My 11 year old Boston Terrier has been diagnosed with torn ACL. I would welcome comments from those that have gone through the process of deciding whether or not to do surgery for their dog. Names of recommended vets for surgery would be a big help.
COMMENT 192491
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2011-07-13 08:45 PM |
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Dr. Wright @ CARE Hospital is the BEST surgeon! He's amazing at his art! Plus he is a super great person! His support staff (Jen Wilson) knows there stuff and is super helpful all the way from before surgery to post op rechecks. Having worked with them in the past I know that they are the most affordable around santa barbara also. As someone who works in the vet field i would definitely do the surgery it will benefit your dog in the long run and avoid early on set orthopedic issues. Good luck with you puppy :o)
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COMMENT 192492
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2011-07-13 08:51 PM |
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excuse me, but are we reading the same request? the dog is 11 years old, not really a puppy. but if you're willing and able to spend the money to get the ACL fixed go for it. Dr Wright is an able doctor, but make sure to get a second opinion and know the chances of success before spending the money. I have a friend that spent $8,000 on surgery with Dr Wright and wasn't told the odds until after when the dog had to be put down. heartbreak and lack of communication are not a good mix.
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RAYGOLD
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2011-07-13 09:18 PM |
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Dr Otto in Carpinteria told us the best surgeon in the area was Dr Bruecker at the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group in Ventura when our 12-year old dog needed the same surgery last summer. We are very glad we made the decision to go with him. He was not as inexpensive as it would have been to have the surgery done in Santa Barbara. Dr Otto told us that Dr Bruecker is who he would use if it was his own dog so that was good enough for us. BTW, it ended up costing about $5,000 but it is worth every last penny to us. The cost can vary but he is very good about laying out an accurate range of the cost. Good luck to you and your dog.
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DEEKER
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2011-07-13 09:53 PM |
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We also used Dr. Bruecker at VMSG when our terrier (who was also 11 years old at the time) had to have knee surgery. It was a bit inconvenient having to travel back and forth to Ventura for follow up visits, but he came very highly recommended and we felt it was worth it. Our little dog had 6 more years of pretty good mobility (never as good as when she was younger though), bless her little soul.
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COMMENT 192509P
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2011-07-14 01:05 AM |
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Dr. Joe Dalo at La Conception Animal Hospital in Goleta is a terrific vet and surgeon for orthopedic problems. Also, he is really good at giving you all the options and the probable end results and costs in advance in order to make a good decision. Good luck to you and your dog wherever you decide to go.
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COMMENT 192512
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2011-07-14 06:05 AM |
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Dr. Dalo in Goleta is indeed a great vet and surgeon, and he will not hesitate to refer you to the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group in Ventura if his facility does not meet your animal's needs. He will give you good information and help you weigh the pros and cons of surgery. Good luck to you and your dear friend.
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MOOSE
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2011-07-14 06:46 AM |
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Our Chihuahua/Pit/Bost.Terrior Mix tore her ICL about 3 years ago. We spent thousands on the x-rays, and then elected NOT to do the surgery. We stopped using a 'Chuck-it', and resumed regular walks. Today she is just fine! She runs around like crazy...just like normal! OY! Even our Vet said that little dogs often have the same results with or without the surgery....They end of having a bit of arthritis later near that join. Big dogs can be another story. I personally wouldn't elect to do any surgery on an 11 year old dog. Why put them through anything invasive at that age?
Good luck.
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COMMENT 192524
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2011-07-14 07:01 AM |
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Bottom line is that your dog will always be in some pain regardless of surgery or none, and if they can put their weight on it do not operate. If they never can put weight on it, then surgery may be the only choice. One of our dogs has this condition, and it did happen while using the chuck it. It appears that playing at the beach causes many of these injuries.
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COMMENT 192539P
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2011-07-14 07:43 AM |
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What's a chuck it?
