by SupernaturalJem » Thu Apr 15, 2021 7:39 am
We had to take our dog to the vet yesterday. She hurt one of her back legs while in the backyard. The vet said it's what in a human would be a torn ACL. He said its common that this happens when the dog is using stairs, so it was likely the stairs on the back deck. We put up a ramp last year when we found out she has "a little arthritis", as the vet said), but she would not go on the ramp (even with one of us trying to carefully lead her down it on the leash). They told us there's a surgery that would fix the torn ligament. The thing is, with dogs her size, once they've torn one ACL, even after a surgery they are at risk of tearing the other (and it usually happens a year or less later). The vet said even with older dogs (she will be fifteen next month), they usually take to the surgery well, but the recovery time afterwards is harder on the older dogs. He gave us some pain meds for her, but she is not able to go out back right now due to the stairs. We have to take her out front on the leash and use a towel underneath her middle to help lift her back end over the single step in the garage. We've ordered one of those things made to go underneath a dog with handles on it (I don't know what it's called offhand), but it won't be here for a few days, so we have to use the towel until then.
I just love her so much and want to do what is best for her. The vet said full recovery time after the surgery is something around ten or eleven weeks. With her being the age she is, it's going to be even harder on her than it would be if she were younger. The vet said it's not a decision that has to be made immediately, plus he wouldn't even be able to schedule a surgery for her for at least another week or two anyway. I'm worried about how the surgery and recovery would be for her. Would it be too stressful for her? Are there other alternatives that we don't know of that would be easier on her?
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