Dog has a torn ACL- What to do?

It is a very complex issue with lots of options, some better then others. It is difficult to address all the variables in an internet post. If you PM me digits, I would be happy to talk to you. I don't do the surgery, but send them to the local surgeons. You want somebody who does a lot of them.

Generally speaking surgery is a far better option then letting it heal, which it won't. Once blown an ACL is gone forever. It may get "better" for awhile, but it will get arthritic, and surgery will limit that. Little dogs can get by without surgery, even though most would still benefit from it.

As to which surgery, that depends on the dog and the surgeon. The best option is to go to a surgeon who has done a lot of all the options and let them decide which is best. There are + and - to each, and a lot depends on the dog and its confirmation. One is not better then another, they just address different issues. Just don't have somebody "repair" the ACL. It doesn't work in dogs (they are different then people), the biodynamics of the injury need to be addressed.

If at all possible do to somebody with endoscopy as well. Most surgeons just do the surgery, but miss hidden damage seen by scoping the knee. Addressing the ACL, but missing the meniscus damage does not make for the best final result.

The hardest thing about surgery, aside from paying for it, is committing to keeping the dog quiet post surgery (3-4 months?) and doing the PT. If you aren't/can't do the follow up, it can be a huge waste of money. Also be aware if you have on bad knee, you probably have two, and it is not unusual to blow the other one in 6 months. Ultimately ACL problems in dogs is an anatomy/confirmation issue, not a sports injury (even though he may have blown it running or jumping, it was was just the last straw.)

Hope this Readers Digest version helps some, that and DD is an idiot, but that is common knowledge.

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Originally Posted by irul&ublo

That would be cruel.

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Just put him to sleep.... no one is going to pick him out at the pound and take him home.

Thanks for all of the advice, we are actively looking for a surgeon. It sounds like a lot of time and money but like others have said, I'd do anything for the pup.

http://eddieswheels.com/wp-content/u...heels_0051.jpg

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

I know all about dogs and their reciprocal relationships with human families. The minute you spend 2300$ on a dog, that all goes out the window and you are a shallow status seeker.

subjecting dogs or other animals to the human condition is wrong, flat out.

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ignoring your hangup with other people's money...what would YOU do with a loved pet that has a repairable knee problem?

let him limp and never run again?
hold him up every time he has to poop?
never take him to the park to play again?
take him out back and shoot him?
take him back to the pound?


maybe there's some sort of idea in your statement that makes sense to you, but what you're communicating is unintelligible right now
("subjecting dogs to the human condition": WTF does this mean?)

i cant believe everyone fails to connect the dots. Other than the 2300$ dog showing us that the owners are in desperate need of attention and status, it also perpetuates animal abuse and puppy milling. Supporting such a market is ethically wrong, and it only leads to mistreatment of dogs.

your mind is tiny if you dont know about the human condition ... im not going to explain it

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

i cant believe everyone fails to connect the dots. Other than the 2300$ dog showing us that the owners are in desperate need of attention and status, it also perpetuates animal abuse and puppy milling. Supporting such a market is ethically wrong, and it only leads to mistreatment of dogs.

your mind is tiny if you dont know about the human condition ... im not going to explain it

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the problem is no one understands what you think that means

no just you

you cant grasp the fact that paying 2300hun for a dog exacerbates puppy milling and creates an environment for animal exploitation?

when perfectly suitable and reasonably priced substitutes exist....yet personal preference (status seeking mainly) supersedes logic and utility

this is an indicator of not only an artificial bubble(via avarice), but also low quality and counterfeit products (milled dogs and shit dogs from amateurs) as well the market being rife with literal and figurative abuses

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Originally Posted by Dhelihiker

Thanks for all of the advice, we are activinely looking for a surgeon. It sounds like a lot of time and money but like others have said, I'd do anything for the pup.

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Where in CA are you looking?

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

no just you

you cant grasp the fact that paying 2300hun for a dog exacerbates puppy milling and creates an environment for animal exploitation?

when perfectly suitable and reasonably priced substitutes exist....yet personal preference (status seeking mainly) supersedes logic and utility

this is an indicator of not only an artificial bubble(via avarice), but also low quality and counterfeit products (milled dogs and shit dogs from amateurs) as well the market being rife with literal and figurative abuses

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http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/47824350.jpg

Sacramento, whatchya got?

