If you have had a dog with a torn ACL, what, other than surgery, were you able to do to help the dog.

We will have the surgery done, I just need some time to get the 3-5k. I'd like to know what to do in the mean time to help out the dog.

Bella thanks you for the help!

There are essentially three options. TPLO is the best and most expensive. Lateral stabilization is next best option, and about half of a TPLO. Third option is do nothing but anti inflammatory and pain medicine and cage rest, and the joint will remodel and "heal". However, it will never be the same and the dog will most likely always favor that leg. Another aspect to consider is that a significant portion of dogs that have one ACL, will rupture the other side in the future.

I was also told by my vet that unless it is a small dog that you can carry around, fully control and be with all the time, there is a very good chance that a bigger active dog like a lab will re-injure the surgically repaired leg during the 6 week healing phase. My lab jumped off a 5 ft high retaining wall at 10 and injured hers. It was torn but not a complete tear so based on talking about it with our vet, we elected to not do the surgery due to her age and the potential of re-injury. She's 12 now and you can tell that it does bother her periodically (gimpy a couple days every 3-4 mths) but we just give her anti-inflamatory meds when it acts up. She does favor that leg just a little when she walks or runs but she still runs all over the place and I hunted her both last year and this year and her drive is just like it was when she was young.

We did TTA surgery on our 90lb 10 year old lab last January. It was half the price of the TPLO as well, but I know a guy. He’s walking, and running with no complications now.

Most vets finance stuff like that FYI

SOME vets will finance. Going into a vet expecting them to finance a procedure is a no.

I don't know any that don't, but I also don't know as many as you do obviously.

Let me clarify, most I know are willing to work with you. But most I know have been taken advantage of so many times that someone coming in looking for it is a huge red flag. If you've been a regular clients, most are more likely to work with you..

Truth. I didn’t mean a random stranger walking in.

Just that most vets (that I know) would rather fix it for a regular client and work out payments than do nothing

You can go through care credit with no interest. Most vets advertise it. TPlO is the way to go, just be dedicated to the rehab and keep the dog under control and on lead at all times and you’ll be good to go. If a dog ruins the surgery during recovery that’s on the owner. Your essentially waiting on bone to heal.

We went through Care Credit with our Lab. I think the cost for the procedure was ~ $2800. The recovery about killed me with 8 months on the leash.

I had a friend who has a hard driving Juice pup that tore his. He went to Dr Fred Nabors in Louisville Ms and he did the surgery for less than a $1000. My buddy hunted this dog hard with no issues.

A friend just had his dog done this week. $850