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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

@bichon mom wrote:

Thank you to all of you who responded.  I appreciate all of your suggestions.

 

Right now I am going to supplement with glucosomine and turmeric as well as limit activity.

 

She is putting weght on leg but we are mostly carrying her.  

 

Still waiting to hear from Tufts.  Just really worried abou my baby!


 

 

@bichon mom  She needs more than glucosamine and turmeric.  She definitely needs some type of pill for pain.  If she's not putting much weight on her leg it's because it's painful.  Glucosamine and turmeric don't always help.  I know neither one helped me at all.


The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau





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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I know each pet is different and heals differently.  But my then 12 year old poodle tore his as well and healed up without surgery.  He also has other health issues and would not be a good candidate for surgery.  He took pain meds a few days and held that leg up for what seemed like two months, but finally and  slowly the leg went down and the limping improved now 14.5 years old that leg works just fine.  Best of luck with your baby.

Super Contributor
Posts: 342
Registered: ‎04-18-2011

@NickNackChloe is currently on prescription anti-inflammatory meds  and pain killers but can't sat on them for a long time due to her Cushing's'  Just want to add supplements,

 

@Shop Till you DropDid your poodle have a complete tear? Did your vet recommend surgery? I don't think Chloe is a good candidate either due to her age and medical issues.  What helped with the healing?

 

My vet is currently playing phone tag with Tufts.  Hopefully, tomorrow we will hear more.

 

Thx again for your input!

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@bichon mom wrote:

@NickNackChloe is currently on prescription anti-inflammatory meds  and pain killers but can't sat on them for a long time due to her Cushing's'  Just want to add supplements,

 

@Shop Till you DropDid your poodle have a complete tear? Did your vet recommend surgery? I don't think Chloe is a good candidate either due to her age and medical issues.  What helped with the healing?

 

My vet is currently playing phone tag with Tufts.  Hopefully, tomorrow we will hear more.

 

Thx again for your input!


 

 

@bichon mom  My sister's shih tzu has Cushings, too, as well as arthritis.  She has been on supplements but her arthritis continues to get worse.  The Vet recently started her on Rimadyl.  We are really hoping this will help her.  I'm sure they will have to carefully watch her blood work.  I hope the supplements will help your baby.


The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau





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Registered: ‎04-18-2011

@NickNackThank you, I will mention it to my vet.

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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

He felt that we should give it 3 weeks after the total tear to see how he was doing.  After the 3 weeks we saw improvement and he felt confident he would heal nicely on his own and have full mobililty and thank goodness it worked out for us.

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Registered: ‎06-20-2010

Big tears come to my eyes, as I am sitting here with 2 rescues that I did not ask for, but showed up on my steps, non the less...I have my own set of new issues, but not for here....My baby love Savannah, that you can look up here from years past, tore her ACL, and I was sent to Auburn small animal hospital, and they did what is called a TPLO...failed....Now, mind you, she was very active, and did not do well being kenneled, but we survived..Then I thought that she had reinjured her knee again, and found out, she tore her OTHER ACL...UGH!!!!! This time, the head of Ortho surgery at Auburn, came to my vet's office, with a group of residents, and had another surgery, using a double strand of 100 test pound fishing line, to act as her ACL, and she stretched it out after 24 hours, now Savannah was the height of a Bichon, so not tall at all...They then made her a cast that was beyond her foot, so that the cast hit the ground, not her leg/foot....SO....after a total of 14.5 years, and this started at the age of 4, and cost me over $40,000, yes, forty thousand, she finally passed a happy life....She was on Rimadyl and Ultram, for years, until I finally had to have to put to sleep, due to a significant infection that showed up in her elbow, and steroids for 2 days deemed her life no longer worth the treatment to make her better....She kept moving outside to get away from me, and just suddenly became too weak to eat or get back inside, as I think she did not want to, all over a couple of days, and it was my choice to end her life. 

I know what it is hard  to face this.....I am so there with you, and wish your fur baby and YOU, the best in your decision....Of course, your vet has the say so, but I found that Ultram/Tramadol, was the GOD SEND to get my baby years of pain managemt,until steroids took her away....

 

The strength of the wolf is the pack, and the strength of the pack is the wolf.......
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I think we all at one time or another need to ask ourselves how much we should put our pets through, regardless of whether we can afford it.  

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Registered: ‎02-04-2014

As ForrestWolf mentioned, repairing a torn ACL is very expensive ...  two years ago my very active 9 yr. old, 40 lb. American Cocker Spaniel tore both of hers (5 months apart).   We chose to have the latest type of procedure= $12,000 (both).   Her sister, fortunately, did not tear any of hers yet.

 

Type of surgery was:  TTA is the abbreviation for tibial tuberosity advancement. This a surgical procedure used to treat cranial (or anterior) cruciate ligament rupture in the knee joints of dogs. It involves cutting the top of the shin bone (the tibia), moving it forward and stabilising it in its new position in one of a number of ways.

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Registered: ‎06-28-2011

@bichon mom, my 6 year old had a partially torn ACL last year.  I go to a holistic veterinarian who gave me several options for my furbaby.  Initially, I went with the non-surgical option since it was not totally torn.  It was prolozone therapy, which I would summarize as a laser light on the injured leg (that's just a summary). It appeared to have some very positive results as you do a number of therapies over a period of time.  She was doing very well.......until she wasn't.  I think that what the main problem with her was that she had too much energy and tried to do too much.  I think that it negated (if that's even a word) the therapy.

 

My vet did not do surgeries on torn ACs, but one of his associates did.  I opted to go to one of the vet hospitals and see a doctor who specialized in that type of surgery and performed the operation routinely.  I had an x-ray done and talked with the surgeon.  We ended up doing that procedure, and I was pleased with the results.  There defnitely is recuperation time!! The days and weeks were all outlined for us.  My dog is 6, though, and doesn't have other issues.

 

I think that the prolozone therapy would have worked more for a dog who was older and not as adventurous.  It sounds as if your furbaby has had a lot going on, and I realize what your Chloe's age is.  All I wanted to do was to give you options.  I had never even heard of prolozone therapy until this issue occurred.  Dogs are unbelievable creatures.  They can get through a lot of issues and get on with their life!  The flip side is that only you, with some help and guidance from veterinarians, can decide what is best for your dog.  I do remember my vet telling me that at the same time he was doing therapy on my dog, another older dog (12 or 13, I believe) was being helped by the prolozone while he was receiving treatment for cancer.  Every dog is different!  Yours has some definite health concerns, and wonder whether your dog can even have surgery.  The surgery for a torn ACL is just that.  It's surgery, with rehab.

 

I wouldn't give anything to Chloe without a vet's advice.  My dog continues to take Ligaplex II, which was recommended by my vet and one of the rehab doctors at the clinic that I went to.   

 

I'll be thinking about you.  Please post what you hear from Tufts and what you decide to do!