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-   -   To TPLO or Not to TPLO (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=82885)

diandpat November 23rd, 2012 04:20 PM

To TPLO or Not to TPLO
 
Arrrgggg!!!! Zoey seems to have ruptured her CCL and the vet recommends TPLO surgery asap. The surgeon she recommends at DMV chages $3500!

I of course came home and started Googling and found many many reviews indicating that this surgery is not all the vets/surgeons claim it is. The best number is 10.6 % success rate. That 's not very good.

They indicate that extreme activity limiting will eventually have the same effect as the surgery.

Ugggghhh...my regular vet is on mat leave. I trust her 100% Been my vet since I got Ginger in 2001. I don't really trust this vet. Don't know what to do.

Any input/advice/suggestions????? Don't want Zoey to suffer but don't want to make her suffer for nothing either.

HELP!!!!

Digston November 23rd, 2012 05:33 PM

Poor Zoey! Have you taken her to see the surgeon? Sometimes a general vet will recommend surgery, but it may be deemed unnecessary by the surgeon. They have so much more experience with certain injuries that they can usually tell whether alternative measures can be used with similar results.

diandpat November 25th, 2012 04:24 PM

Thanks Digston. After spending the weekend on the internet and talking to many different people who have done TPLO successfully, unsuccessfully and not at all we have opted for Conservative Management for the time being as this surgery is very invasive, very debilitating and very expensive.

We will limit activity for the next 8 weeks and see how she is doing. There is research that indicates that the body will eventually protect the joint itself with or without surgery so we will take out chances with that. It is never too late to opt for surgery if CM does not work.

Fret not...we love this girl to death and she will not be made to suffer one way or the other. She will always be well taken care of. :fingerscr that she heals quickly.

angeldogs November 25th, 2012 06:56 PM

:fingerscr:goodvibes:she heals quickly.its to bad that the success rate wasnt much higher.to put them through the surgery and recovery for that low of success rate i would be leaving it as late resort myself. good luck

MaxaLisa November 25th, 2012 11:09 PM

If it's completely ruptured, I'm not sure that CM will work?

Best of luck, this stuff is hard to watch them go through. It's really hard to do CM properly because of how strict you have to be - no fun at all!

hazelrunpack November 26th, 2012 12:40 AM

Sending some :goodvibes: for quick healing!

diandpat March 9th, 2013 01:47 PM

2 Attachment(s)
So just coming back in to update on this situation in case anyone "searching" TPLO is interested in what happened.

We actually decided against surgery at this time for our beautiful Zoey. For starters, being winter, the rehab would have been far too difficult and getting her in and out to do business on the snow/ice would have been challenging. Also, had not always heard of good results and the people I spoke to who did have favorable results had very laid back dogs to begin with. Zoey is high energy...leash walking is dangerous to whomever is holding the leash :laughing: We do have a pool and will keep her moving this summer when it is too warm to walk so that might be a welcome break. We will reevaluate in the fall and see how she is doing.

What we did do, however, if buy her a knee brace and now she is known in the woods as the bionic dog. No one there can see any reason to operate on her when she is clearly in no pain and having the time of her life tearing through the woods.

She does get a cartrophen injection once a month and we do have Previcox if she seems to be very uncomfortable. She rarely needs any. We do give her sardines every 2-3 days. They are supposed to be an anti inflammatory. Don't know if they work but she sure loves them.

So far don't regret our decision and I am sure Zoey concurs. If her quality of life deteriorates or she seems in a a great deal of pain then of course we will do what we have to do but for now we are just taking it one day at a time and enjoying long beautiful walks/runs in the woods!!!

hazelrunpack March 9th, 2013 11:51 PM

She really does look very happy!! :cloud9: Glad the brace is working out so well!


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