Operations advised on both cruciates - your experience, wisdom, support pls

[iloverhubarb]

Lola is nearly two, a lively springer, nearly a year of on/off lameness, mainly L hind leg, now in the R. Both cruciates are torn. Our lovely vets have advised conservative treatment/rest till now, but we've just had a referral to surgeon, and TPLO surgery recommended, for both legs. He recommended ops within two weeks of the other. We trusted surgeon - thought very good - but will go back to our vets now just to talk thro' all options.

We are taking a few weeks to reflect and research, but have now got to the stage where we feel surgery probably the best option to give her good quality of life for the many years she hopefully has ahead.

The cost is huge - £2.5K per leg estimated. This will not all be covered by insurance unless we do one op now, one when the next insurance year kicks in in Sept. If we do the two ops soon and in quick succession we'll have to find around £1.5K which frankly we haven't got! Guess we'd take money out of the mortgage if we decide much better for a) Lola and b) our sanity (one recovery period). Timing also has to be round my work in a school, tho part-time - think I will need to be around for the few weeks after?

So, anyone with any experience, especially whether TPLO the obvious best option for a 15kg dog, tips for recovery period - which I guess will be awful - anyone who can tell me it's SENSIBLE to do this - seems such an invasive and traumatic procedure for a dog to cope with.... And has it actually resolved problem/been successful?

Thanks in advance - desperate to have a dog who can actually go on lovely long walks again!

[Lizcat]

TPLO is the surgery preferred by orthopaedic surgeons and is generally considered the best option in giant breed dogs. However, in small to medium sized dogs there is no evidence that the long term out come is better than a lateral fabella tie. Yes with the TPLO they often walk sound faster, but time to full ability is no different. Lateral fabella tie is considerably cheaper as it does not use lots of metal work and has a shorter surgical time.

[sidsmissis]

My dog has done both cruciates. The first time he was operated on because the ligament was almost severed. My vet did the op. It wasn't a TPLO, but I'm not sure which of the many methods she used to repair it. Total cost was about £350. The recovery period wasn't too bad. Cage rest for 6 weeks then a long period of on lead exercise only building up by a few minutes per day.

Just at the point where we were considering allowing off lead exercise, approx 6 months after op, the little darling escaped from the garden and went cavorting after rabbits in the field next door. He came back on three legs and I could have cried. I thought his knee had given out only to realise that it was the other leg. This time it was torn. Same recovery but without the op iyswim. In total he had 18 months of controlled exercise i.e on a lead.

Because I have worked in a vets and seen quite a few cruciate repairs done I followed my vets advice to the letter with the recovery period for both legs. Cage rest was exactly that. He only came out to toilet and even then he was carried outside. I hardened my heart to whining, pleading looks and all the other things he tried to get me to let him out! He was around 10 at the time so not too boisterous but used to being on the go all day. It was hard to see him stuck in a cage, but it paid off.

His knees have never been the same though. I have to watch him like a hawk when he's off lead as he can go lame temporarily and he certainly can't run round for an extended period of time. As he's got older arthritis is setting in and when he sits he points his feet out rather than tucking them under himself. Sadly he now has chronic heart failure so his running days are over and he's on borrowed time. He's still a very happy chappie though and when he's asleep the twitching tells me he is running for miles

[iloverhubarb]

Thanks both, really helpful. Interestingly Lizcat, the vet looked at the xrays an said L had a steep sloped tibial plateau, so that she was pre disposed to cruciate probs. I think that's partly why he recommended TPLO.

Looks like we'll be doing some more research re costs. We are in Surrey so costs high, but we need to look at all treatment options and also consider whether best timing for Lola really is next few weeks.

[1MitchellMum]

Just seen this. Our boy had two TPLOs, but two years apart. Which specialist have you seen? If it's Noel Fitzpatrick then I'd go with his advice (he did our boy's ops). Two thoughts on having yours done two weeks' apart. Firstly, lots of pain (for you both) but on the other hand only one lot of three months crate rest/limited walking/sleeping downstairs with dog. Our boy was nearly seven when he had his first op but now (at 10 years) is running round like a puppy again. Glad we had it done. Good luck whatever you decide.