torn acl

[interex87]

Hey guys i need some help me and bailey went to the vet today and i was told he has a torn acl.
i was given a number to call about the surgery turns out its going to be 3500-3700 does that sound right? its so much money

is there any thing else i can try?
I have seen the orthopets brace

please let me know if you guys know of any thing else ..........i could sell every thing i own and still not have 3500 dollars right now.

[dogs4jen]

What type of knee surgery were they talking about-there are a bunch of different methods with various prices. Roscoe had the traditional type and it was around $1500, and I was quoted about double that for TPLO surgery. I'm sure it varies depending on the size of the dog, the vet and the area too.
You could consider Care Credit if you can't come up with the money any other way.

[Misskiwi67]

Braces can help if its the only option, but it really shouldn't be an option if there are any other choices.

Depending on your area, the surgery can be very expensive. It runs about $2500 here in the midwest, heart of cow and corn country.

[mtlu]

I've seen prices from $3500-5000 in Northern California for TPLOs. There are quite a few threads about torn CCLs here - cost is a big factor but age, weight, activity level and how much time and attention you can put into rehabilitation are also really big factors.

I have shared some of my experiences with both of Molly's TPLOs and others have threads about repairs they have had done for the dogs. It's a lot to think about but ask as many questions as you need - it's hard to give advice not knowing more circumstances.

[interex87]

Well im a 24 year old mechanic that is having a hard time bringing home 1600 a month
i have had bailey form the time he was 4 months old he is now 6 years old and still my baby.
the vet is talking about a tta or tplo
the brace is 600-700 dollars and im about to go crazy i dont know what to do.

[interex87]

also would giving him glucosamine pill now help his future arthritis from this?

if so can you guys lets me know some good ones to get him on thank you.

[suzanne]

also would giving him glucosamine pill now help his future arthritis from this?

if so can you guys lets me know some good ones to get him on thank you.

This would help with future arthritis in the joints but is not going to repair a torn or partially torn ligament. I would look into a veterinarian who offers the "old repair". It's a surgery where they use a suture. This repair does not last as long as the TTA or TPLO but since your dog is already 6yrs of age I imagine the repair could last his lifetime. This surgery is usually around $1200-$1500, you could also look into care credit.

If you were going to go the TTA or TPLO route, I would do TPLO, the clinic I work at does the TTA and we have had so many hardware failures it's unreal. Granted, most of the repairs we do are on severely obese dogs, but I think the TPLO is a better surgery.

As far as joint supplements because you're on a budget you could buy human glucosemine and MSM tabs as well as fish oil. I buy the stuff from costco, I give my 50lb+ dogs 1 fish cap am/pm and 1 glucosemine with msm tab am/pm. Fish oil has been proven to have anti-inflammatory properties and is good for joint support. You could check with your vet to give an exact dosage.

[interex87]

yeah im not lookign to fix it with pills the pills are for after the surgery.
yeah im not sure what surgery im going to go for but first i need the money so i quess thats what i have to worry about first.

[mtlu]

Is there any chance your vet might take payments (I realize this is very uncommon but never hurts to ask)? Is there any way you could try to get a personal loan from a bank?

While you are trying to think of ways to pay for it, try to also look at the repair options. Suzanne gave good advice, but also know that with that traditional repair, there is still a risk of the scar tissue tearing again in the future. The good thing about the traditional repair is that Bailey can be operated on again. With the TPLO, depending on the failure, there aren't very many options.

Can I ask some questions about Bailey? Was there a recent incident that might have caused the injury or has he be showing signs for a while that there might be something wrong with his knee? How much does he weigh? Do you feel confident about the vet's diagnosis? We had one vet and two orthopedic surgeons look at Molly's knee before we did her first surgery. While it will cost more money to get a second opinion, I think it's a good thing to do when considering such an expensive surgery.

[Kingsgurl]

Ouch, I am sorry to hear this. Cruciate tears are tough. Yahoo has a great support group (orthodogs) and that is a great place to start. Meet with the surgeons and the doctors, go to a few if you have to, until you find one you are comfortable with. When I had Martin's surgery done, TTA wasn't an option (his surgery was 6 years ago) but TPLO was the big push. Every surgeon I met with said he needed TPLO (on both knees) and nothing else would work. The surgeon I finally settled on (Board Certified) was the ONLY one who sat with me and went over ALL the options, explained each surgery in detail and showed me how MY dogs angles and action (the way he tracked) would effect each surgical outcome. SHE recommended a Bi-Lateral Extra-Capsular repair (which is actually known as the traditional repair) for him, even though the cost was less. She gave me very detailed explanations about thrust and twist as it related to HIM. One size does not fit all with this, and I avoid anyone who thinks there is only one way to 'fix' it.
Be aware that once the first knee goes, you are very likely to see issues with the other knee. Both Martin's knees were already blown when I got him, so she fixed them both. He shows slight thickening of that joint on palpitation (nothing you can see with the naked eye) but you would never know he had anything done. I've seen failures with all three surgeries (including TPLO dogs who had the surgery done multiple times and still will not use the leg) and you are looking at arthritic changes (thickening) of the joint no matter which option you choose.
There is also the brace method (under the Orthodogs site you will find it called 'conservative management') Basically, it is allowing the scar tissue to build up and stabilize the joint without the invasion of surgical implantation of anything to hold the joint in place internally. I went this route with Mysti and I have been happy with the results. However, the change in weather bothers her, where it doesn't Martin. This may be due to the fact that I didn't convalesce her the same way I did him, which was very strictly regimented

[Studlintsean]

Bronx just had the traditional surgery (suture) on Friday. I was quoted at $2,600-$2,900 including post operation medicine, follow up appointments and X-Rays. The total came out to be just under $2,200. There is a thread above this called "Torn CCL Surgery- what to expect" with a lot of good information. I was also able to find a ton of information and first hand accounts with simple Google searches. Good luck.

[interex87]

well an up date i found a vet that will do the traditional surgery for 1300 and the tta for 2500.
and tomorrow i have some one coming to look at my motorcycle i had to place on sale so if all goes well bailey will be back in the vet soon to get the surgery ......fingers crossed .....and also i looked in to care credit i got the ok for 1500 from them.

[patty]

Bailey is lucky to have you!!!!

Sending my very best wishes for a speedy recovery. Keep us updated, many members here have experience in this type of surgery and will have great advice for you.

[Misskiwi67]

well an up date i found a vet that will do the traditional surgery for 1300 and the tta for 2500.
and tomorrow i have some one coming to look at my motorcycle i had to place on sale so if all goes well bailey will be back in the vet soon to get the surgery ......fingers crossed .....and also i looked in to care credit i got the ok for 1500 from them.

With such a dramatic price difference, ask a LOT of questions about why... I recently heard of a vet in Minnesota who lost his license after performing an orthopedic procedure without ANY pain medications... as in most things in life, you often get what you pay for...

[interex87]

well it looks like wednesday is going to be the day for bailey. i will let you guys know how is goes. im also going to start him on ostio bi flex.