EatTheLeash

After being a tripod for a day I brought Haley in to the Vet. Diagnoses without xray was a CCL Tear/Rupture with recommendation to do a consult with an orthopedic specialist.

At this point it is unclear the extent of the damage, but my Vet seemed pretty sure it was a full rupture. She has been on anti inflamatories for 12 hours and is now using the leg a lot more. Since this is all new to me I have learned as much as I can in the past day. I am willing to do whichever treatment that will get her back to my side.

As I research procedures and specialists, one thing is confusing to me. It seems there are a lot of different types of "board certified" surgeons. Not having the info in front of me I came across ABVP - AVMA - and some other ones. What should I be looking for? My Vet gave me two local recommendations, but I wouldn't be opposed to travel if need be.

I appreciate any information, thanks everyone!

flaminscotch

One of the best Ortho surgeons, period, is in Ontario, Canada.
Caledon Mountain Veterinary Hospital. Dr. John Brejkovich.
John travels extensively to treat dogs.
I give you this recommendation from personal experience.
Good Luck.

tnh317

You're probably looking at a TPLO to get her back to full, normal usage of her leg. I highly recommend you make the trip down to VOSM.

__________________
"Expect the worst and you won't be disappointed." - Helen MacInnes

Meldrew79

Sorry to hear your pup's having trouble. We're just bringing our girl back for her check up today, she's 8 weeks post TPLO. I don't have any Dr. recommendations for your area, but if you have any questions along the way please feel free to ask me!

ETA: One thing we asked our Dr when we met him, is how many of the surgeries he does a week and what his success rate is. We also came across a few of his patients and they all had nothing but good things to say about him, so we felt very comfortable with him operating on our baby! I don't know if it helps, but his title is: DVM, Diplomate ACVS.

__________________

EatTheLeash

flaminscotch-
Will look to see if he's in my area in the near future. I appreciate it.

tnh317-
I have some family in Maryland, so that may work. Am looking into them. Thank you.

Meldrew79-
I spent some time reading your updates before I posted. Learned a lot. Thank you for sharing that.



TPLO at this time seems like the best fit. Calling around locally, there are a lot of things that instantly rule out some of these facilities. Apparently CCL surgery is very common, but most of the places (mostly receptionists) I have called aren't sure which surgery they perform most often... No thank you is my response when asked if I want to schedule an appointment.


Edit: Thomas D. Scavelli, DVM Diplomate ACVS - Comes recommended locally.

tnh317

Focus on specialty centers that have board certified orthopedic surgeons on staff, there are plenty in the area that do that: University of Pennsylvania, Redbank, Garden State, Oradell, Delaware Specialty Center, etc. (I still recommend VOSM first though).

__________________
"Expect the worst and you won't be disappointed." - Helen MacInnes

EatTheLeash

The gentleman I said above is at Garden State. That and Red Bank are both within 20 minutes. In communication with both facilities, along with VOSM now. Much appreciated!

Adara

Crap, sorry to hear that. I'm not versed in that area of injury (yet anyway) so can't offer advice. Can offer support

__________________
Colleen
Flirt, ADAMAS All the Girls Do It, OA, NAJ, CL2-F, CL2-H
Gabby, Ch Gold Run's Token of Rumor, JH, NA, OAJ, NF, NJP, CL2,CL3-H, CL3-F Vizsla
Havoc, GCh HRQ Guess Who's In Trouble, JH, OA, OAJ, CL2-H, CL2-S, CL2-F Vizsla
Envy, Kizmar's Bailey HotShot of Adara, Vizsla

EatTheLeash

I'll take all I can get! I knew something like this was coming one day! She likes to play hard and has the legs of a giraffe. All I can hope is that she makes a full recovery and we can get back to the things we love. Just in time for the warmer weather would be awesome.

I feel like keeping her quiet for a few months is certainly going to be the hardest part. Obliviously raw bones and bully sticks will need to be brought in by the truckload. I just can't see how I'm going to be able to spoil her rotten with chewy things, without her blowing up to 100 lbs ...

Meldrew79

We've cut back on Brandy's food by about a 1/3 to help her from getting chunky.

A really great place to join is the Orthodogs Yahoo Group. They've answered so many of my questions and have some really good resources, all from people who have been there before.

