My luck with my dogs is just not too good. Last year the bully ate a beach ball and cost 4k to save him. Now the boxer has been diagnosed with Meniscus tare in her right knee and is going to need surgery, (TPLO)Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy. Dr. Mike called me earlier after doing all the x rays, etc. on her. I took his advice and I am taking her to VSRP in Cary next Thursday to see Dr. Clark. If after his expert evaluation determines the same thing as Dr. Mike, then surgery will be that same day. I've been reading about it all morning and there is some excellent information on the web, but just wondering if any of you have experienced this surgery with your canine family and can give me any insight? At least it's not going to be as expensive as the bully, so far between Dr. Mike's bill and the surgery estimate from VSRP the total is going to be around $2,800.
Hi, My pit bull mix had surgery there by Dr. Betts this past August for a torn cruciate. I opted for the suture technique so I can't help you with the TPLO but I wanted to share my experience. After doing TONS of research and talking to several vets, I decided that TPLO was a little hardcore and more invasive than necessary for MY dog. Now, if your dog is very large/heavy then TPLO is probably a good option. My pit is a very athletic, lean 50 lbs and had no other arthritic changes in her knee so I just thought the TPLO would be overkill for her. The degree of arthritis present already is important because if your dog has severe arthritis already, he probably does need the TPLO. I just wanted to throw that out there to really think about it because they really push for the TPLO nowadays (cha-ching!) and while I think it's necessary for some dogs, I don't think it's right for EVERY dog. The TPLO is a relatively new treatment and there have been some serious problems in some dogs. You are afterall sawing into their bones, etc. The suture technique is sort of a "tried and true" method and works great for certain dogs. I'm very happy with the decision I made because it was best for Liberty and her particular situation. She's doing great now and still runs like a champ! Good Luck! Christine
Thanks for the info. She is heavy 78.8 lbs and they think the tear is pretty bad, and from what I've read the Lateral imbrication technique (extracapsular) (suture technique) is best suited for small dogs, and my girl is pretty big, so I don't think it's going to be an option for us.:cry: How was VSRP?
yeah, it sounds like for your baby, the TPLO is the way to go then. Although there are more risks than with suture, the recovery is WAY faster. From what I understand, she'll be weight-bearing within a few days. My dog's recovery was LOOOONG. No stairs, no running or jumping for several weeks. Yeah, that was fun... carrying a 50 lb dog up and down the stairs every day! lol I wish her a speedy recovery!
