Hi everyone. I hope this is the right place for my post. My beautiful 8 year old Border Collie has done her ACL. It happened yesterday. We did not see it happen but just noticed her with her back leg not touching the ground. She kept running around on three legs. Took her to the vet last night who suspected it was an ACL. We went back to the same vet clinic today and saw another vet who confirmed the diagnosis. No xrays or tests were done. They both diagnosed it from feeling her leg and knee. She needs surgery. I do not have a problem with her having surgery but just need to ensure that it is the right thing to do. I am wondering if anyone in ozbargain land has had any experience with this.
My Dog Has Done Her ACL
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A very good find for a thought provoking opinion. Unfortunately it's hard to tell if something that is so plausibly argued is actually true and as the site is completely anonymous you have to decide whether a plausible argument should be followed over your vets advice. I am personally inclined to agree with the assessments made by the author however I have no specialised knowledge to base that on just my anecdotal distrust of vets from my many unsatisfactory experiences with them. Thanks for sharing the link.
Thank you for your comments and I appreciate your time. I will have a read of the link.
Thanks. I thought ACL was some sort of certificate in education.
I was puzzled at first.
I wish it was.
My lab girl (now gone) had both done. If you decide to go ahead with it, I hope you've got pet insurance. If you haven't, prepare yourself for some financial pain, let alone the dog's recovery which is heartbreaking to watch.
I would try my best to see if you can naturally heal (to the best of it's ability) it going by what that website above says.
I wish I had my time over again. She was never the same after it. She walked funny and was arthritic to buggery so I'm not sure if it achieved a great deal.
Rest, light Swimming and light massage.
Best of luck.
Thank you. Unfortunately I do not have pet insurance. I cannot do anything about that. Will find the money. I have been told that there is a 50% chance that it will happen to her other leg. How long ago did your lab have her procedure and has she had any problems since her recovery?
Thank you. Unfortunately I have no pet insurance. If the procedure was the best way to go, I would find the money for her. I wonder if there are vets out there who can help with natural healing of pets. A pet naturopath.
. A pet naturopath.
sounds scientific.
Make sure you buy some prayer beads while you're down at the store.
It is impossible for it to get better on its own. Although it is possible to live without getting the surgery done, it will remain painful.
Thank you for your response. I appreciate your time. Your comment is important to me. Knowing that it can never get better on its own will help me to make a decision. If I let it go, she will favor her sick leg which could potentially cause the same problem to occur in her other leg.
@what: There have been some studies that show that physical therapy can be as effective as surgery in some cases (in humans):
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/news/20100721…
Hard to get a Border Collie to do knee-strengthening exercises though ;)
Thank you for responding. This is interesting reading.
That's the thing…. she never full recovered. She was always uncomfortable and wouldn't walk on wooden floors etc hence why I'm not sure if I would jump straight into surgery.
You'll know if it's hurting her, she'll lick around the area.
Does she seem upset or uncomfortable at the moment?
She does not seem to be in pain. She is walking of 3 legs and it looks so sad. I sometimes cry when I see her. The vet, tells us that we should have it done within a couple of weeks or her knee will swell up like a balloon. I can never know if what they say is right. They have a business to run after all (no offense to any vets out there). The vet insist that it can never get better on its own.
Most vets will try and make the right decision for the animal. They won't put the animal (or the owner) through the treatment process if they feel it isn't the right option.
Thank you for responding. I am sure you are right. I guess I am just very concerned about the whole thing.
Try taking her to a holistic vet. We did. It aint cheap but neither is conventional surgery (which as I said, not sure achieves much)
Considering she's 8 years old, do you really want her to go through a recovery at her age?
Think about when a human does an ACL. It's usually at least a year before they can do anything that puts stress on the joint.
Humans know their limits and can rest and relax. Dogs just want to run, jump etc. They know no boundaries. Being a border collie, watching her recover from surgery will be difficult.
