Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Any advice on whether or not to have surgery would be appreciated.
My 8 year old Am Staff, Rusty had his amputation when he was about a year old. He has done great since until last year when we thought he had a partially torn CCL. The specialist decided it was probably just some tissue damage or a sprain. Now he's having the same problem again. This time, the Vet took X-Rays and is doing a joint tap today. He thinks he has degenerative CCL disease and he will probably need surgery. I am wary about surgery, but am definitely willing to have it done as long as it's the best thing for Rusty.
I would love to hear some professional advice about Rusty's options. He is so important to me and I don't want to have him go through the pain and difficulty of surgery/recovery if it's not the best option. I am concerned that if we don't do the surgery that arthritis and the possibility of a full CCL tear will bring him pain in the future anyway.
He is a very active dog and "goes crazy" running around the house on a daily basis. He is 8 years old, but acts like a puppy and is very healthy.
Any professional advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Jeannette and Rusty
Hi Jeannette,
I moved your post here because the forum where you originally posted is for shout outs to specific vets & clinics, hope you don't mind.
I'm hoping that one of our Fairy Vet Mothers will chime in here, I know they've been super busy so thanks for your patience. In the mean time you may want to refer back to this information that Dr. Kelly shared with you way back in October:
But let's say the ACL is torn. These would be the options as I see it:
1. Do nothing and manage the ensuing arthritis with long tern joint supplements like Glucosamine as well as anti-inflammatories and rehab. Lots of dogs have torn ACL's that never have surgery. They will develop arthritis in the knee over time, and this would be my concern for Rusty, as he only has 3 legs as it is. But many dogs live many happy years with arthritis as long as it is properly managed.2. Have the knee surgically repaired. I suppose this would be the option I would lean towards. Yes, it would definitely be a more difficult recovery and more potential for complications due to the fact that he is a tripod, but I think it is doable. Personally, I would not recommend a TPLO for fear of implant failure due to early weight-bearing, but you could probably talk to 10 different surgeons and get 10 different opinions. I like the Tightrope procedure, it's much newer so a lot of surgeons aren't doing it, but there are no cuts in the bones and no plates and screws that could fail, like there is with the TPLO. I have had patients walk on the leg the day after surgery without even a limp!
If you have not consulted with a surgeon, I would recommend doing so. There really is no easy answer, I am afraid. There are going to be pros and cons no matter what route you go.
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If it is torn I would definitely repair it. My preference is usually the lateral suture technique although some surgeons prefer either a TTA or TPLO. Either way rehab afterward is very important.
Pam
Yes, I think repairing it is looking like the only option. I should hear the results of his joint tap by Friday, and we'll go from there. I hope the surgeon offers different surgical options because it sounds like the more invasive surgeries might be too hard on his recovery. I like the sound of the Lateral suture and the Tightrope. I wish there was a clear answer!
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