Dog injury (trying to be calm) (1 Viewer)

[belljr]

So we had to leave town without our almost 13 year old Chigi..... For the first time ever we had to use a stranger for dog sitting. So I sign up for the wag app (that was recommended to me)....find a woman great reviews, blah blah blah. Was super nice, send me pics. Lady (that's the dog's name) is acclimated well she's sleeping on the couch, sends me a picture. 15 minutes later I get a text, I don't want to bother you but just wanted to let you know, lady was trying to get comfortable on the couch and slipped off, and hurt her leg. She says she doesn't seem to be be in pain but we will keep an eye on it. Get a text the next day. Looks like she's doing better, she went for a walk snuck downstairs with me. So I pick her up yesterday and the sitter tells me she is doing worse. Take her to vet, they think she has a torn ACL. Fme.....

Surgery runs 5-8k sorry that's not happening. Need to explore some medical only options

So I'm a little pissed but also understanding this was an accident but unlikely would have ever happened on my watch......

:sad:

 

[ChiefD]

Sorry to hear that.

Our dog was diagnosed with a torn ACL years ago. Was probably 9 or so - yellow lab. Surgery price was about the same. We ended up getting her a prescription dog food with glucosamine in it. Worked wonders for her. She never needed surgery and lived til she was 13 with that condition.

She may have also had a prescription inflammation pill also - can't remember. But we definitely managed it and she was able to live a normal life after that.

 

[massraider]

Yeah, seems unlikely your dog was gonna go pro at that age, anyway

 

[belljr]

Yeah, seems unlikely your dog was gonna go pro at that age, anyway

lol..... I'm trying to not think "it's the ladies fault" but she has fallen off of our couch zero times lol.... i'm guessing it was more "strange environment"

 

[massraider]

Sent you an unsolicited photo, and then alerted you immediately to the issue.

Feels like actions of a good and decent person. Clearly, just first impression.

 

[Jaysus]

Is it a back leg? Can you get her one of those cool wheeled carts until it heels? Those things are bad ***.

 

[belljr]

Sent you an unsolicited photo, and then alerted you immediately to the issue.

Feels like actions of a good and decent person. Clearly, just first impression.

its actually required as part of the service........... but yeah as I said I'm just "emotional about it"..... I know there was no maliciousness.....at least I don't think so

 

[belljr]

Is it a back leg? Can you get her one of those cool wheeled carts until it heels? Those things are bad ***.

IT IS!!!! We haven't reached those discussions yet, just got the results back this morning

 

[Hawks64]

So we had to leave town without our almost 13 year old Chigi..... For the first time ever we had to use a stranger for dog sitting. So I sign up for the wag app (that was recommended to me)....find a woman great reviews, blah blah blah. Was super nice, send me pics. Lady (that's the dog's name) is acclimated well she's sleeping on the couch, sends me a picture. 15 minutes later I get a text, I don't want to bother you but just wanted to let you know, lady was trying to get comfortable on the couch and slipped off, and hurt her leg. She says she doesn't seem to be be in pain but we will keep an eye on it. Get a text the next day. Looks like she's doing better, she went for a walk snuck downstairs with me. So I pick her up yesterday and the sitter tells me she is doing worse. Take her to vet, they think she has a torn ACL. Fme.....

Surgery runs 5-8k sorry that's not happening. Need to explore some medical only options

So I'm a little pissed but also understanding this was an accident but unlikely would have ever happened on my watch......

:sad:

My sister swears by Posh Dog braces. Her Great Pyrenees has torn both his ACLs and she went with these and it's been really awesome for him.

 

[belljr]

So we had to leave town without our almost 13 year old Chigi..... For the first time ever we had to use a stranger for dog sitting. So I sign up for the wag app (that was recommended to me)....find a woman great reviews, blah blah blah. Was super nice, send me pics. Lady (that's the dog's name) is acclimated well she's sleeping on the couch, sends me a picture. 15 minutes later I get a text, I don't want to bother you but just wanted to let you know, lady was trying to get comfortable on the couch and slipped off, and hurt her leg. She says she doesn't seem to be be in pain but we will keep an eye on it. Get a text the next day. Looks like she's doing better, she went for a walk snuck downstairs with me. So I pick her up yesterday and the sitter tells me she is doing worse. Take her to vet, they think she has a torn ACL. Fme.....

Surgery runs 5-8k sorry that's not happening. Need to explore some medical only options

So I'm a little pissed but also understanding this was an accident but unlikely would have ever happened on my watch......

:sad:

My sister swears by Posh Dog braces. Her Great Pyrenees has torn both his ACLs and she went with these and it's been really awesome for him.