I have thought of that. I live in Melbourne South East and found one in Bentleigh. Hopefully they can help.
Please ignore this dangerous, dangerous advice. Anyone can call themselves a holistic vet without the slightest bit of medical training and most therapies offered by these people are unfounded and mostly have no scientific or medical basis.
Just recently our red heeler did her ACL and had surgery to connect the ligament back up - naturally healing it will not work if the tear or snap is significant. The operation cost us $1500 and yes there is a chance the other leg can go too due to the added stress on using the only good leg while the other one heals. It took about 6 weeks of being careful not letting her run around on it and now she's a lot more mobile but the leg is still in the healing process, as blotto states it does take time, and I'd expect several months of healing before the ligament regains its strength back.
I did call holistic vet and they do not suggest that you do not have the surgery done, if required. What they do is assist in the healing with natural medicine.
I hope we're on the same page here. A Holistic Vet is no better than you or I adding herbs into a dogs diet and expecting it to stitch together a snapped ligament which has curled up and moved apart. They will not be able to fix your dog - it will need surgery if it is to regain the full use of its leg.
The reason they would not recommend this is simply because they aren't trained or able to do it, and will try and make money of you by selling you a "therapy" that doesn't work.
Sorry, I may not have been clear. The vets at the holistic vet clinic are trained vets with the added knowledge of holistic medicine. If surgery is required, that is what they would recommend. They would then assist with the healing with supplements and a holistic approach which, if I had the knowledge, could potentially do at home myself. Some posters have already been helpful to suggest supplements that my dog could require.
That's reassuring to hear. Good luck with the therapy or surgery!
Thank you.
@what: All medicine started out 'natural'. The stuff that was tested, and worked, is now called 'medicine'. The stuff which does nothing, or worse, is what is called 'natural medicine'.
Does the stuff that was tested, and worked, include Thalidomide?
No, it doesn't. Thalidomide was never properly tested - the scientist who made the "breakthrough" was found to have falsified the results. It's a very poor example and in no way reflects the scientific method because it's an example of an occasion where the scientific method was not followed. I'm afraid there's going to be liars in every field but that was a very rare case in the history of medicine.
You may be right but it does put a grey shadow on the testing processes of medicines even now. Maybe not all but a lot of medicines have quite nasty side effects.
I have no doubt that holistic vets are caring, well-meaning people.
To be a doctor, you need to hold a post graduate degree called a doctorate, like Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. It is alot of work, far more than a Masters degree.
I would find it very hard to trust someone who calls them self a doctor without a doctorate.
Just to clarify, vet school in WA is undergraduate. It's a 6-7 year course.
@eve:
A Bachelor of Science is generally 3 years. The other 2-4 may be a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (Murdoch has a 2 year DVM as part of a highly specialised 5 year course).
I would need to know which university and course you are refering to.
Lol thanks! You're right! as all the Murdoch vets I know went straight from high school to vet school, I always thought it was completely undergrad with HECS! =D thanks for the clarification!
Is the Murdoch course unique compared to other parts of Australia?
Oops! Just spoke to a Murdoch vet student. Murdoch vet was a fully accredited, wholly undergraduate course until one or two years ago.
@eve:
As far as I can tell, Australia has Veterinarians and doctorates similar to a 'Doctor of Veterinary Medicine' (DVM). Older Bachelor of Veterinary Science degrees let someone become a vet, but not call themself a doctor. These are being replaced by a Bachelor of Science + DVM to reflect the high degree of speciality in these courses.
But these are not the degrees advertised by many holistic vets. And all the holistic vets I've researched call themselves doctors.
The Murdoch old vet sci undergrads graduate as doctors..similar to how the UWA medicine undergrads graduate as doctors.
I agree that you have to be careful about the credentials of the person who is treating you or your animal, but Murdoch vet sci undergrads and UWA MBBS are fully trained and qualified to at least pre-specialist level as doctors. Specialist training is not provided by universities and requires further training.