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COMMENT 192542P
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2011-07-14 07:53 AM |
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We used Dr. Bruecker at VMSG in Ventura for our large 90-pound dog, who was a few years younger than yours. Dr. Wright was, by contract, unable to operate here at that time, but he came highly recommended as well. If it were my dog, I would consult with both surgeons, then weigh the options. I know Dr. Bruecker will be forthright in giving you the alternatives and the prognoses. Take someone with you, because it is a lot of information to digest. You are fortunate because yours is a small dog, but it's hard to keep a Boston terrier quiet and relatively immobile.
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COMMENT 192547
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2011-07-14 08:03 AM |
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VMSG in Ventura is the best! Dr. Bruecker is excellent.
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COMMENT 192549
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2011-07-14 08:10 AM |
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I would caution you to make absolutely certain your dog requires this surgery. I had it performed on my Rottie several years ago (in another city); it wound up costing me over $8,000 and in the end was not necessary. Give the injury time to heal and it won't likely need surgery. Yes, he/she may have a limp, but the downside to the surgery can be worse.
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STACE
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2011-07-14 08:36 AM |
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we were told our 8 year old lab/aussie mix needed the same surgery on BOTH legs. we ended up taking her to uc davis for what was to be surgery on one of her knees. it was a lot of driving as it required a trip up and back for a consult before the surgery and then the trip for the surgery. plus we had to stay at least one night in a motel following the surgery, possibly two nights. we had our vet here in sb (st. francis pet clinic) do the post-surgical follow-up. we had a perfect result for our very active dog, and as it turned out her other leg did not require surgical treatment. our girl lived to be 15, and didn't seem too much worse for the wear. oh - and the cost of the surgery was about 1/2 of what would have been locally.
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COMMENT 192560
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2011-07-14 08:39 AM |
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Be sure and get a few different opinions. Our yellow lab had a torn ACL in 2008 and I went with her regular vet, turned out to be a huge mistake (financially speaking). Had I shopped around I would have saved at least $1k maybe more, but I felt weird not having her regular vet do it. Now I feel like they was just using me like an ATM. Also, be prepared for your dog to develop arthritis in the leg after surgery, its been one of the hardest things in the world to see happen to our girl. She now limps around and the ACL is fine, but its the arthritis that causes her to limp and we have to give her anti-inflammatory meds. We recently switched over to a new vet at San Roque Pet Hospital and we're thrilled with the switch, I'd put a call into them for a consult if you have the means & time. Good luck.
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COMMENT 192564
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2011-07-14 08:44 AM |
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Another thumbs up for Dr. Dalo at La Conception.
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COMMENT 192580
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2011-07-14 09:35 AM |
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We had Dr. Bruecker at VMSG do surgery (TPLO),on our 2 year old Golden with excellent results. Do find out about the "after care", before surgery. She had to be severely confined for 2 months and on leash for 6 months. Which is basicallly the treatment for healing without the surgery. So when she was 8 and tore the other knee we opted to skip surgery and just do the "after care", she was just fine. We did stop throwing a frisbee for her after the first surgery. Never regretted either choice, altho $5,000 for surgery was a huge percentage of our budget for 2 years. Good Luck! Take your time making a decision. I don't think I would have surgery on on 11yo dog, but you may have great trouble keeping her severely confined for 2 months.
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COMMENT 192581
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2011-07-14 09:38 AM |
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539-a chuck it is a plastic arm that holds a ball, and is used to throw ball for the dog. Hope that helps.
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COMMENT 192582P
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2011-07-14 09:39 AM |
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Beware of a "regular vet" saying they can do it. Veterinarians who specialize in surgery are (hopefully) Board-certified and this does make a difference in likelihood of positive outcome. Also, a responsible vet will assess your dog's overall health, and decide if s/he is a good candidate for major surgery and the long rehab process.
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COMMENT 192585
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2011-07-14 09:45 AM |
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My golden retriever tore her ACL, and due to the cost, we decided against the surgery. We were told that the surgery may help her and make it all better, but it could just as well not really help much. We take her on short walks and let her rest when she needs to, and after a while, the limping stopped and she has most of her strength back. Occasionally she wears herself out, but time seemed to heal the wound for our pup.
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COMMENT 192592P
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2011-07-14 10:13 AM |
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Many of these messages have the symbol [13][10]; I haven't seen that before; what's the explanation?