Man thats a tough price to swallow also .......

 

[Hawks64]

So we had to leave town without our almost 13 year old Chigi..... For the first time ever we had to use a stranger for dog sitting. So I sign up for the wag app (that was recommended to me)....find a woman great reviews, blah blah blah. Was super nice, send me pics. Lady (that's the dog's name) is acclimated well she's sleeping on the couch, sends me a picture. 15 minutes later I get a text, I don't want to bother you but just wanted to let you know, lady was trying to get comfortable on the couch and slipped off, and hurt her leg. She says she doesn't seem to be be in pain but we will keep an eye on it. Get a text the next day. Looks like she's doing better, she went for a walk snuck downstairs with me. So I pick her up yesterday and the sitter tells me she is doing worse. Take her to vet, they think she has a torn ACL. Fme.....

Surgery runs 5-8k sorry that's not happening. Need to explore some medical only options

So I'm a little pissed but also understanding this was an accident but unlikely would have ever happened on my watch......

:sad:

My sister swears by Posh Dog braces. Her Great Pyrenees has torn both his ACLs and she went with these and it's been really awesome for him.

Man thats a tough price to swallow also .......

A 1/6th of the cost of surgery

 

[3C's]

So we had to leave town without our almost 13 year old Chigi..... For the first time ever we had to use a stranger for dog sitting. So I sign up for the wag app (that was recommended to me)....find a woman great reviews, blah blah blah. Was super nice, send me pics. Lady (that's the dog's name) is acclimated well she's sleeping on the couch, sends me a picture. 15 minutes later I get a text, I don't want to bother you but just wanted to let you know, lady was trying to get comfortable on the couch and slipped off, and hurt her leg. She says she doesn't seem to be be in pain but we will keep an eye on it. Get a text the next day. Looks like she's doing better, she went for a walk snuck downstairs with me. So I pick her up yesterday and the sitter tells me she is doing worse. Take her to vet, they think she has a torn ACL. Fme.....

Surgery runs 5-8k sorry that's not happening. Need to explore some medical only options

So I'm a little pissed but also understanding this was an accident but unlikely would have ever happened on my watch......

:sad:

My sister swears by Posh Dog braces. Her Great Pyrenees has torn both his ACLs and she went with these and it's been really awesome for him.

Man thats a tough price to swallow also .......

Probably because it's posh.

Dog that age I wouldn't go surgery unless absolutely needed. Take 2 Vetprofen and call me in the morning.

 

[fruity pebbles]

Not the sitters fault and def no surgery

 

[Cowboysfan8]

If Hines Ward doesn’t need an acl, Lady doesn’t need an acl

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Years ago our lab needed an acl done and there were two options. The old school one and the expensive one.

Because our vet at the time did a TON of these they did them cheap. They figured they would rather people get their dogs fixed than make a boatload on them. Sadly, im not sure there are many vets left who operate that way but you might want to call around.

 

[Doug B]

If Hines Ward doesn’t need an acl, Lady doesn’t need an acl

Lots of people walking around with ACL tears and not realizing it beyond "My knee was killing me for a few weeks, but it got better".

A dog had a biomechanical advantage being a quadriped, as well.

 

[CletiusMaximus]

A client's dog needed ACL surgery a couple years ago and he caved to his wife and got it done - $7k. Less than a month later, he lets the dog out back one night and waits a while. Calls for the dog but it isn't coming back. He walks out in the back yard and hears it whimpering - tore the other ACL. At this point he figured he was too invested not to get the second leg done as well. He told me this story over some cocktails and I just stared, speechless. I grew up in farm country and the only time we saw a vet was for the cows. I had to pay a couple grand a few years back myself when our dog swallowed a small nerf gun ball - was just happy it wasn't more. I had no say in the matter.

 

[mr. furley]

my now 7 year old dog has done this twice.

neither time required surgery, just r&r, per the vet. she limped around on three legs for a couple weeks, trying out the torn one here and there until she was just back on 4 legs again and from there we started taking short walks again.

the last time she did it was earlier this year... maybe March'ish? we're back to 3-4 mile walks 4-5 times a week without any issue.

 

[Terminalxylem]

If Hines Ward doesn’t need an acl, Lady doesn’t need an acl

Lots of people walking around with ACL tears and not realizing it beyond "My knee was killing me for a few weeks, but it got better".

A dog had a biomechanical advantage being a quadriped, as well.

Yep. In humans, ACL surgery speeds recovery, but two years out, functionality and pain are roughly the same as those managed non-operatively.

No idea for dogs, especially older ones.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

If Hines Ward doesn’t need an acl, Lady doesn’t need an acl

Lots of people walking around with ACL tears and not realizing it beyond "My knee was killing me for a few weeks, but it got better".