I've known a person who was seeing a herbalist to treat their cancer and assumed they were a general practitioner because they called themself a doctor.. I don't know how it is regulated.
Chiropractors, ?naturopaths, Chinese medicine, PhDs, dentists seem to all use Dr as the honorific. So does Dr Dre.. So it is important to be aware of who is giving you advice and what makes their training suitable to answer your question appropriately.
@eve:
Below is the old undergrad degree. In the qualifications does it say doctor?
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Courses/Veterinary-Science/Details…Below is one of Murdoch's Veterinary Doctorates. Notice how it requires a Veterinary Degree:
http://www.murdoch.edu.au/School-of-Veterinary-and-Life-Scie…That said, I agree with the trend to split undergrad Veterinary Degrees into BSc and DVM. The level of study is high and specialised.
To call yourself a Doctor you need a PhD (or a Masters in some applied fields of study). The title of or honorific Doctor just confers a (very high) level of knowledge.
Just like Vets and Dentists, Nurses who aren't interested in earning a Doctor of Medicine but want further education/specialisation may choose to study a Doctor of Nursing Practice.
Your chiropractor, naturopath, Chinese healer and Dentist point is the one I was trying to make without being libellous. This post is lacking clarifications for the same reason.
I'm really sorry if I am getting confused by what you are saying.
I am trying to find the information specifically for Australia, but if you look at this list you will note that the old Murdoch BVMS (old vet sci undergraduate degree) is listed as an international, accredited vet qualification with the American Vet Medicine Assoc https://www.avma.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Education/Forei…
And that point 2.b.3 states that as a qualified veterinarian, you can use the term doctor or veterinarian. https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Principles-of-Veterin…
The main point I wanted to make originally was in direct comment against your statement that you wouldn't trust a person who called themself a doctor without a doctorate.
Murdoch BVMS (bachelor of vet medicine and surgery undergrads) are qualifed vets, and also undergraduate MBBS (bachelor of medicine/bachelor of surgery) are qualified medical doctors. So if someone here found out that their "doctor" had Murdoch BVMS or Uni of WA MBBS (undergraduate degrees and not doctorates), I would like to reassure them that they are trained in a fully accredited international standard school to care for the health of your pet/you.
The other point which I agreed with you 100% applies to all areas - I think it is very important to be aware of who is giving you advice and what actually makes them qualified to do so. The honorific "doctor" is not regulated in Australia.
@eve: \
"BVSc - Bachelor of Veterinary Science Australia - (except Murdoch Univ.)"
So Murdoch's old five year course was excluded.
"Graduates should only use the degree actually granted by their college or school of veterinary medicine. For instance, if a foreign college grants a degree of Bachelor of Veterinary Science, a graduate would sign his/her name "John Doe or Mary Smith, BVSc," and a Medico Veterinario would sign, "John Doe or Mary Smith, MV." All veterinarians may use the courtesy titles Doctor or Veterinarian."
So yes, any Vet can can call themself a doctor in casual conversation (as convention) but they shouldn't sign their name as Dr John Doe or Dr Mary Smith.
Yes, I over generalised. The six year degrees have very strict requirements, take the same time as a BSc + DVM, contain the same knowledge and give the same speciality. I have no problem with people completing theses degrees siging their names as Dr (even if the AVMA does).
My posts are lacking clarifications to avoid libel
Directly above BVM&S or BVSc is BVMS Australia (Murdoch University). So AVMA does say that the Murdoch undergrad degree qualifies as a vet "doctor". It's also actually a six year course when including the one mandatory pre-vet year.
Again, my point is that the Murdoch BVMS and UWA MBBS are both undergraduate degrees that are internationally recognised qualifications for vet health and human health care. They are not doctors by doctorate but are trained health doctors in the Western conventional sense (evidence based medicine).