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COMMENT 192593P
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2011-07-14 10:17 AM |
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Our cat had the same injury. Our vet said it would be between 4 to 6 thousand dollars to fix it. We have limited funds and were not able to have the surgery, so we kept him quiet for about a month, until we could no longer keep him in because he kept bugging us to get outside. This was almost a year ago. He still has a slight limp, but is very active and very happy.
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COMMENT 192595
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2011-07-14 10:28 AM |
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My friend's dog just had this surgery at the Care Hospital last month and he is making a fine recovery. The surgery is VERY expensive but fortunately she had pet insurance that covered about half the bill. Too bad for all that Dr. George Bertram retired from his practice in Solvang. He was a wonderful person and this one of his specialties AND he was affordable! I miss him...
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COMMENT 192600
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2011-07-14 10:42 AM |
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All good advice so far. Def recommend a second opinion. The local vets don't mind that at all.
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COMMENT 192616P
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2011-07-14 11:08 AM |
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For 192592P's info - "13" is the ASCII code for a carriage return and "10" is the ASCII code for a line feed. Pressing "Enter" in a Windows machine gives you this pair of bytes. Mac and Linux only use line feed to signal the end of a line. Why you were seeing them in posts is a mystery...I never saw them.
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RICHBUSYWOMAN
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2011-07-14 11:24 AM |
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Have to weigh in on this on the "no surgery" side. My Aussie tore her ACL at age 8 and we opted to keep her inactive rather than put her through surgery. She held her leg up for several weeks (no weight on it whatsoever), then started slowly putting more and more weight on it as the weeks went by. It was a very slow process, but now she has no limp at all and runs fine. Amazing how the body will heal itself. Very osteopathic!
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COMMENT 192643
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2011-07-14 12:09 PM |
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Similar story one main difference: I would NEVER take my pet to VSMC. terrible experience. Dr. Dalo-yes, explained my options very well. Dr. Wright-I heard was terrific (my timing was during the C.A.R.E. upheaval-that is what sent me to Ventura and was treated terribly and mislead AND lied to!) My dog is 11, rehab'd him slowly as others have noted. Made sure he maintains a healthy weight. I lift him up into the vehicle and lift him down, no jumping. Instead of every day we go to the beach every other day.
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ANIMALLISTNER
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2011-07-14 12:30 PM |
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Dr Wright at CARE!
Hands down!
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ANIMALLISTNER
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2011-07-14 12:33 PM |
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Comment 595, We ALL miss DR. Bertram terribly. He was the best in the west... However, Solvang Vet Hospital now has a new Vet that does orthpo surgery, she is amazing, her name is Heather Skogerson, DVM she is the female version of Bertram!!!
We use her for ALL our rescues, Julia Di Sieno,
www.animalrescueteam.net
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COMMENT 192663
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2011-07-14 01:04 PM |
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@ 560, I love this: "Now I feel like they was just using me like an ATM." May I have your permission to use this phrase on the birthday card to my son?
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COMMENT 192711
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2011-07-14 03:24 PM |
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Joseph Dalo at La Concepcion - he did an ACL repair and a spine reconstruction after the dog was hit by a car (same dog, different surgeries). Amazing vet. Stay away from Airport Animal Hospital on Storke at all costs. They offered to "bring in a certified vet" for my dog's ACL injury, and I just happened to find out they were going to use Dalo to perform the surgery; La Concepcion is just around the corner. And they would charge me a hefty middleman premium for the privilege.
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COMMENT 192733
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2011-07-14 04:12 PM |
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Like every one else (almost) we had a great expierence at VCMC and Dr. Bruecker. He fixed our dog's ACL, and later her broken leg. She is very active then and continues to be active and happy. One caveat....it is NOT cheap!
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COMMENT 192871
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2011-07-15 08:31 AM |
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My parents border collie had the same injury. I found a brace online for her and she has been wearing it for four months. She is showing great improvement and the brace cost about $50. Her vet gave two options-- rest for 4-6 months or surgery. My parents are so glad that they got the brace, reduced her activity, and avoided the surgery.
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COMMENT 199470
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2011-08-02 05:04 PM |
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who did you go to?
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