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Originally Posted by Binky

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/47824350.jpg

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bitch, you let your bitch spend 2300 on a dog to elevate her status and increase her confidence

thats pathetic

My lab tore her ACL when she was five and we went through the same decision. We opted for TPLO, but as was previously mentioned, find someone who has done a lot of them. We took Maddie four hours south of us to a specialty clinic and we're glad we did. The hardest part is the PT that follows, as has been mentioned, but we were fortunate enough to live very close to a large body of water that we could work her out in when time came. Keeping her calm was the hardest part by far. Hutash mentioned the likelihood of the other knee going shortly after and that ultimately happened to our pup as well, although she made it almost three years before it went. The second surgery was a suture stabilization surgery due to age and she clearly did not fair as well after that one as she did with the TPLO. Might have been age, might have been arthritis, I'll never know. To this day we never regret the TPLO surgery or its cost. I believe our pup had great results with it and have since referred other friends to the same surgeon when their dogs have had ACL issues.

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Originally Posted by Happy Fun Ball

Keeping her calm was the hardest part by far. .

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because dogs dont know what TPLO is

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

bitch, you let your bitch spend 2300 on a dog to elevate her status and increase her confidence

thats pathetic

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My wife being more confident and having elevated status is not necessarily a bad thing, young man. Unfortunately, as stated many times, but your feeble mind disallows you to comprehend, the dog wasn't purchased for reasons of status elevation. I, unlike you, my basement dweller, have plenty of friends and I don't need to impress them with the wealth neither my wife nor I have. Dumb Dumb

why was it purchased? there would be no other reason other than status and prestige to buy a 2300 dollar dog. quit lying to yourself. its not about impressing only your friends, its to let strangers know that you are monied and shallow and lacking identity...so you get the bro mountain dog to impress everyone, all while supporting the mistreatment and abuse of animals through your egregious purchase


your attempt at comma use above is laughable!

Your attempt at logic is elementary

how you can have $2300 to blow on a dog yet fail to comprehend supply and demand is beyond me

you must of inherited your "wealth"

enjoy your dog, yuppie scum

Have you started crying yet?
Please continue to help me see the image of you sitting in your world, desperately seeking attention, banging on the keyboard in frustration. I still don't feel sorry for you.

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

no just you

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then, perhaps you should explain since you keep replying to me

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

you cant grasp the fact that paying 2300hun for a dog exacerbates puppy milling and creates an environment for animal exploitation?

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because it doesn't?
responsible breeder =/= puppy mill
$2,300 doesn't mean a thing except that's what they paid

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

when perfectly suitable and reasonably priced substitutes exist....yet personal preference (status seeking mainly) supersedes logic and utility

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who are you to decide what a suitable and reasonably priced substitute is for anyone but yourself?
who are you to determine why people make decisions?

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

this is an indicator of not only an artificial bubble(via avarice), but also low quality and counterfeit products (milled dogs and shit dogs from amateurs) as well the market being rife with literal and figurative abuses

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this is your most baffling leap: $2300 (a high price by your estimation) is promoting puppy mills (places that provide low cost, low quality, high turnover)

basic business principle: higher prices only get paid if the product delivers on quality...this is the opposite business model to puppy milling

and you assume by price alone that people are not making informed choices about the places they go to get a dog?

http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/...rs_dealers.pdf

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

because dogs dont know what TPLO is

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you still didn't answer: what would YOU do with a loved pet that has a repairable knee problem?

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Originally Posted by acinpdx

then, perhaps you should explain since you keep replying to me


because it doesn't?
responsible breeder =/= puppy mill
$2,300 doesn't mean a thing except that's what they paid


who are you to decide what a suitable and reasonably priced substitute is for anyone but yourself?
who are you to determine why people make decisions?


this is your most baffling leap: $2300 (a high price by your estimation) is promoting puppy mills (places that provide low cost, low quality, high turnover)

basic business principle: higher prices only get paid if the product delivers on quality...this is the opposite business model to puppy milling

and you assume by price alone that people are not making informed choices about the places they go to get a dog?