So don't be shocked and run away if your doctor or specialist has an MBBS/BVMS!! =) In fact, if you are after health advice, I would trust an MBBS/BVMS over a " doctor by doctorate" unless their doctorate specifically trained them in the area I have the question in.
@eve:
Your right, I totally missed that.
I 100% agree with you. My posts are lacking clarifications to avoid libel
Still, I don't know any doctors who would be stupid enough to practise medicine without a relevant degree. These people have spent between 6-8 years studying and it would be career suicide if they got caught. I personally know people with irrelevant Bachelor degrees (and no training) practising alternative medicine who claim that they heal their customers. My posts are lacking clarifications to avoid libel
Some universities (many which didn’t start as universities) offer Masters degrees in fields that I believe really shouldn't be taught as a career at the Postgrad level (but there is nothing wrong with researching these topics). Again, my posts are lacking clarifications to avoid libel.
Seriously, there are quite a few clarifications I would/would have state/d that would make my opinions clearer (and alight 100% with yours) if this wasn't a public forum.
Amputation?
My jack Russel cross tore her ACL on her backleg. Had the operation (costly), important to keep her in a confined area while they heal; we kept her in a small fenced off area. Also feed her glucosamine every now and then with her meal to help joints. Now she's fine.
Thank you. I was told that smaller dogs have a much better success with the operation. Glad your dog is well.
How costly?
I must have spent too much time with my farmer relatives when I was a kid because I'm afraid I'm rather of the economic rationalist school where pet expenses are concerned. I hear of these city folk spending 5, 10, 20k on vet fees and it does my head in.
$2,500.
All the best OP. Hope it works out well.
Thank you
I'm sorry to hear this has happened to your dog.
I would get another opinion at The Lort Smith Animal Hospital http://www.lortsmith.com/vet-services/veterinary-services/ If you do need to have the surgery they will allow you to pay off the bill. I had exceptional care from them for my last dog who had major heart issues.
We always saw Dr Harold Pook who is a specialist and he would only charge me $10 for the consultation. Perhaps ask to see him.
I wish you and your dog well.
Thank you. I will look into it once I am fully convinced that the op is the only way.
I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to respond. This is so hard for me because my dog has been such a help to me this year whilst I have been very ill. I just want to make the right choice for her.
I am sorry this has happened to your dog. My previous dog (Golden Retriever) got lymphoma and went through treatment for that. (NOT cheap) but it gave him some extra time. In my opinion completely worth it.
I think you should try and get a specialist opinion and some x-rays done. While not cheap I'd say the operation is the best thing to do… Border collies aren't silly and she will hopefully sit quietly for a few weeks to recover.
P.S in the future if you get another dog GET PET INSURANCE!!!
Best of luck!
Thank you.
Our dog has done both. Recovered well, at times seems to limp randomly and obviously doesn't run at full pace much, however everyday life you wouldn't even know.
One factor is the weather where you are - not bad where we are, he seems uncomfortable on cold days because of the metal I assume.
I read something like 50% that do one will likely do the other so keep that in mind.
Thank you for your response. Yes, you are right. we have been told that she could do the other one. I am very concerned for her. I feel like crying every time I see her walking on three legs. Thanks again for your response.
Firstly I'm sorry to hear your dog has injured itself.
However I'm struggling to understand why you're reluctant to listen to the advice of TWO vets. I can see that you appear to be questioning the very advice because they get paid to do surgery. So I shall assume you don't trust dentists or hospitals either?
I'm pretty certain that the vast vast vast majority of vets didn't spend all of that time studying so that could get the opportunity to carry out unnecessary procedures on injured pets.
It's clear you really love your pet but if she wasn't in discomfort she would be using four legs, not three. She will never tell you how she's feeling so you have to take the best guess at the right form of treatment- a pet naturopath cannot be the best approach. Naturopath "practitioners often prefer methods of treatment that are not compatible with evidence-based medicine."
