A quick story about my (my dog's ) experience with rupture of CCL.
Tank was diagnosed with CCL rupture 4 years before he was euthanized for unrelated issue.
My local vet said he needed a TPLO and the sooner the better.
Took Tank to local university for second opinion from orthopedic specialist. same diagnosis, ruptured CCL but recommended the less invasive tightrope procedure.
I asked my local vet about the tightrope and he would not do it. He claimed that procedure has a high incidence of infection and he had only done a couple. he was trained in TPLO and clearly makes his money on the TPLO.
He claimed the TPLO was a "better" procedure.
Now we all know the protracted recovery following this surgery and I was a bit confused as to what was best.
it was not a money issue. if the surgery was a 100% guaranteed "cure" I would have paid whatever it cost. And I do mean whatever!
After much research i came to the following conclusion:
Do not put Tank through the procedure (s).
From what I have learned invasive surgery is not always needed. Now Tank weighed in at about 120 so he was no lightweight. We have all been told surgery is needed in heavier dogs.
Long story short I did nothing ! No NSAIDs, no narcotics, no bracing. 4 years post diagnosis Tank was running along the fence line chasing goats. He was pivoting like a cutting horse. On rare occasions he was toe touching but overall was happy and i saw so sign/symptom of discomfort aside from these infrequent toe touching periods (which were not present the next morning).
My vet and the university specialist were certain of the diagnosis and it's funny when I brought Tank in for euthanasia I mentioned that I did not opt for surgery to treat the CCL four years prior and Tank had done quite well. The vet just shrugged his shoulders and had nothing to say about the CCL.
Anyway, I am not saying never do surgery but rather give the body a chance to heal itself. I believe what happened in Tank's case was he developed a degree of arthritis and scar tissue and this helped to stabilize the joint.
I have great respect for veterinary medicine but let's be clear it is a business and a big one at that. Surgery is a money maker. so is dog food. Look at the Science Diet display at your local vet's office.
I'm a believer in the BARF diet and never had any problems. My vet to this day insists it is dangerous. I don't see how kibble with fillers is safer. My dogs are carnivores NOT omnivores !!!.
Anyway, I digress.
Here is a link to an interesting article about treatment of ruptured CCL. i imagine the veterinarian who wrote this got some flack from her colleagues
Questioning Canine Cruciate Ligament Surgery - Veterinary Practice News - November 2012
Also here is a link to several articles dealing with CCL rupture.
Search results, filtered by RELEVANCY DESC, search term: cruciate ligament surgery
In the end you must make your own decision as to what is in the best interest of your dog. What I am suggesting is do not make a quick decision at the time when you are most vulnerable. I almost made that mistake. Glad I put more thought into it.
Tank was diagnosed with CCL rupture 4 years before he was euthanized for unrelated issue.
My local vet said he needed a TPLO and the sooner the better.
Took Tank to local university for second opinion from orthopedic specialist. same diagnosis, ruptured CCL but recommended the less invasive tightrope procedure.
I asked my local vet about the tightrope and he would not do it. He claimed that procedure has a high incidence of infection and he had only done a couple. he was trained in TPLO and clearly makes his money on the TPLO.
He claimed the TPLO was a "better" procedure.
Now we all know the protracted recovery following this surgery and I was a bit confused as to what was best.
it was not a money issue. if the surgery was a 100% guaranteed "cure" I would have paid whatever it cost. And I do mean whatever!
After much research i came to the following conclusion:
Do not put Tank through the procedure (s).
From what I have learned invasive surgery is not always needed. Now Tank weighed in at about 120 so he was no lightweight. We have all been told surgery is needed in heavier dogs.
Long story short I did nothing ! No NSAIDs, no narcotics, no bracing. 4 years post diagnosis Tank was running along the fence line chasing goats. He was pivoting like a cutting horse. On rare occasions he was toe touching but overall was happy and i saw so sign/symptom of discomfort aside from these infrequent toe touching periods (which were not present the next morning).
My vet and the university specialist were certain of the diagnosis and it's funny when I brought Tank in for euthanasia I mentioned that I did not opt for surgery to treat the CCL four years prior and Tank had done quite well. The vet just shrugged his shoulders and had nothing to say about the CCL.
Anyway, I am not saying never do surgery but rather give the body a chance to heal itself. I believe what happened in Tank's case was he developed a degree of arthritis and scar tissue and this helped to stabilize the joint.
I have great respect for veterinary medicine but let's be clear it is a business and a big one at that. Surgery is a money maker. so is dog food. Look at the Science Diet display at your local vet's office.
I'm a believer in the BARF diet and never had any problems. My vet to this day insists it is dangerous. I don't see how kibble with fillers is safer. My dogs are carnivores NOT omnivores !!!.
Anyway, I digress.
Here is a link to an interesting article about treatment of ruptured CCL. i imagine the veterinarian who wrote this got some flack from her colleagues
Questioning Canine Cruciate Ligament Surgery - Veterinary Practice News - November 2012
Also here is a link to several articles dealing with CCL rupture.
Search results, filtered by RELEVANCY DESC, search term: cruciate ligament surgery
In the end you must make your own decision as to what is in the best interest of your dog. What I am suggesting is do not make a quick decision at the time when you are most vulnerable. I almost made that mistake. Glad I put more thought into it.