Hopefully Ive cleared my head enough to give you the specifics you need to help me help Frankie.

**Going back and forth to Bets with Frankie's worsening gait

**Rehab appt scheduled, only to show up and find she quit day before.  Long drive to get there so they said an Ortho can check him over.  They took Frankie to back for about thirty minutes.  Said they needed ro do xray cause he showed pain (DUH).  With NO WARNING or discussions, they came back with an $800 bill and told me the xray said he had arthritis.  Never saw xray.   I was so FURIOUS I couldn't even talk...literally!  Just wanted to get him out of there!

**My regular Vet says cruciate ligame t?) is scarred over and has healed over an old injury.  He's usi t leg at this poi t...just holding it out at angle...sort of straight.  Rimadyl.

***Last Friday night came home Frankie basically couldn't put any weight on that rear leg...his one front leg was collapsingas he was trying to stand on basically one "good" back leg.  He still did his darned best to walk!!  BROKE MY HEART.  Gave him tramadol. 

*****Refular Vet that Saturday morning said DEFINITELY torn ligament now.  Two weeks before the "range of motion " test mad her think knee was "healed over with scar tissue".   That morning it was CLEAR it was torn.

*** She did xray of legs and hip area because he should pain in upper socket areat when moving.

***Said xray showed osteo where ball socket and hip bone (?) Was almost certain but would send it to radilogist Monday.

****Looooong weekend of hell and pain for Frankie (and hysterics for me)  because of all the manipulations.  NOTE!!  Even though he had ro be in severe pain,...especially since Friday night....this dog NEVER whined...never stopped being Frankie for one second!

****Call Monday...NO OSTEO from looki g at xrays

****He does have some hip dysplasia, arthritis.  I think they said the front leg had "issues" related to arthritis and ligament issues....can't remember exzctly.

WHAT ARE THE BEST OPTIONS FOR A TRIPAWD WITH THESE ISSUES?

Frankie is a spit fire of a dog!  Even on basically 1 1/2 legs he moves chairs to the blocked off stairs and sneaks up.  He counter surfs.

He is STONG AND DETERMINED AND AS TOUGH AS THEY COME.

He's approximately 4 - 5 yrs ...rescue...no idea of why amputation.

My Vet says because of "who he is", TPLO is best way.  

She, herself, does ECR (not sure of right name) but she has concerns that as a very actice tripawd it won't hold.

BOTH options are out of my fiancial ability, but she would "work with me".  She doesnw do TPLO.   So far I haven't found an Ortho Surgeon for the TPLO who woukd "work with me"

IF TPLO is out of the question.....

Would it be almost "useless" to try the ECR knowr that according to her, it will most likelw fail because of the type of dog he is??

Is it even POSSIBLE that the torn ligament would scar over and "heal"...or is that a ridiculous thought?

Economic euthanasia is inconceivable to me. 

With love and appreciation

Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too!