Thank you for responding. You are right. I am just hoping to do the right thing for her and that will probably be the surgery in the end. I am seeking advice here because I have never experienced this sort of thing before and thought that people who have can share their thoughts with me. I just want to do what is right for her. I
I don't have any useful advice regarding your dog's ACL. However, if you haven't already, it might be useful to make a post on www.dolforums.com.au and get advice there. It's a nice community of dog owners there that includes registered breeders etc that will be able to provide good advice, and also point out a recommended and experienced vet for your situation. I've been a member there since I've had my first puppy, and they've always provided good advice when I needed them.
Having been through a major surgery with my dog, I can empathise with what you're going through. Sending a lot of healing vibes your way!
Thank you. I will check out the forum you have suggested. I am so impressed with all the lovely people who have responded to my post. I accept you healing vibes. Thank you so much.
My jack russell had her rear left ACl repaired a ouple of years back, and yes was told of 50% chance of other leg going but (touch wood) so far OK. Had it done by a great surgeon at RSPCA burwood. Took about a month for her to get better but now she's 100% like she was before. Was just over $2k from memory, but she's my best friend (don't tell my wife) and was totally worth it.
Thank you. I am glad that your jack russell is doing well. I have also been told that the success rate in smaller dogs is better than larger dogs, so you have a good chance that it it will not occur in the other leg. All the best with your dear dog. Our pets are our best friends and love us so much.
I am very sorry about your dog's recent injury and I hope it recovers as soon as possible.
As Mooney has mentioned in the above comment, almost all veterinarians really are trying to work with owners for the benefits of your dog. I am currently a vet student and hence I am not experienced enough to give you specific medical advice, but I think that it was a great idea for you to ask multiple vets for their opinion. Also, the fact that they didn't push for an radiographic imaging before giving you their advice sounds like that they are already trying to work with you to save on possible unnecessary costs, although they may still need one before the surgery to improve the chance of successful operation.
I sincerely hope that you do communicate with the vet as transparently as possible and do take their advice over anyone else on internet (or elsewhere) because they are the only ones who have physically examined your dog and have to experience and knowledge to formulate a plan for the future recovery.
If you do have financial liberty, you can ask your vet to recommend you a specialist who are more experienced in the particular surgery required. I believe there are a few in Melbourne who specialises in cruciate ligament surgeries although I don't know the approximate costs involved.
Best of luck with you and your dog! Feel free to ask anything via PM although I won't be able to give you any specific medical advice.
Thank you so much for your response. I do have some questions for you and will pm you soon. Thank you again for your help.
My jack Russell had the operation last year on one leg. Like you, I had hesitations towards putting him through such a large surgery. The operation was costly and the recovery took about 10 weeks of having him in a cage but he walks absolutely fine on the leg now and is his bright happy self again. Seeing him mopey and in pain was incredibly difficult and I'm glad that I went through with the surgery. If you'd like more of an idea on costs and recovery phase, I'm happy to help. I know this is a difficult time so hang in there!!
Thank you. Everyone here has been so kind to share their experiences. I am glad that you little Jack Russell is well. I have had a few responses from Jack Russell owners who have had the same problem. I wonder if it is common among certain breeds.
Be mindful that in smaller dogs they use a different technique compared to larger dogs. in small dogs they perform an extracapsular repair which is using a very strong ligature to act like a cranial cruciate ligament by preventing movement between the femur and stifle (usually used in dogs smaller than 20kg - costs approx $2000. In larger dogs they may perform a TTA or TPLO - which is a more intensive surgery and thus costs more (approx $3000).. surgery is definitely the best way for return to normal function. Medical routes would be pain relief tablets and obviously without repair you will get secondary arthritis and joint degeration as the joint isnt stable. I would definitely recommend surgery, however keep in mind there is a 40% chance the other cruciate can rupture also…
Thank you. I have been told that there is a chance that the other knee will rupture. Is this because she favors the sick leg and use the good leg more.