A dog had a biomechanical advantage being a quadriped, as well.

Yep. In humans, ACL surgery speeds recovery, but two years out, functionality and pain are roughly the same as those managed non-operatively.

No idea for dogs, especially older ones.

Surgery in humans may not be better. Alas, this article is on the WaPo and therefore behind a paywall. It's reporting on an article in the British Journal of Dports Medicine.

 

[Ron Swanson]

A client's dog needed ACL surgery a couple years ago and he caved to his wife and got it done - $7k. Less than a month later, he lets the dog out back one night and waits a while. Calls for the dog but it isn't coming back. He walks out in the back yard and hears it whimpering - tore the other ACL. At this point he figured he was too invested not to get the second leg done as well. He told me this story over some cocktails and I just stared, speechless. I grew up in farm country and the only time we saw a vet was for the cows. I had to pay a couple grand a few years back myself when our dog swallowed a small nerf gun ball - was just happy it wasn't more. I had no say in the matte

I was harangued into it by my wife as well, against my raised in the country sensibilities We did try to let it heal for about 3 months using braces and the dog still limped. The big issue is she couldn't (or wouldn't) jump into the truck anymore and we travel with the dogs a couple times a year. I finally agreed to a 1 surgery per dog policy but if they tear the 2nd one they're just going to have a trick knee like Uncle Earl. The surgery did work, the dog is perfectly mobile again, and she jumps in the truck no problem but I still wish we'd just given it more time to heal.

 

[Chemical X]

look, a dog is a family member and you are responsible. if everyone in your family has insurance, you should be getting pet insurance to cover this stuff. if you want a dog to say you have a dog and hope they don’t get hurt or sick, don’t get a dog. pet insurance isn’t that expensive really. sorry.

 

[LawFitz]

Depends on the age and expected activity of the dog, but you should look into all options before proceeding, including "conservative management" without surgery. After much research we went that route with our then 4-yr-old Pit, who later tore the other ACL a couple yrs later. Went CM both times and she went on to live a great and full life, until a few months ago when we sadly had to put her down at age 14.5.

Doggie ACL surgeries tend to be relatively ineffective (cadaver replacement ligament) or extemely invasive (TPLO). The former has a high failure rate, and while the latter generally works, when it doesn’t, it's super ugly. And I have heard, but was unable to find corroborating data, that TPLP dogs struggle with the reconstruction as they age.

Good luck regardless of which way you go. If you do go CM, make sure to use proper dietary supplements and to be ultra vigilant keeping the dog down during rehab/recovery. Look up the broken fence analogy as that helped us bigtime in terms of proper mindset.

 

[HellToupee]

look, a dog is a family member and you are responsible. if everyone in your family has insurance, you should be getting pet insurance to cover this stuff. if you want a dog to say you have a dog and hope they don’t get hurt or sick, don’t get a dog. pet insurance isn’t that expensive really. sorry.

Our 3yo lab just tore his ACL . Already in $800ish for X-ray, sedation,diagnosis, meds & yearly shots. Today we were quoted 7-9k range, luckily we have insurance(nationwide)that says it covers 90%

my wife just had rotator cuff surgery a month ago and our out of pocket cost is under $500

 

[belljr]

Lol - my inusrance deductible for me personally is 6k. So if it were me I'd still be shelling out 5k in cash with insurance. Not sure that argument always works. But I do only pay $200 a month for my premium.

Anyway shes doing better - still cant run too much or jump but can walk around pretty good, small limp. Might take her in for a follow up in a week or 2

ETA: for Chemical X.... I didn't want a dog but the options were take her to a shelter or take her home after my wifes grandfather passed away. So I think we are doing just fine considering our plan wasn't to take in an 11 year old dog

 

[Chemical X]

Lol - my inusrance deductible for me personally is 6k. So if it were me I'd still be shelling out 5k in cash with insurance. Not sure that argument always works. But I do only pay $200 a month for my premium.

Anyway shes doing better - still cant run too much or jump but can walk around pretty good, small limp. Might take her in for a follow up in a week or 2

ETA: for Chemical X.... I didn't want a dog but the options were take her to a shelter or take her home after my wifes grandfather passed away. So I think we are doing just fine considering our plan wasn't to take in an 11 year old dog

understood and i don’t mean to come off as holier than thou. i’d rather you have than a shelter and at 13, things happen……my insurance post is more for those getting new/younger dogs. i’m a bit jumpy too since i am now dogless prolly for the rest of my life….i just hate hate hate watching my buddies get old and suffer and hurt. so i hate hearing it to. it rankles my rooster.