My dog's leg.. help!?

Question

Not so long ago my dog started having problems wit his left leg.. hes a medium size dog.. he was limping so we took him to the doctor and the doctor mentioned that he needed surgery because his ligaments were broken.. the surgery is 1000 and something dollar which at the time and even now we dont have.. He also said that if he wasnt put through surgery his other legs bcuz of the weight put in them could also become afftected. we were worried but all of a sudden he was out there running and hes leg was perfectly normal so we thought the doctors made a mistake but today he woked up even worst than before with his left let very messed up and limping very bad and even havin trouble sitting down.. what can i do for it to get better? should i get vitamins? what do you think this is? in your opinion? or should i take him to the doctor again to see if its dat.. what can i do.. it hurts me to my dog like that.

Answer 1

Torn ligaments are a very serious deal. These kinds of problems will not go away on their own and you should opt for surgery and discuss working out payment plans with your veterinarian.

Many places will be able to work out a plan with you, as long as you agree to make a payment weekly/monthly.

If they aren't willing to work out a payment plan with you call around and ask for an estimate. Also keep in mind that you may want to get a second opinion about the leg problem before surgery.

If no vets are willing to work out a payment plan, try to apply for pet insurance (example: Petco's PetCare Insurance policy), and see if they will be willing to cover the cost of surgery upfront, while providing you with a cheaper way to pay for the surgery over an extended period of time.

Edit:
I think Chalice is right about the insurance policies. Only other thing I can think of off-hand is applying/getting a credit card. That may help knock off some of the charges depending on your limit.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I'm afraid surgery is the only option.

Sounds like your dog has torn his cruciate ligament - common. Surgery is the only treatment - how cool it would be if we could fix this problem with vitamins!

The only thing I can suggest is to ring around vets and explain what's going on (they can get the dog's history from you current vet if need be) and ask if they can provide the surgery for a cheaper price. It's fairly common surgery, so they should be able to quote a price. Ask them about the care credit scheme. Start saving if you haven't already!

I'm afraid what happens if cruciates are not fixed, the one in the other hind leg ends up going as well.

Why are people suggesting Lyme's disease?! Cruciate ligament rupture is not a difficult thing for vets to diagnose, I think they know what they're talking about!

I'm afraid pet insurance will not help at this stage - insurance companies will not cover conditions present before the policy was taken out. You've just demonstrated why pet insurance is a good idea though!

Chalice

Answer 3

I had a similar problem. If it is the left hind leg, than it is most likely a cruciate ligament tear or rip. This is a very imprortant ligament that your dog needs to be intact!!! You have to get the surgery because all the other joints on the legs will develope arthritis due to the shift of his wieght. I would reccomnd getting x rays done first to make sure that is the problem, but it will not go away on its own and will only cause more problems if left untreated!!!! You can always get different estimates for prices from different vet hospitals, but regaurdless, it really has to be done. I hope this helped.

Answer 4

Your dog needs the surgery. I don't know. Get a credit card, have a bake sale. Somehow, get the money to get this dog fixed. Maybe the vet will do it if you give him half the money up front and then slowly pay the rest later. Maybe if you can find a place that is like a vet clinic or find a place that gives donations to people for their pets. My cat needed surgery once and a place tha donated mainly for spay and nueturing sent us some money to have the surgery done. Then once you have this invest in some pet insurance and don't get animals if you can't afford to keep them. At any rate you need to get this dog fixed up.

Answer 5

Im sure your vet is right. ACL tears in dogs are very common. And, yes, surgery is the only fix. You can manage your dogs pain with NSAIDS like rimadyl. Just like arthritis, there seem to be better days than others. When hes having a good day, it doesnt mean its healed. And, the other leg is likely to follow. I know the surgery is expensive, but Ive had clients take thier dogs out of state to cheaper vets. Good luck. Hope he feels better!

Answer 6

This is a regrettable problem. When ligaments are torn or snapped, there is considerable pain. And your vet is right. The others legs will be affected, eventually. Is there any organization in your town that would help with the cost of surgery?

Answer 7

What you can do for him to get better? Take him to the vet and get the surgery done. Torn ligaments are very serious.

You didn't get them fixed before, so now the ligaments are even more torn than they were before, so he's in more pain.

Answer 8

I think you need to take him to a vet. I understand you can't afford the surgery, but it needs to be done. They have a thing called care credit. It is like a credit card you can use for yourself or your pet.It helps a lot because most vets don't accept payments. Got to this site and see if you approved. http://www.carecredit.com/ Good Luck

Answer 9

What do you think vitamins are going to do?!? Take your dog to the vet and either pay to have the surgery or be put out of his misery. Don't let him suffer.

Answer 10

IT COULD BE LYME DISEASE GO HERE!!!!!!!!
http://www.thepetcenter.com/gen/lyme.html