Yep
I appreciate your response.
And dont worry about the vets not performing radiographs of any futher diagnostic - a cranial cruciate rupture is confirmed if the vet can get any cranial movement at the knee joint (you may have seen the vet trying to move the tibia fowards whilst holding the femur)..
Yes. That is what they did and you are spot on. I was worried that the diagnosis may have been incorrect because there was no other testing done.
Some good info in this forum. Simm777 is quite knowledgeable. Are you a vet?
Mr What..
If you are in Perth? Drop by my clinic & I will explain to you further regarding what is involved in each procedure.
No charge :)Thank you very much for such a generous offer. However, I live in Melbourne. I do appreciate your kindness.
yes i am but im working in Melbourne :)
Hi. I'm relocating from Syd to Perth in Jan 2005 with my 3 dogs. Will need a vet for them. Can you let me know your clinic details? Thanks
You can view the clinic website: www.familypetcentre.info
Wish you all the best in the relocation & smooth transition to Perth's lifestyle:)
Thank you!! But unfortunately will be too far away for us as we will be based in Willetton.
@applec:
No worries.. Feel free to contact me if you have vet related questions or need advice :)
SMS or email would be best
No worries. Melbourne is fortunate to have many great vets!
I would advice to do surgery. TTA (Tibial tuberosity advancement) or TPLO (tibial plateau levelling osteotomy) due to her weight.
Dr Wing Tip Wong, Dr Chris Preston or Dr Charles Kuntz are great surgeons in Melbourne. All were my mentors/lecturers when I was in Melbourne.After surgery, hydrophysiotherapy is recommendable. Chris might have an underwater treadmill.
Supplements for arthritis: Give her fish oil omega 3, glucosamine+chondroitin and Cartrophen injections course from your vet. Some of my clients noticed improvements with rose hip vital, hyaluronic acid supplements and turmeric (Cucumin powder). All these are anecdotal. Most oral supplements can be human's as long as you take your dog's weight into consideration.
Acupuncture can be useful too for natural pain relief & there are plenty of studies & research on it to prove its benefits.
Lastly & most importantly, keep your pet slim & don't stop exercising him even if he has arthritis or you would end up in a vicious cycle of muscle wastage-> weakness -> difficult & reluctance to walk -> gain more weight-> more pressure on joints -> worse arthritis. & keeps going…
So lighter & fitter dogs would cope with arthritis better.All the best!
Familiar names haha :) They certainly are one of the most respected small animal orthopaedic surgeons in Melbourne.
By the way, I never use Xray to diagnose cruciate tear. I would look for cranial drawer signs & medial buttress.
Xray is to look for existing arthritis or rule out other joint or bone problems.
Also, I use X-rays as an prognostic indicator. meaning if there are already too much arthritis, the response/improvement, clinically, you would achieve is going to be minimal even after a cruciate repair (extracapsular, TTA or TPLO). So then, you might need a full knee replacement instead to achieve best results. but costs could be prohibitively expensive if you don't have insurance.Thank you for all the information.
Sorry to hear about your dog :(
The family dog did an ACL a few years back when we were in a difficult financial position. We ended up going to the RSPCA to have the surgery at a fraction of the cost of a private vet, just something to consider if money is an issue. The RSPCA were great and the dog recovered quite well.
Thank you for your response. What sort of dog do you have?
He was a maltese shih tzu.
When I read that the first time it registered in my mind as "a fraction of the cost of a private jet."
Also correct :)
A friends dog suffered from this on both back legs. He's about the same size as a collie (~20kg) and now it's been done he can quite happily chase around in the park with the other dogs. I think she had the op done at the vets on the Victoria Road in Rozelle.
