Torn Cruciate Ligament
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 6:27 am
Hi all,
My five year old chow (maybe mix, he was a stray so can't be sure) has ruptured his cruciate ligament.
I am trying to figure out the best course of action, and thought I'd reach out to see what others had been through. Did some searching on the forum but didn't see much that people had gone the lateral suture route.
Some background on JD. He is about five and a half years old, just under sixty pounds, no other health issues to speak of. Hips and such look good. He's a decently active dog, likes to go hiking. I'd like to get him as back to normal as possible, though I do realize he's never going to be completely the same. I met with a vet that will perform the lateral suture repair, and feels that he could be a good candidate for it. My original vet had referred us to a practice that has an orthopedic specialist, which would perform a TTA procedure.
The vet that would do the lateral suture said she feels the end results are similar between the two surgeries, just that the lateral suture is a longer and a little tougher recovery up front. But she said six months down the road she feels stability wise, arthritis wise, etc are very similar.
Has anyone had the lateral suture procedure done on their chow? I want to make the best choices for JD, but I am also trying to be cost conscious as well. The lateral suture would run about $700, and the TTA is $3000-3500. That's quite a difference. If I dive myself into such a higher expense, I want to be certain it is worth the while.
Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
My five year old chow (maybe mix, he was a stray so can't be sure) has ruptured his cruciate ligament.
I am trying to figure out the best course of action, and thought I'd reach out to see what others had been through. Did some searching on the forum but didn't see much that people had gone the lateral suture route.
Some background on JD. He is about five and a half years old, just under sixty pounds, no other health issues to speak of. Hips and such look good. He's a decently active dog, likes to go hiking. I'd like to get him as back to normal as possible, though I do realize he's never going to be completely the same. I met with a vet that will perform the lateral suture repair, and feels that he could be a good candidate for it. My original vet had referred us to a practice that has an orthopedic specialist, which would perform a TTA procedure.
The vet that would do the lateral suture said she feels the end results are similar between the two surgeries, just that the lateral suture is a longer and a little tougher recovery up front. But she said six months down the road she feels stability wise, arthritis wise, etc are very similar.
Has anyone had the lateral suture procedure done on their chow? I want to make the best choices for JD, but I am also trying to be cost conscious as well. The lateral suture would run about $700, and the TTA is $3000-3500. That's quite a difference. If I dive myself into such a higher expense, I want to be certain it is worth the while.
Thanks in advance for any and all advice.