__________________

EatTheLeash

Dropped her off for bloodwork and X-rays. Touch alone is showing a full rupture, so we are expecting a tta or tplo depending on joint angulation. Found out anesthesia and X-rays are most likely postponed due to two emergency visits from dogs getting hit by cars. We reluctently decided its best she spends the night there, so now we wait for the call that surgery is a go. She was such a brave girl during her exam. I couldn't be more proud of her!

Meldrew79

I'll be thinking of you! I know how nerve wracking it is to have to sit and wait!

__________________

EatTheLeash

Just got the call. She is waking up from surgery, and everything went as well as it could. They went ahead with the less invasive TTA and we will be picking her up tomorrow. Amazing how quiet the house is without her! Thanks for the support everyone!

Meldrew79

Good to hear! Now the fun part...keeping her entertained while she's healing!

__________________

EatTheLeash

Comes home today! Doctor said she is already using the leg!

Meldrew79

That's great! Follow their instructions closely. If they're anything like our doctor you'll have a 10 page manual!

__________________

EatTheLeash

One thing I meant to ask on the phone was about a crate pad or bed during recovery. Is there any preferred bedding in the crate? I was out for hours yesterday looking at "orthopedic" pads and the like. They were cheap egg crate mattress pads wrapped in a non removable sheet. $80... What a racket the dog bed business is. I would assume I don't want her on something super soft but want her comfortable and supported..

Meldrew79

We bought Brandy an ortho mattress at our local Farm and Fleet when it was on sale for $25. We don't keep her in the crate much though, so it doesn't get much use. For sleeping we put our king size mattress on the floor and she sleeps with us like she always does. It was kind of nice, because then I could be right with her if she needed anything. She was pretty whiny the first night, so be prepared! And she had to go out quite a bit, they normally have them on a saline drip and it makes them pee!
I was lucky, during the day my SO was home and could watch her. If we had to leave, we just blocked everything off (stairs, couches, beds) and let her be like normal although in a smaller space. I know your girl's a lot younger though, so you might not let her out during the day yet.
This is sort of random, but one thing someone mentioned to me was to put a big sign on your front door not to ring the bell. Or even disconnect your doorbell if you can (we couldn't just did the sign). Brandy will leap and bark if someone rings the bell and this helped a lot to keep her calm.

__________________

Thor_Red

My Cleo has had 3 ACL surgeries. Two of which were done after I adopted her. I bought her a 6 inch ortho mattress for her crate. I did follow the instructions religiously and kept her crated for the most part unless she was supervised and there were no other dogs in the same room. However her crate was right next to me day and night. I fed her breakfast and dinner in bed and all the icecubes she wanted since she refused to drink water while crated. She still complained that I was keeping her jailed when she should be recovering in a spa. But she healed and that's the important part. Particularly at first when nothing is solid yet, a sudden move can cause a lot of damage. After the last surgery it took her a little longer to get back up to speed despite X-rays showing that she should use that leg better than she was. However after taking her to Physical Therapy for 10 sessions she made a complete turnaround. I swear by that cold laser, ultrasound and aqua therapy now when done by a board certified canine rehab practitioner.

__________________

Beaumont67

EatTheLeash
- all the very best & full recovery wishes, for your loving Haley sweety
- when the house was quiet that night, she probably miss you guys...so much to

__________________
------------Kelly & (Amy - RIP @ 11.7 y/o)

Meldrew79

How are things going with Haley?

__________________

EatTheLeash

She is using the leg to walk, and seems very comfortable. Sutures come out on Wednesday. That will be the two week point. She spends the day in the crate if we are not home, and is confined to half of the living room when we are home and at night. We removed all the couches and replaced them with a queen sized mattress...

It was warm yesterday, so i was able to gate her inside the front porch and she enjoyed spending time outdoors. I wish this situation upon nobody! It is a lot of work, and requires tons of foresight to keep her safe. She is used to three hours a day of exercise, and is now restricted to leashed "freedom" and restricted space limitations. Add in a one year old baby and its a good time for sure!

monicaei

So sorry to hear this. Just wanted to chime in and say good luck. There are some really good mental tricks and games for crate rested dogs, to keep them from going completely bonkers. Once the stiches are out and shes no longer on drugs you may need to try some of them out. Someone (MC, maybe) posted the link from her trainer on here when my girl had surgery. It was invaluable

dax0402

Just caught this. Hoping and praying for a speedy recovery for Haley. Did you end up going to Garden State in Tinton Falls? If so, they are wonderful. Baron goes there to the cardiologist.

__________________
2013 Dobermantalk Calendar on sale now!

Lois and Baron