[Jensboys]

Our JRT was diagnosed with Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture today. Our vet said our only option is surgery, at a cost of $1600.

Thats a whole lot of money we dont have right now - (dh lost his job in May, mine was "phased out" after I had to take time off for my cancer surgery also in May) and I am looking for any input on options. The dog is our RAD kiddo's dog, and NOT doing the surgery (if needed) is an absolute last resort because that means she will have to be put down. She is only 5 and is cheap therapy for him.

So any dog people out there know of any other options? Or cheap vet surgeons in Western Canada?

Leaving it is not an option I do not think -- she is too active (we have another JRT too) and our winters too bad.

[mumofone]

Oh, Jen, so sorry.

I understand money is tight. I wonder if the vet might allow you to make payments. My sister's vet allowed her to do that. Her cat had cancer, surgery, etc., and the bill was astronomical. She just made monthly payments until it was paid off.

Hopefully, someone else will chime in with some other alternatives.

[mumofone]

Treatment Options
Broadly speaking, CCL injury can be managed either with conservative or surgical treatment.

Conservative treatment usually entails rest and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medication for 6-8 weeks. Once the majority of pain and inflammation is resolved, then a conservative regime of exercise and weight loss (if necessary) should be initiated. Conservative therapy of CCL is best tolerated in patients weighing less than 15 kg. Results are more unpredictable in the larger animals. Given enough time, the lameness and pain often resolves within small patients managed conservatively. These animals appear to function normally on the injured leg; however, instability from the CCL injury persists and secondary degenerative joint disease inevitably develops.

[Jensboys]

I think our difficulty is the breed ... Jack Russells are so dang active, and we have a second one so they play endlessly. I am not sure that we can ensure she will rest that long.

[tweetybirdus]

Sometimes rescue groups can help with emergency medical care for animals. Place ads on craigslist asking for donations to save your son's therapy dog. People can be very generous especially for animals and children. If you have a paypal account, people can send that way easily. I would love to help.

[DianeS]

Oh, YUCK! I fostered dogs for several years, and had one do that to herself. At her weight (close to 80 lbs), her only option was surgery, too. This was about 5-6 years ago, and it cost almost that much then.

But so totally worth it. It's a decently long recovery period, but she could put her weight on it right away, we just had to restrict things like stairs and tricks and jumping (good luck with a Jack Russell!). But having the cone collar helped her curtail her own activity, since she didn't like it and she sulked when she wore it.

It IS a lot of money. But if you think of it another way, i$1600 is only about 16 therapy sessions. If she went once a week, that's only 4 months of therapy. Compared to that, the surgery is cheap, but only comparitively speaking.

But do call around to different vets. See what estimates you can get. Call vets in smaller towns an hour (or whatever away from you, small towns can be either cheaper or more expensive sometimes.
Talk to rescue groups an humane societies, see what funding they may know about.
Call vet schools, see if they have any programs.
If you have free classified ads (like Craigslist) in your area, post this problem there and ask for suggestions, someone may know something.

I wish you luck.

[Lupin]

Check out NAIT(Pre-Vet) & the Veterinary College in Saskatchewan. Those are definitely the places that you are most likely to get a "Deal". & they being schools may also be more likely to pull on the heartstrings of the students & they might pool some of the $$. Since they're students I would not expect huge donations, but if there's a group of 100 who donate $5, well there's almost a quarter of the cost.

There are other groups & such that can/will help you pay for surgeries & such, but I don't remember any of the names. I would contact the Rescue societies (including the Edmonton Humane society) & the local Canine Clubs, but be very very careful with the other rescuers since alot of them will want you to sign over your dog to them in order to help, & they will find a new home for them, as well as the other help!

[Jensboys]

I cant sign the dog over to anyone, I think to our son that would be worse than her dying. She was a "rescue" dog that was SUCH good therapy for our son as we had to work endlessly with her. She was extremely anxious, had all those attachment behaviors that he knew so well, and he got to sleep with her. We have been through alot with Annie ... and I cant fathom NOT doing this.

But at the same time? No work for 5 months and six kids in this economy? You can imagine how MUCH this money is. Its just too much. Our extended family thinks a puppy would solve the issue ... but, no. Not unless there is absolutely no other option.

I just wish someone would tell us the vet is trying to rip us off and she will befine by the end of the week. Apparently that isnt going to happen Seriously this year has GOT to get better.

[jcm]

Sorry to say, but that amount of money is kinda cheap. I do live an an expensive area of the country, but we still paid $2500 for our Pug's cruciate surgery.

The Vet made it very clear, if Dixon ever ran or jumped down off the sofa, or hell, off a step, he would be in agony. Pugs are considerably more sedentary than JRTs, but keeping him still was not going to happen. Surgery was our only option.

