WildFlower Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Good luck to you both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Good luck, and please keep us posted. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 As someone else said, kudos to you for looking into this now rather than letting it get worse without intervention. And add me to the list wishing both of you luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 5, 2013 Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 Looking forward to hearing about how the consultation goes, and that all will be well with whatever that requires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShoresDog Posted December 5, 2013 Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 Best wishes, and I'll add my voice to those kudos to you for reaching out for help for Raina sooner rather than later. She looks like a real sweetie, and I hope you're able to get her problem fixed straight-forwardly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted December 12, 2013 Report Share Posted December 12, 2013 Any update on Raina? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted December 13, 2013 Report Share Posted December 13, 2013 I'm late to this, but curious where in FL you are? I could have recommended someone, but it sounds like you're on the right track now. Good luck with her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jglonek Posted December 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2013 I'm actually over by Tampa. We had to reschedule Raina's appointment due to transportation and financial issues (my wife had a moderate car accident about a month ago and we have been limited to one car until today). She will be going in next Thursday morning now (the 19th). She isn't doing too bad in the meantime luckily. Thanks for checking up to see how things are! I will definitely provide an update Thursday afternoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted December 15, 2013 Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 Ah, ok. If you need a second opinion, my ortho vet is Dr. Oakes at Tampa Bay Vet Specialists in Largo. Best of luck with her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 15, 2013 Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 Whether or not surgery is recommended, you might want to also inquire about therapy/rehab. For certain issues, post-surgery, and post-injury, therapy/rehab by a certified canine rehab therapist can be very helpful in many ways. A therapist will work with you to design a program of exercises you can do with Raina to help strengthen her muscles, develop symmetry and balance, and improve her chances of becoming and staying sound and active. Wishing you both the very best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jglonek Posted December 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2013 Thanks Sue! We have definitely been thinking about what will need to be done after she has surgery if she needs it. I assume she will be in a cast for a few weeks, which means reduced movement (especially roughhousing from her brother who wants to play all the time), and then some therapy when it comes out. Since it's been a month since she injured it (and who knows how long until the surgery) I think she's starting to compensate and walk differently, so that will need to be worked out.PSmitty, my vet recommended Dr. Hay at Veterinary Surgical Specialists in Tampa, not sure if you have heard anything about them. The only impression I have so far of them is that they are busy! When I rescheduled (almost two weeks in advance) they only had one appointment open on Thursday. It seems like they are two vets and they alternate office and surgery days. Oh and that it's $120 to just consult with them. I did decide to avoid Blue Pearl, haven't heard great things about their Tampa location.I'm over in Lakeland, so anywhere is a drive for me! I just need it to be good to take care of Raina properly the first time.One thing I've been trying to figure out is payment. We do have Pets Best, and so far so good (although I'm still waiting for a refund on her last visit). Tax time is coming up, not sure I want to wait that long. I do see Pets Best has a form where they can pay the veterinarian directly - is that something vets generally go for (Us not paying up front, them getting reimbursed from Pets Best)? I'm thinking probably not, but I plan on asking at her consult appointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 As you have noticed, an injured dog will compensate by using other limbs/back/body differently and that puts stress on otherwise healthy and sound body parts. A good therapist will use exercises designed to help with this, as well - that's part of developing the balance and symmetry needed to promote soundness. When Celt had his TPLO surgery, he'd been on very limited activity for several months - so both his injured leg and other limbs were weakened and out-of-balance. Today, after surgery in June 2012 and a program of therapy, he is sound, even (within the limits of how the surgery affected his joint and leg), and working cattle, playing, and being a happy and active normal dog again. What I have seen over his recovery has made me a proponent of competent canine physical therapy. I hope you have the opportunity to follow up any necessary treatment, surgical or otherwise, with a good therapist. I believe you'll find it worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jglonek Posted December 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 Hey everyone, I just got back from the orthopedic consultation with Raina.Her injury is being classified as carpal valgus of the left distal radius / ulna, and corrective osteotomy surgery is being recommended. The vet said it will involve breaking the bone and putting in a metal plate and pins to straighten the paw, with a splint. 4-6 weeks post-op recovery, either her going back once a week for a bandage change or us keeping her there Monday-Friday and bringing her home on weekends. The plate will stay in forever. Surgery is tentatively scheduled for February 3rd, and the quote for it is $4000. That includes all post-op and follow up care. Does that sound right?The vet did say the right leg also didn't look so great initially, but he didn't mention it again after taking additional X-Rays. So I guess it's okay? I didn't even think about asking about it until I left. He said he would straighten the paw, but probably not completely straight to keep her symmetrical. In the meantime he just wants her activity to be a little less, no running wild in the back yard. Keep her on the dasuquin and an anti-inflammatory if needed. Oh, I never did put up her X-Rays, here they are. One of both legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted December 19, 2013 Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 Poor Raina, poor you! Did you discuss the prognosis after surgery? Normal life? Always some pain in that area? Are there any other options? I am not sure what that surgery involves so I cannot comment on the cost. Was there any discussion of amputation? MANY dogs live happy and full lives with just three limbs. Including some working sheep dogs. In many cases the cost of amputation is less and there is no chance for lingering pain/lameness in that limb. Many humans are appalled at the thought of amputation. But it is key to remember dogs have no emotional attachement to their limbs. They adjust to their new configuration rather quickly. Just something to keep in mind. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted December 19, 2013 Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 I had a laparascopic (sp?) shoulder surgery for my dog which probably cost ~$3500-$4000 once all surgical and rehab costs were considered. Even though Raina's surgery is different, it sounds somewhat complicated, so IMO, $4000 may not be too bad. I would follow up with asking about the right leg - and the questions raised by jvw above. My understanding is that amputation of a rear leg is better tolerated than the front leg since dogs tend to put more weight on their front. Regarding rehab -- whatever you decide (leave at the vet or crate at home), make sure to be super diligent about following rehab instructions and NOT allowing her to come back too fast. One or two wrong mis-steps in the early rehab process can totally mess up that $4000 reconstruction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted December 19, 2013 Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 Does the $4000 include physical therapy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted December 19, 2013 Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 It is much easier on a dog to amputate a back leg rather than a front leg. If I had the money, I would rather try to fix the leg than do something drastic. If the fix doesn't work, amputation is still on the table. The price sounds quite normal for the type of surgery she needs. Good luck with her! This is Frankie. His femur was shattered (including the growth plate) and he suffered an FCE which caused paralysis to both his hind legs when he was 3 weeks old. There was no surgery that could be done to fix his leg, which is shorter than normal and curved. I consulted with multiple orthopedic surgeons and all agreed. As you can see, he hasn't let that slow him down. 4 weeks old, still paralyzed. He was nearly 6 weeks old when he stood up for just a moment. The whole recovery process took almost a year. 2 years old, running full speed again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 19, 2013 Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 What several folks said about amputation of a front leg - it is not as trouble-free as amputation of a back leg normally is. The dog carries about 60% of its weight on the front legs and only 40% on the hind legs. Removing a front leg puts a tremendous amount of stress on the remaining front leg. I'm not saying that it can't be done and lived with if it needs to be done, but it is not the same as removing a hind leg. And I totally agree with Jovi - rehab really is worthwhile for a dog after surgery like this, and it is way too easy to rush things and so important to take it slow and easy. That allows good healing and also develops good coordination, muscling, and balance. A good therapist will work with you with your dog, and show you how to do exercises at home that will really help in the recovery process. Very best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jglonek Posted December 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 I think amputation would be a definite last resort for me. She still has use of the leg and puts plenty of weight on it. It's just not angled correctly and is very prone to possibly breaking right now. I would hope that any surgery would improve on that. Not to mention that her right front leg isn't much better, and putting all the weight on there might cause that one to end up needing the same surgery.I do definitely plan on asking about what to expect for what she will be capable of after the surgery, and will talk about rehab. I definitely want to make sure she gets as much use back as possible after things are healed.With recovery, it's definitely a concern bringing her home. We have to keep her from really moving, luckily we have both a pen and a crate. And when she is not playing with / being bothered by her brother she lays with me (I work from home), so I think we can keep her calm. And since the vet doesn't want to have us keep her there on the weekends, my Aussie would just go (probably even more) bonkers seeing her on Fridays than he would seeing her all week.I think the current plan will be to keep her there all week after her surgery on that Monday, bring her home that Friday for the weekend, and see where things go, and see how she is doing. I definitely do not want to inhibit her recovery at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 I completely forgot about her other front leg. Amputation probably is a very poor option for her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligande Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Just a personal observation on front leg amputation, when I was a kid we had a 3 legged Caine terrier, who was still able to cover miles easily, and attempt to keep up with our fox terrier, both dogs came out for hacks and roamed the Yorkshire countryside. At the same time my uncle had a 3 legged sheepdog (aka a border collie) who had much more limited motion and who's lifestyle seemed to have been impacted far greater, we all thought it was a center of gravity issue, to be honest the only issue the Caine had was peeing, he refused to pee like a girl, and would wait to find a fence post or once we became more urban lamp post, hydrant and lean in on where his leg was missing, his only concession to his handicap. While the sheepdog really never left the farm yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 jglonek, Thanks for taking such good care of your girl. I really do wish you both the very best outcome and a speedy recovery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jglonek Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Hey everyone, I just wanted to give an update - due to financial issues we had to push the surgery back to 2/24. So far Raina is still doing alright. I did ask the surgeon a few questions. Raina has mild carpal valgus in her right leg but severe in the left. The hope is that they will not have to ever do anything with the right. Although with it being in both that almost sounds genetic doesn't it? Also, Raina should not need any physical therapy, and the expectation is that she goes back to normal dog activities after about three months, besides any "high impact" activities (disc training, agility, etc), she will probably not be able to ever do those. Unless something happens between now and then I won't be posting any updates. I will let everyone know how her surgery and recovery goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. Festerling Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Best of luck. The wait is hard I am sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Hoping for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. Looking forward to updates when they come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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