Hello!
To cut a long story short, a while ago, our dog started limping a bit on one leg. She is a 5-6 year old yellow lab. It was eventually decided that surgery for the cruciate ligament was the best thing to do.
The surgery was three weeks ago and we noticed a couple days ago (now that the last of the big pain killers finished - she's still on another) that it was bothering her and she was limping. It was also starting to ooze for the first time, but we figured it might have been because she started licking as the buster collar had just been removed. We took her in for an x-ray today and the plate has moved! Not up or down as would be the case had she ran or jumped (neither of which she did), but rather a bit sideways. We have no idea how this may have happened.
They have dressed the wound and given her antibiotics to prevent infection, and they want to see her again in 4 weeks' time to check it all again. Effectively, we are back at square 0 in terms of total bedrest - another new 4 weeks of this start now.
The vet that he is hopeful that it will just heal where it is, meaning that no new surgery will be needed. However, this is really stressing me about, and redoing surgeries is not something I have found much about online.
So my questions are:
1. If it has moved sideways, how can it just 'heal ok'? Has anyone had any experience of this? Knowing that people here are only fellow dog owners, based on what you maybe know, does anyone have any idea what is the likelihood of another surgery being needed? That would just be awful!
2. Is there anything we can do, beyond the usual of pure bedrest and only going out to pee etc, to ensure it 'heals ok'?
3. The pet insurance/cost aspect of this is really stressing me out. The first surgery, combined with the supplements, x-rays, other medicines, etc. are around £3,000 (GBP) so far. If this is needed all over again, of course, it'll be pretty much this cost all over again. Thankfully, our plan's max is £7k per year, so we should be ok. We had never claimed before and our renewal last August already nearly doubled, so I can only imagine what it'll be this coming August. I know that I could switch insurers but existing issues would no longer be covered.
I am wondering, however, if this would even be an issue. Assuming this ligament heals ok and doesn't need another surgery, I am guessing this ligament will be fine from now on. What exactly classes as an 'existing issue'? Is it just this specific leg's cruciate ligament, the other legs' as well, or any ligament? The vet said there's a 50% chance of the other back leg's cruciate needing sorted as well (he said normally he'd say 80% after one goes, but he said it looked ok), so I can only assume this been noted in his my dog's file, meaning (I guess) that it wouldn't be covered if it needs sorting later on?
Any thoughts, tips, or help would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
A very stressed out dog owner!
To cut a long story short, a while ago, our dog started limping a bit on one leg. She is a 5-6 year old yellow lab. It was eventually decided that surgery for the cruciate ligament was the best thing to do.
The surgery was three weeks ago and we noticed a couple days ago (now that the last of the big pain killers finished - she's still on another) that it was bothering her and she was limping. It was also starting to ooze for the first time, but we figured it might have been because she started licking as the buster collar had just been removed. We took her in for an x-ray today and the plate has moved! Not up or down as would be the case had she ran or jumped (neither of which she did), but rather a bit sideways. We have no idea how this may have happened.
They have dressed the wound and given her antibiotics to prevent infection, and they want to see her again in 4 weeks' time to check it all again. Effectively, we are back at square 0 in terms of total bedrest - another new 4 weeks of this start now.
The vet that he is hopeful that it will just heal where it is, meaning that no new surgery will be needed. However, this is really stressing me about, and redoing surgeries is not something I have found much about online.
So my questions are:
1. If it has moved sideways, how can it just 'heal ok'? Has anyone had any experience of this? Knowing that people here are only fellow dog owners, based on what you maybe know, does anyone have any idea what is the likelihood of another surgery being needed? That would just be awful!
2. Is there anything we can do, beyond the usual of pure bedrest and only going out to pee etc, to ensure it 'heals ok'?
3. The pet insurance/cost aspect of this is really stressing me out. The first surgery, combined with the supplements, x-rays, other medicines, etc. are around £3,000 (GBP) so far. If this is needed all over again, of course, it'll be pretty much this cost all over again. Thankfully, our plan's max is £7k per year, so we should be ok. We had never claimed before and our renewal last August already nearly doubled, so I can only imagine what it'll be this coming August. I know that I could switch insurers but existing issues would no longer be covered.
I am wondering, however, if this would even be an issue. Assuming this ligament heals ok and doesn't need another surgery, I am guessing this ligament will be fine from now on. What exactly classes as an 'existing issue'? Is it just this specific leg's cruciate ligament, the other legs' as well, or any ligament? The vet said there's a 50% chance of the other back leg's cruciate needing sorted as well (he said normally he'd say 80% after one goes, but he said it looked ok), so I can only assume this been noted in his my dog's file, meaning (I guess) that it wouldn't be covered if it needs sorting later on?
Any thoughts, tips, or help would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
A very stressed out dog owner!