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i am saying that by paying such an inflated price you are encouraging milling, brokering and all other nefarious shit involved in markets with no entry barrier.

all you need is two dogs and you can cash in

why even work


how bout you naysayers do some research on how commercial dog breeding effects dogs and stop focusing on increasing your status

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Originally Posted by acinpdx

basic business principle: higher prices only get paid if the product delivers on quality...this is the opposite business model to puppy milling

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haha did you learn this basic tenet is biz school, because it is fallacious -------- price point has nothing to do with quality you fool

look at beats by dre headphones, their entire budget is spent on marketing... to influence buyers into believing it is a "high quality" product via brainwashing

same with pharma companies that spend more money advertising and marketing than research and development


a product is worth whatever somebody will pay for it, and since rich bitches be paying for dumb stuff...industrious capitalists will exploit and corrupt the marketplace

What does TPLO have to do with dog breeding and price paid? I got my dog from a rescue and paid zero, am I allowed to get him the surgery if he needs it? Or should I just shoot him if he starts limping?

oh i forgot about vanity.... other than status, vanity made your wife pay 2300

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Originally Posted by Danno

What does TPLO have to do with dog breeding and price paid? I got my dog from a rescue and paid zero, am I allowed to get him the surgery if he needs it? Or should I just shoot him if he starts limping?

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morally and ethically you are covered

Maybe I should shoot my wife and eat the dog?

responsible breeding is a oxymoron

the dollar supersedes all other biz concerns

commoditizing an animal is wrong

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Originally Posted by Binky

Maybe I should shoot my wife and eat the dog?

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that would be something someone like you would say

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

commoditizing an animal is wrong

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You have gone too fucking far this time asshole.

Badmouthing peoples choice in dogs was bad enough.

http://umd.spoonuniversity.com/wp-co...aconStrips.jpg

have you read of the current state of the pork industry ???

you're eating literal feces

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

i am saying that by paying such an inflated price you are encouraging milling, brokering and all other nefarious shit involved in markets with no entry barrier.

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people not researching where they get their dogs is what is encouraging that nefarious shit, not high prices

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

commoditizing an animal is wrong

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take it up with farmers


is this now the DD coming out as vegan thread?

^^^^^ really

with such wild margins, impropriety becomes serious issue



why even work when i can just drink and watch dogs fuck, then play with puppies for a few weeks (or just lock them in a box) then cash in and go heli skiing

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Originally Posted by digitaldeath

haha did you learn this basic tenet is biz school, because it is fallacious -------- price point has nothing to do with quality you fool

look at beats by dre headphones, their entire budget is spent on marketing... to influence buyers into believing it is a "high quality" product via brainwashing

same with pharma companies that spend more money advertising and marketing than research and development


a product is worth whatever somebody will pay for it, and since rich bitches be paying for dumb stuff...industrious capitalists will exploit and corrupt the marketplace

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neither of those examples are relevant to dogs -- the market is completely different

you claimed price is somehow reflective of quality

i say you are completely wrong and just provided to case studies


a market is a market - they all function the same fundamentally

I'm not sure puppy milling is that glamorous of a job haha-
trying to elevate status is such a strange conclusion to jump to- maybe it's more that a person (perhaps erroneously) thinks that a more expensive dog might be more trouble free than a pound dog? seems to be the more likely situation.
Or my mother still frigging talks 50 yrs later about wishing her family got a St Bernard when she was a kid instead of their black lab. I'd guess it's more that some people just get a special place in their hearts for a certain breed of dog and so they seek that out.

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Originally Posted by baby bear

I'd guess it's more that some people just get a special place in their hearts for a certain breed of dog and so they seek that out.

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ding!

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Originally Posted by Dhelihiker

Sacramento, whatchya got?

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Lots of options in the Sacto/UCD area. I have a call in to a local surgeon who knows all the N. California surgeons to get the best recommendation. Unfortunately he was in surgery when I called, probably doing a knee. If you want to drive to Ventura, my guy is great, but there are good options in your area. I'll let you know.