Advice sought for injured Newf

madcap

madcap

New member
Hi all:

I'm trying to make a health care decision for Xena, my 10-year-old Newf, and I thought I'd seek advice here, thinking that maybe some of y'all have been in a similar position.

Xena was playing in the lake with my black and tan coonhound Saturday and apparently tore up one of her hind knees. After a vet visit today and xrays, it appears she has the equivalent of a torn ACL. The surgery that she'd be facing is a TPLO -- tibial plateau leveling osetotomy. There's another, cheaper option (a flo-suture), but my vet said that's not as good, especially for a dog Xena's size (she's 121 pounds) and that if I decide to have her operated on, it would be better to go with the TPLO, which not surprisingly is much more expensive.

I'm seeing a surgeon next week for a consultation, and I guess I'm wondering: Is it worth putting a 10-year-old dog through the pain of this type of surgery, which would involve several months of pain and grief for her, especially knowing that their lifespan is relatively short. She's very healthy overall. Hips are in good shape and she's lean. The alternative to surgery would be to let it go. She'd hobble for the rest of her life, but I'd spare her the trauma of being operated on. While I can choke down the cost of the surgery, my main concern is doing what's right by her. If I knew I could give her a few more years operating as she was before the injury (tormenting the coonhound and imposing order on the rest of the pack), I'd do it in a second. I'm just afraid of going this route, causing her a lot of pain and ending up with a dog who still is only a fraction of what she was.

So I'm asking: Have any of you been in this situation? If so, what did you opt for? How did it turn out? Any advice/thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Xena:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sufferingthebenz/2960991063/
 
nowhavethreebears

nowhavethreebears

New member
She'd hobble for the rest of her life
Click to expand...
Not necessarily so...

Sorry to hear your girl injured herself. There is a large torn ACL "club" on here. You might want to search some old threads in the maladies and diseases section.
Some have gone the surgical route, while many others have chosen to take a conservative approach.
I did with my girl. She tore both knees in an eight month period. I decided against surgery both times for many reasons.
She is now stronger behind, with more range of motion than she ever had before the injuries....She was born with a lousy rear and was for all intents and purposes crippled behind.
This approach requires dedication and patience. You are looking at a lengthy period of crate rest them limited activity....just like with surgery.
I am sure you will get many opinions. But I can tell you it CAN be done without operative intervention.
Is she holding the leg up, toe touching, limping, or bearing some weight on it?

PM or email me if you'd like.
 
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Pam G

Pam G

New member
If I was in your situation, I would take the conservative approach and just rest her and let the scar tissue build up to support the knee. I would think surgery would be tough on a 10 yr old. That's just my opinion...
Good luck..
 
luvxl k 9

luvxl k 9

New member
Check out all the threads on the Apache Regimen. Basically it is Chiropractic care to make sure everything is in the right place so as not to put any more pressure on the injured areas. Supplements of Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM and pool therapy. You can also get ahold of Aona as she has put a lot of dogs on the Regimen for various ailments from injuries to ortho problems including hip displasia. Check out this thread and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask!!
http://www.newf.net/Forums/showthread.php?t=53161
 
nowhavethreebears

nowhavethreebears

New member
If she is periodically bearing some weight on it, you may be dealing with a parial tear. In that case I would definitely go the conservative route with her and give her a chance to heal on her own.
 
Angela

Angela

Super Moderator
Hi,
You post was like "deja vu" 10 years ago!
I had Emma the 10 yr old Newf who ran the back fence, tripped in a hole and ruptured her cruciate.
The vet told me the same thing as yours did, TPLO was the only way to go.
It wasn't available in western Canada at that time so we took Emma to Seattle WA where she had the surgery.
Rehab was very long.
She never really walked normally again (and she was a very active 10 yr old before the surgery).
She lived to be over 12 yrs old though.
Would I opt for TPLO at that age again, NO I really don't think so.
Anita seems to be having success with conservative treatment and I would probably do that in the eventuality it occuring in a 10 yr old Newf.
Keep us posted and sending hugs to Xena.
 
