I need to talk this through with someone, hopefully you can hear me out and give me input on what you would choose in this situation. I’m super conflicted right now. My 6 year old dog was just diagnosed with hip dysplasia and a (I presume partial) CCL tear. The dog is almost fully weight bearing on the ‘bad’ leg - he walks slightly short but does not dramatically favor the leg while walking. He does have trouble getting up after he lays down and he is struggling a bit to go up stairs. He has hip dysplasia worse in the right hip on x-ray but the left hip is more symptomatic because he is compensating for the bad right leg. My vet consulted with an orthopedic surgeon who recommended TPLO surgery - to the tune of $5,000. My dog is 62 lbs and he said for larger dogs this is the best surgical option. There is another procedure that can be done by my vet and not the orthopedist which is about half the price but it comes with a higher risk of a failed recovery. There is also a greater than 50% chance that the dog will tear the CCL in the opposite leg within a year or two after surgery.
I have requested a consult with the Virginia Tech Veterinary Teaching Hospital to see if they would take him on as a surgical candidate, which would help alleviate some of the cost. However, ultimately, the money is not a big factor in my decision at this point.
I am considering whether to operate or to instead invest in conservative treatments, such as custom orthopedic braces for his knees (probably for both legs, so that he doesn’t injure the good one from stress/over compensating), quality joint supplement, and various therapies (underwater treadmill, physical therapy, laser/shockwave therapy, ultrasound, etc) for both his knees and hips.
I’m also considering whether, if I do surgery, should I bite the bullet for the expensive TPLO surgery or should I opt for one of the other surgical options that would probably have the same result but is a bit higher risk of recovery complications/reinjury?
My vet said in his experience conservative treatments are unlikely to truly solve the problem. He is worried that my compensating for the knee, his opposite hip will continue to get worse. I understand recovery will take approximately 3 months, with two weeks of crate rest followed by gradual increases in space and length of activity as well as therapy/rehab. The research I have done seems to show that some dogs can infact heal with conservative treatment but it takes significantly longer, about 8-10 months with restricted activity.
I am really struggling on what to do at this point. If he were non-weigh bearing I would opt for surgery for sure. But the only indication of pain is when he is trying to get up or trying to go up the stairs. I am nervous about doing an invasive surgery and potentially having him end up in worse condition than he is now. Part of my gut is telling me surgery is not the right option… but the other part knows that my vet typically is good about recommending conservative measures if he feels they are a good option and if he is recommending surgery then maybe he really needs it. I don’t know… I’m just really conflicted and would like to hear from anyone who has dealt with this injury before.
