Still Learnin'...

This week's lesson...torn cruciate repair. Poor Howie...last fall he tore his cruciate while playing Frisbee. We did a lot of resting (or as much as Howie can rest) & he has done quite well. So well in fact, some have even commented on how you'd never know the way he was moving around that he has a torn cruciate.

That all changed last week. When he woke up Monday morning, he came out of his kennel holding his leg up. Not really sure what happened to trigger the pain again after 7 months, but it could be as simple as pivoting wrong. We watched his activity & carried him down any stairs for the last week & while he's no longer holding it up, you can tell he's in pain. He doesn't put a lot of weight on the leg & he's been a bit more "quiet" than normal...of course that doesn't mean he's laying around 24/7...oh heck no...he still tries to chase the cats & Vivi & I just cringe & try to stop him whenever possible.

So we've outlasted our "Wait & See" option & now it's surgery time. Here's where the learnin' comes in...there are 3 different surgery options for cruciate repair. Two (TPLO & TTA) are more invasive (cutting the leg bone) & require metal hardware to be implanted. The other (extracapsular cruciate repair) is less invasive & requires a nylon fiber to be implanted.

In my research, I learned a lot about the different surgeries & opinions on them. I asked my fellow bulldoggers & other breed dog owners who have also had the surgery done to see what surgery they had done & their experiences. Not only did I research the types of surgeries, but also called around to different vet offices that I was referred to for prices. That added an additional pros & cons list to go through. It's a lot to take in & of course I only want the best for Howie...but who can tell me what exactly is the best? That's subjective...

After a lot of consideration, we decided on doing the less invasive surgery with an orthopedic surgeon at our vet's office. We're now just waiting on our surgery date...so I have a few hours/possibly days before I start worrying again...I hate it when they go in for surgery.

I've said it before, I'll say it again...I certainly learn a lot from these bullies!! Now we can add CCL repair to our list!! (GOT to find the positive in this!!)

Please say some prayers for my Howie for a successful surgery & recovery (which will be at least 3 months--full recovery by 6 months).