NewfLove

NewfLove

New member
What is your opinion on acupuncture? Our older Newf had terrible hip dysplasia and my vet talked me in to it. I was amazed at how much better she walked after the first treatment. In any case, lots of people here have some great advice for you. Good luck to your sweet ole' girl.
 
ardeagold

ardeagold

New member
Addie tore her CCL a few months ago. Not a complete tear...but definitely torn. She's 6.5 yrs old. She was on pain meds (which did little) for about a week, then we took her off them and put her on Dog Gone Pain. Our Vet recommended waiting to see, before considering surgery. He said he's seen many dogs heal without surgery.

She self-limited. Didn't try to run, jump, or even walk more than to go potty. But bit by bit, she started walking farther, then started running a bit, then would actually jump in the car (a station wagon, not a SUV). It took about 2-3 months to get to that point.

Now...about 5 mos later, she runs and plays, and tries to catch our golden, Chandler while he's playing frisbee (yeah...good luck with that, Addie). No pain, but she does have a different foot placement on that leg (rear left). You can tell, it's not what it should be, but it's working just fine.

So...discuss all these things with your Vet....and then make an informed decision that you're comfortable with.

Here's something you might want to take a look at:

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~tiggerpoz/id11.html
 
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Ginny

Ginny

New member
Vets these days are pushing the TPLO for giants, but I had a 150# huge female go through the 'old' extracapsular surgery and she did fine. Noblenewf's boy recently had the same type of surgery and he's doing fine from what I've read. So don't think that TPLO is only surgical option. There's also the tightrope procedure which is a variation of the extracapsular. There are braces which can be fitted which will allow your girl to keep the knee stable while she's healing if you opt for no surgery. It seems that going to a person who designs prostetics who personally measures and fits the dog for a brace, is better than ordering one off the internet.
 
noblenewf

noblenewf

New member
Nope wouldn't do the surgery route. My boy just underwent the traditional surgery (I chose this over TPLO for various reasons...and don't let a vet tell you it's not an option for "dogs of this size"...it's a crock...my Gabe is 150 lbs) and it was a rough road but well worth it. I also did conservative management for about 9 months when he initially tore his cruciate. Then one day he completely ruptured it and wasn't able to bear any weight at all. The ONLY reason I went the surgery route instead of conservative management (rest, pain meds, activity restriction, etc.) was because of his age. He is only three and is still quite active and I didn't want him to go through this heal- injure- heal- injure process for another year or possibly longer. How active is your girl? If she's relatively comfortable and not overly active, at this point I would rest her, anti-inflammatory meds, then slow therapy to rebuild muscle tone and scar tissue around the injury. I am not sure I would put a dog that age through TPLO at all...if any age ever. There are lots of complications that can arise and it's a very long and involved process. If you do opt for surgery I would HIGHLY recommend the traditional surgery. I've had great success with it with my boy, minus a few setbacks (suture rejection) which were very rare. Nonetheless I am very happy with the results and would do it over again in a heartbeat. But if he was 10 I wouldn't likely put him through surgery. Whatever you decide, we are here to support you and help you through it!
 
Jeannie

Jeannie

Super Moderator
My Samantha had the traditional ACL surgery about 6 years ago and is doing great. In fact she had to get both knees done. I would never get the TPLO. She was up and walking within a day of the surgery.

At the age of 10 I'd weigh all options about getting any type of surgery done. I'd consider the health of the dog and the activity level. My Sam is now 11 and she is still active, slow but active. My other newfs lived to be almost 13 and one over 13 so your girl could have 3 or more years of a happy life. There are other options as listed above. Don't let any vet tell you TPLO is the only choice because it is not.
 
R Taft

R Taft

Active member
I don't think I would go the Surgery way with a ten year old newf..............Swimming(with the warmer weather on the way) and some of the supportive therapies mentioned before, she has a good chance of doing well. The Surgery might be very hard on a ten year old newf, take care :hugs: to Xena
 
M

mrs big dogs

New member
I do not know that I would put a 10 yr old newf through that kind of surgery, maybe you could find a chiropractor or some other means to treat her.
 
ardeagold

ardeagold

New member
I looked into the special brace (around $500 I think), and my Vet did research for me with Ortho Vets who have used it. They didn't give it high ratings. It didn't help pre-surgery (or people who opted to try no surgery). It tended to make things worse in the atrophy dept...and the dogs were uncomfortable, causing the owners to just forgo it after several weeks. However, they said it does work better post surgery.
 
CMDRTED

CMDRTED

New member
No help here (Big Fingers Crossed), we haven't had this crop up yet (again fingers crossed), But good wishes to you and your baby.
 
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