Knee Surgery
Submitted by topgman on December 3, 2011 - 4:07pmHello all ... I have been a reader of this forum for a long time , but have never been a poster ... I have an 8yr old bully named Chad ... Chad has been relatively healthy for his life but recently was diagnosed with CCL tears in both knees and shows signs of hip displaysia and the diagnosis was to have surgery to correct the problems ... should I put an 8yr old through these surgeries and subsequent recoveries or just try to keep him on medication for as long as he is comfortable ... as a note he has responded very well to the medication and Glucosamine pills ... thanks for any thoughts - Steve
You might want to get a 2nd opinion
Did he suddenly start limping or favoring a leg?
Lynn King CPDT-KA
Yes he suddenly started not
Yes he suddenly started not putting any weight on his left rear leg
I wouldn't do anything about the hip dysplasia
except pain management. Because hips degrade over time, it is most likely not the cause of Chad's sudden discomfort. A healthy 8 year old dog can recover very nicely from knee surgery. Our Clem had knee surgery at 8, did terrific and lived until he was 13. I would definately get a second opinion, maybe he only needs one knee operated on. Keep in mind, the tear will not repair itself, in fact, if the dog is taking a pain reliever, it will probably get worse. Limiting pain allows the dog to continue almost normal activity, which can cause further damage. Recovery is a long process so both you and the dog have to be prepared for that.
Good luck
Lynn King CPDT-KA
the left knee is the one that
the left knee is the one that seems to need the most urgent attention, so we were debating trying that one 1st ... the anesthesia during the surgery and the recovery from surgery are our biggest concerns 8 weeks of trying to keep him relatively inactive seems like a daunting task
It is a daunting task but don't let that keep you from
having the surgery done. The time goes by quickly, you learn to accommodate their special needs. It's worth relieving the pain the dog is experiencing. Ultimately, the decision is up to you and your vet.
Good luck
Lynn King CPDT-KA
How did you keep your bully
How did you keep your bully from over exerting for 8 weeks? ... even though Chad spends alot of time sleeping he still jumps up on the bed and/or couch to get himself comfortable ... i have already restricted his use of the stairs
Well,
my husband and I lived a little weird for the 8 weeks. We were both determined to make sure that Clem would not re-injure his knee during recovery, so we tipped over or blocked all furniture, took the bed off the frame and just kept the mattress on the floor. Because we have friends that blow their car horns when the go by our house, which always got Clem going, we informed all of them that they must stop doing it or we were going to flatten their tires, put a Do Not Knock-Do Not Disturb sign on our front door, anyone visiting had to call first. Clem was a pretty active dog, to keep him busy we gave him really really good things to chew on. Any outside time was on a leash.
Truthfully, the 8 weeks went by quickly.
Lynn King CPDT-KA
Wow
Godd advise--but wow--Jax is having knee surgery in a couple of weeks (luxating patella--so they are straightening the femur)he is our little terror--he will be in his crate (which we moved into the living room so he could watch TV and be with us and Ozzy) when we are not home and when we are he will be able to be put on the couch with us (he is a cuddler).
Lyn
It was truly a bonding experience
Clem loved it. He was not crate trained which is the reason we had to tip over or cover all the furniture, to be sure he wasn't jumping up or down when we were not here. That completely convinced me that I will never again have a dog that isn't crate trained. Lessons learned. But, it worked out great, just weird. LOL
Lynn King CPDT-KA
I agree with the second opinion
I would not have hip surgery performed though and expecially not on an 8 year old. I suggest Adequan for the hip dysplasia. One injection per week for 4 weeks and then once a month.