Thank you for your response. I am glad that it all worked out for your friends collie.
http://tiggerpoz.com/id3.html
Recovery from ligament injury can usually be accomplished by restricting the dog's activity as described. Minimizing stresses on the joint by allowing only limited gentle activity avoids further injury and provides the dog's body the conditions it needs to recover. Surgery is seldom appropriate. Unnecessary surgery is often recommended.
My 9 year old collie x did his right rear ACL end of January. He spent 2 months in 1.5m x1.5m pen. Then take out of pen for gradual walking from 10 steps (week one) four times a day then put back in pen, to 20 week 2 etc.etc. Only after i was certain he was 100% after 5 months did i allow him complete freedom from the pen to run, and climb steps, and jump at will. He's better than ever and thinks he's 2 again. He did his ACL when running and slipping on take off (Dogs dont do ACL on landing they do it on take off) leaping down stairs. Traffic management obstacles now prevent this in backyard. Vet wanted $500 to knock him out & operate. I understand that that's all they're trained to do but an orthopaedic specialist Vet wanted $5000 also. What a joke. I figured i needed to get a pen to put dog in after the op anyway so i'd give the tiggerpoz way a go first with nothing to loose but a couple of months wasted time. Old dog and surgery equals complications with anesthesia and infection and possible death. Highly recommend heaps of pumpkin and Blackmores Glucosamine 1000 tablets. It's harder on the owners to leave the dog in the pen than it is on the dog being in there.Was your dog crying all the time whilst he/she was in the pen. My dog cries when I have her confined to the garage.
If you genuinely have financial difficulties paying, go to your local RSPCA; you'll pay a minimal fee ($87.50) and the rest is subsidised by donations. Mind you, do not abuse that option. If you can afford to pay do so accordingly.
Thank you. I wasn't necessary searching for financial assistance. Although, I must say, RSPCA are a great organisation to provide that sort of assistance to pet owners.
Our one tore a ligament and it was heartbreaking seeing him limping everywhere. The vet said came down to either surgery or taking it easy (don't let him run up and down stairs, light walks, massaging etc) and see what happens. Thankfully, it all turned out fine. Every now and then it flares up, but otherwise he's good. I'll wait a bit longer.
I'll go with the RSPCA as others have mentioned but I'll give them a bit extra, they do wonders.
Thank you for your response. What sort or dog do you have?
My Chihuahua ripped off her entire knee cap on one side of her rear leg about 2 years ago. She had the surgery with a steel pin inserted. It cost $1500 which included 1 full day of rehab once a week for 3 weeks. She has recovered beautifully. She's 11 years now & it's like nothing happened.
I had her done at Brandon Park Vet Clinic in Melbourne's South East suburbs. The surgeon, Prevon, did a wonderful job and they gave me a fixed price quote before hand so there wasn't any hidden extras.
Hope your dog gets sorted out soon.Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. It is good that you little dog has done so well. I think I know that clinic. I believe it is the one that has the giraffe out the front. I don't live too far from there. Have had another recommendation to that clinic from a friend. Thank you again for your time.
Yes, it's the one with the big giraffe.
If you do decide to go there a consultation costs about $60, I think, and, if possible, ask to see either Daniel or Prevon.
I find they are very mindful of people's budgets. Also, they tend to take a conservative approach rather than going in and ordering a bunch of tests.
I've read through some of the comments from both OP and ozbargainers. It is quite sad that dentists and vets have somehow occupied the same place as car mechanics. I can't say if this is justified or not but I think all services/repair industries really need to work on their reputation to solve this. While I would really love to trust a car mechanic, it is totally different when it comes to a life.
When you have to "shop around" because you doubt the decision of somebody certified in healthcare you know that something has went wrong with the system somewhere. Completely understandable where the OP is coming from. Probably a few bad experiences from service people pushing a particular unrequired package.
I do hope you get the right information and your dog gets better. It must be heart breaking to watch her suffer.
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http://tiggerpoz.com/id3.html
Don't know if reliable information, worth a read if only for option