Arthritis vs. Torn Cruciate...how do I know?

Hello Everyone, I want to apologoze for not being around but my new job is killing me....But now that I have problems with my Rott I thought of you all and I, again, am asking for help. Zeke, a 4.5 year old Rott was diagnosed with arthritis(using x-rays and a thourough physical exam) and was put on Rimadyl. I went to ask another vet about acupuncture, hoping to releive some pain without so much medication.....that vet thought it was more than arthritis and oredered a ton of tests. Well they referred me to a surgeon and they tell me that he has (or probably has) a small tear in a ligament and he needs surgery......one operation is $1600 and a variation on the operation is $2300. Then in 6-8 weeks he will need the other knee done. Now, what do I do? He is putting weight on both feet and it seem to bohter him a bit but.....My dog loves cold weather, so this is starting to be his favorite time of the year. Also, the money is pretty tight. I would like to pay a lot of it in cash if it is necessary. Anybody out there got any stories, advice.....?

 

Get a second and thrid opinion. You can always make payments if in fact thats whats wrong with him.

 

zeksemom, becauseo the the type of surgery they want to do, I would get more opinions, jsut ot be sure and here some sites I found that have good info on what I think Zeke has

and as Sam has said many vets will work with you on payment plans, making weekly or monthly amounts

http://www.2ndchance.info/cruciate.htm

http://www.2ndchance.info/cruciate.htm

http://www.entirelypets.com/crucligrup.html

http://www.vetinfo.com/dligamt.html#Fol ... L%20repair

pleQQ2Qkeep us posted

honeybear

 

I agree about getting another opinion. Vets are exactly like medical doctors - they sometimes interpret things differently. Keep in mind that if the cruciate ligament is indeed torn, if the surgery is not done, the dog will probably get arthritis in that area later on. And that can be crippling. Go to a vet who specializes in canine orthopedics.

Randi

 

Story:

My male Boerboel (he's almost two) developed a pronounced limp about three or four months ago... We found that it was in his knee (his hips have already been x-rayed). I wanted to give him some time to heal a bit before jumping into the vets office and bills...so we waited... We got a few opinions from friends and dog folks and it was decided upon reading and those opinions that most likely it was a small tear of the cruciate... Small tears will heal if you keep the dog quiet. Riot was kept alone, didn't get to play with anyone and we kept him as quiet as we could (he's as energetic as they come)... About a month ago we started on SMALL walks and the limp is all but gone... He has moments of laziness where he still limps...but there is no pain to speak of... If your dog is going through life with little to know actual pain (pain that he will show outword signs of OTHER than limping) I'd keep him OUT of the MD offic and quiet for the time being. Keep him on Rim...(sp?) for as long as you can and then take him off of it. Keeping the inflamation down may be JUST enough to heal that small tear he seems to have...

Just a couple of thoughts. What will you used the dog for? If he's just a pet I'd certainly do my best to get that healed on it's own... It will heal to be usable as much as he wants it...and won't impede on his quality of life if it's just a small tear.

The decision is yours...just wanted to relay my story to you on this one...my Riot might even be in WORKING order so...it CAN heal depending on size and how healthy he is to begin with...

 

Thanks everyone, Honeybears, Those were some great websites. It was a lot of the technical stuff the surgeon told me but it is much nicer being in a relaxed setting in my own home reading that. In the vet's office my head was just spinning with all the information that it wsa difficult to concentrate.

Randi, The fact that it will develop into arthritis is what I have read and than you tell me was good advice. I don't believe the surgeon mentioned that to me...

Sarah, I have heard similar stories to yours as well. For the time being that is what I am trying to do, keep him still. I give you a lot of credit because I am sure that was not an easy task!!

My Zeke is just the neighborhood poster dog/ambassador/protector of the neighbor's houses. He is not very active at all BUT he loves to walk and walk around the neighborhood so everyone can awe at how wonderful he is. He has definately learned that being calm, cool and collected gets him tons of attention. However, if he is not visiting he gets very depressed. So, I am taking a bit of everyone's advice. I am going to call another surgeon and see what they think. But in the meantime I will kepp him still...hopefully.