When I was looking around for help (at the time money was really tight, I wasn't working), I came across a website called Pug Village, the people on that forum were terrific help. I would recommend trying to find a JRT site, as breed people are quite passionate about their fur babies, and someone there might be able to find a cheaper option for you.

Good luck in your search. And good luck keeping Annie quiet and still after the surgery!!!

[Nevada Jen]

I will tell you the vet is ripping you off. My neighbor just had this happen to her dog and she decided to try the conservative approach. She kept her in a kennel (in her house) and doped up so the dog would basically sleep until she adjusted. The next week she let her be out of the kennel but only outside to go to the bathroom and then right back inside. No jumping, no excersise at all for two weeks. Then she got to take walks to the end of the block. The nest week she got to walk twice as far. I was shocked how much better she was after a month. Its definately worth a try.

[Jensboys]

Jen -- do you know the breed? I have heard from a few people who did that approach and their dogs developed arthritis fairly quickly. With Annie being only 5, I am not sure if thats much of a life for her. She LIVES to run and chase a tennis ball. In fact, even WITH the injury until the Vet gave us big heck, she was still running when the ball came out (but not using the leg). Its worth a try ... if it will work.

[bevy]

((((Jen))) so sorry to hear this news When our JRT was paralized in July, we were recommended to a university vet hospital in Washington. It was a lot less than having the surgery done in Canada. I dont know where the university hospital is but it could be found if interested. I so know what you mean when you could not imagine NOT doing it. We went through the same thing with Olie but in the end, took the chance and did not get the surgery (ours was $5000.) He is doing well although still not perfect but he is happy and healthy in all other ways.
If you want more info, I could try to find out where and how for ya!

Take care,

T

[DianeS]

As to whether the vet is ripping you off and whether your JRT will be fine in a week - that depends on exactly how bad this "rupture" is.

Sometimes a dog can tear the whole ligament, like a rubber band that has simply ripped in half. Then you can imagine the two bones, each with a slightly rounded end, trying to balance one on top of the other, with only one "rubber band" on one side helping them balance. Every time the balance slips off, it causes excruciating pain. And because the ligament on the other side no longer exists, rest will not help.

And other times the dog will tear the ligament just a little, so that it's still holding together to some degree. Then you can imagine that with time and support, the ligament can heal to some degree. Obviously the smaller a tear it is, the better chance it has of healing completely. Larger rips don't always heal as well, or they heal with more chance of scar tissue, or things like that. When it's a partial tear, the one bone can balance easier on the other, because there is somewhat of a counter-balance across from the healthy ligament. The top bone is less likely to slip off, although it can still happen. And premature exercise or twisting can still cause the ligament to not heal, or even to snap completely.

A rest of several weeks can sometimes allow a partial tear to heal, the amount of rest depending on the severity of the tear. But resting doesn't help a complete tear at all. There are two surgeries I've heard of. One repairs the ligament, sewing the two ends together. The other files the rounded part off the two bones so that where they touch in a standing position is flat on both bones, so that its not rounded end on rounded end anymore, and the chances of the bones slipping off each other is greatly reduced.

When my foster dog had this problem, it was a complete tear of that ligament. She had the bone-filing surgery. It was cheaper, and the recovery time was less.

Since your question is more about whether your vet is prescribing the right solution or not, I recommend that you get a second opinion. That will cost some money, but will give you a chance of finding out whether the ultimate solution will be cheaper.

Hang in there!

[jcm]

Being that I work for a rescue group, whose funds have seriously dwindled in the last year, we try just about anything to save $$$. That is one surgery that always gets done.

A Jack Russell will never, ever be a quiet, still dog. Unless jacked up on some serious dope. Drugging a JRT and keeping it confined like that is beyond cruel, NevadaJen. Unfortunately, with a breed like the JRT, even if you were able to mitigate the pain, and get the swelling down, the issue will remain. That ligament will not be able to keep the joints from coming loose again...especially in a breed that does not know the meaning of slow down

I'd say ask a rescue group for JRTs near you, but I have a feeling they would want you to surrender her.

[Lupin]

Originally Posted by Jensboys

I cant sign the dog over to anyone, I think to our son that would be worse than her dying. She was a "rescue" dog that was SUCH good therapy for our son as we had to work endlessly with her.

That's why I warned you about signing it over to them, I would die if I had to resort to that for my First born! but they may be able to at least put you in the right direction for the groups that don't want your dog going to someone else. & again call NAIT (I'm assuming you know that's the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Lol! But I did have to tell my Guidance councilor it existed, & he called my mom & I liars even though she had gone to school there) And the Vet school in Saskatchewan. Maybe even call the one in Ontario.