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I'm considering stairs myself. Daisy is 16 now and although she acts pretty spry, I don't want to risk an injury. The Coonhound is 14 and is the one I give Dasequin to for her joints.
I'm considering stairs myself. Daisy is 16 now and although she acts pretty spry, I don't want to risk an injury. The Coonhound is 14 and is the one I give Dasequin to for her joints.
Beautiful girl! With my dogs, I doubt they would use the stairs to dismount. Whenever they hear anything outside they launch off the bed and I'm afraid they would not use the stairs.
With my dogs, I doubt they would use the stairs to dismount. Whenever they hear anything outside they launch off the bed and I'm afraid they would not use the stairs.
Yeah I feel the same. They have a doggy door and free run of the bedroom, so like yours, the whole pack will go running. The funniest is when they all get to the doggy door at the same time and they have to go by the order.
Just hope it isn't an ACL (or CCL I think it is in dogs?)
My dog had that a few years back.. That one is expensive and is a tough surgery with a fairly long recovery. There are options with it though, and.. SHOULD it wind up being this.. Investigate those options.
My dog was 11 or 12 when she tore her ACL. I wound up going with the Tightrope procedure as it's far less invasive and has a far quicker recovery than the TPLO.. It's (slightly) cheaper as well. TPLO runs $4k while the tightrope is about $3k.
She was recovered in about 2 weeks. She clicks now when she walks, but no pain.
Just hope it isn't an ACL (or CCL I think it is in dogs?)
My dog had that a few years back.. That one is expensive and is a tough surgery with a fairly long recovery. There are options with it though, and.. SHOULD it wind up being this.. Investigate those options.
My dog was 11 or 12 when she tore her ACL. I wound up going with the Tightrope procedure as it's far less invasive and has a far quicker recovery than the TPLO.. It's (slightly) cheaper as well. TPLO runs $4k while the tightrope is about $3k.
She was recovered in about 2 weeks. She clicks now when she walks, but no pain.
That is exactly what it is. I am prepared to pay whatever it costs. She's my buddy and only 4 years old. I have spent more than that on stupid things in my life; this one isn't a stupid spending decision.
One of mine had an ACL tear years ago and after two weeks of crate rest he was fine - it had healed and he didn't need surgery. He's older now and arthritic so we have soft stairs to allow him to get on and off of our bed easily. We also have another set of soft stairs next to the sofa where we watch tv.
I had tried other types of stairs in the past that were plastic or rubber and he just didn't want to use them. I found the soft stairs on Amazon and they come with a washable cover too. I think our little guy didn't feel secure enough on the plastic stairs but he took to the fabric stairs very easily.
Good luck over the next two weeks : ) I know it's going to be hard for both of you especially since you're used to sleeping together.
That is exactly what it is. I am prepared to pay whatever it costs. She's my buddy and only 4 years old. I have spent more than that on stupid things in my life; this one isn't a stupid spending decision.
Talk to multiple vets. PREFERABLY a couple that don't do the procedure themselves. I feel too many are stuck in their ways with TPLO being the 'only' option.
I made the decision on the tightrope, which is a relatively newer procedure, based on Faith's age. I just didn't see the point in putting her through the massive TPLO where they're shaving bone and all when we could do the tightrope, which.. They did it and released her the same day.. There was followups with 'laser therapy', but those were bundled into the original cost of the surgery. Faith is also about 50 lbs, so, larger dog, which the tightrope procedure is more geared towards.
Don't know where you are.. Ah.. TN.. I'm upstate of SC. Faith had her tightrope at Walker Animal Hospital in Anderson, SC
There are other options besides those two as well.. including.. Letting it scar over naturally. that will happen. Scar tissue will form and provide stability to the joint. In fact, the tightrope is really just a bridge to that.
The dog will never be EXACTLY the same again, and know that a high percentage of dogs who tear an ACL.. Wind up tearing the other one.
That being said.. Faith busted out the door running this morning chasing after geese that were in the yard. The rabbits she chases usually win the race now. In her younger days, it was no great shock to come home to see her having caught her own rabbit dinner and chowing down on it in the front yard.. So, she's lost a step, but.. Then again.. She's 12 now and will be 13 in September.
She's kinda like my grandmother after she had hip replacement at ~80 years old. She sits differently now and she spins around 5 or 6 times finding the perfect angle to sit down.. But doesn't seem to be in pain, just.. The joint is always a bit stiff. And.. She's probably at this point got a little arthritis going on, too.
Again.. Best advice I can give.. Talk to multiple vets. Second and third opinions. Then, take the info and make the decision you feel is best.
I'm considering stairs myself. Daisy is 16 now and although she acts pretty spry, I don't want to risk an injury. The Coonhound is 14 and is the one I give Dasequin to for her joints.
Black and Tan? Beautiful dog!
My older GSP male is pretty lame now. Just went to the vet yesterday and he's on some meds to clear up a little trace blood in his urine and then he'll get Cosequin and another anti-inflammatory. He's also going to go from his working weight of 90lbs to 80lbs.
He's retired from field hunting and on house ball fetch duty. One thing about working dogs in the field they can wear down a bit faster.
Talk to multiple vets. PREFERABLY a couple that don't do the procedure themselves. I feel too many are stuck in their ways with TPLO being the 'only' option.
I have a Vet I have used for 20 years now; they do these surgeries in-house. I have found their pricing to be fair. They are a "country" vet and I do not get the sense they are out to get as much cash as they can. One time I adopted a dog "family" after the neighbors house burned down. The vet spayed 2 females and neutered 4 males and the cost was under 250 dollars (he gave me a volume discount but this was back in 2004). The other instance was when the dog had diabetes and he did not push for me to try to manage it; he suggested as one course of action to put down the dog. I just don't get the sense he is out to maximize profits.
I will ask about the various surgical options and keep what you suggested in mind.
It's a very common injury. Partial tears can and do heal but it takes longer than you might think. You do NOT want her to keep re-injuring it! There are steps and/or ramps you can buy or build as a safer alternative to jumping on/off your bed.
It's been my experience that ACL tears do not heal. They only get worse.
Niece's dog had a partial ACL tear when the dog was a year and a half old. She couldn't afford the surgery, so the dog lived with the injury...and then tore the ACL in the other leg. The dog is now over ten years old, but can't run and can only walk so far, and she's very sensitive to pain in both hind legs.
My one dog tore her ACL back when she was about a year old, right around the start of COVID and right when I was light in the wallet and staring down a possible layoff at work. Took me a year, but I was able to afford the surgery for her. Between discovery of the ACL tear and the surgery, my dog's condition actually got worse. And a few years later, after the surgery and complete recovery, she tore her other ACL. Fortunately, I was able to afford the second surgery right away. Today, at 6 years old, she now bounds like a gazelle without any pain whatsoever. When I stop and think about how she was before each surgery, it's kind of astounding how well she's recovered.
Then my other dog tore his ACL at seven years old...and so it goes. Prior to surgery he wouldn't walk more than a block. After his surgery and recovery, he got his zoomies back...and he dragged me around the neighborhood on a three mile walk. Now I'm just waiting for the other ACL tear...and sooner might be better. If it happens when it's too dangerous for him to go under anesthesia due to advanced age, at least he'll have one good hind leg under him - he'll live out the remainder of his life as a tri-pod.
Put me down as someone totally sold on TPLO surgery...even if it is so expensive. It's made a world of difference to the quality of life for both my dogs.
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