jodi_adam Posted May 29, 2010 Author Share Posted May 29, 2010 how do they tell if its a full rupture or tear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dog_Horse_Girl Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 Well, here's my 2 cents worth: Ruby is our staffy cross. She's 9 yrs old. Early last year, Ruby started going lame in one leg. Nothing unusual as she has gone lame several times before... Vet diagnosed cruciate ligament damage, possibly rupture but not 100% sure. We were advised to keep her quiet and limit her exercise/activity levels. As she was also battling mange (for the second time in her life) and a serious allergy issue (related to food and environmental causes),our vet advised us to sort these problems before booking Ruby in for exploratory surgery and repair if needed. Once she recovered sufficiently, I booked her in for the operation. But by this time, the knee had (apparently) repaired itself sufficiently and no longer needed surgery. So we were thankful and still kept her as quiet as possible. Not easy for a staffy cross! We then moved to Brisbane, and Ruby went severely lame. There is a specialist vet practice nearby so we booked her in for a consult. The conclusion was that the cruciate was ruptured and that surgery was a must. We opted for the DeAngelis procedure as this was considered a reasonable chance of a good outcome and the cost was a bit lower than for the newer techniques (also the newer surgeries are specifically designed for much larger dogs). But Ruby ended up with a splenectomy due to cancer and the knee surgery was delayed again. Fast forward: new (general practitioner) vet who recommended the surgery and was happy to complete it for us at half the price of the specialist centre. We paid about $1500 with the GP as against nearly $3000 that the specialist centre quoted. If you don't have the surgery, your dog will not improve and will steadily worsen. Particularly so if you don't crate rest this dog and exercise only on the lead - no jumping, no running, and no other strenuous activity. If you do have the surgery, I'm fairly sure that $4000 is a rip off, to be blunt. If you do the surgery, and you don't rest the dog for at least six weeks post-op, you will undo all of the work to repair the joint. Get yourself a decent crate, keep the dog indoors, supervise ALL outdoor activity and ensure the dog is always on a lead, yes even in your yard...toilet her on the lead so that she cannot put any further stress on the joint. No walking up or down stairs either. We still carry Ruby up and down our stairs because we can't put her through another surgery. Oh, I recommend getting another opinion and quote. That could make all the difference. And once the surgery is done and the wound is repairing, start your dog on Cartrophen - this is an injectible anti-arthritic drug that is given weekly for four weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodi_adam Posted June 7, 2010 Author Share Posted June 7, 2010 ok, im starting to get the ball rolling i have had a crate made for porscha and i have made an appointment to see the surgen at my vet so that i could get a solid quote cause every time i go in there i come out with another number but i did ask box hill vet and they said $600-$700 for the old school surgery and the vet there said that he has done heaps of these and has never had any one come back for the same leg but has had a few for the other leg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 (edited) Where do you live? Perhaps someone can recommend a vet close to you who may be more experienced with this. I have put two dogs through cruciate repairs. My most recent had both done at the same time - for her double leg surgery with the patellas also being done it didn't even come to half of what you've been quoted and it was done by an orthopedic surgeon! Shop around, you need to know what it going on and you need to find someone who is going to help you understand it all. If you are in Sydney, I highly recommend Max Zuber 98175758 http://www.gladesvillevet.com.au/ Edited June 7, 2010 by Clyde Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 how do they tell if its a full rupture or tear? They put them under GA and manipulate the stifle by performing the "cranial drawer" test. the lower part of the leg should normally NOT be able to be drawn cranially (ie towards the head) and if this occurs then it is rupture. The reason why the dogs need GA or sedation is that the test is quite often painful in the conciouss dog. There is also the tibial compression test that doesn't have to be done under GA but it is not as reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodi_adam Posted June 7, 2010 Author Share Posted June 7, 2010 im in west hoxton (near liverpool), so yes please if anyone in my area has any recommendations? please let me know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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