeries in the past 1.5 months.. and none with complications thus far. That's rather encouraging. J got to learn more about him... he and his wife just bought the building and work there together, she's a feline Vet... so its their 'baby' so to speak, so I feel that he's honest and really knows what he's doing. Might actually switch to him if and when all this goes well.

J dropped him off tonight at 6 and we'll be able to get him Friday. A LONG time without my 'Wooties' but its for the best.

So, Pawsitive thoughts for Eli, please!! =) I know PT does wonders!