Way Off Topic, But Need Help...

[The Surgeon]

Does anyone know of a great board certified surgeon for a Labrador in the Texas, OKla, KS area? I have a two year old Lab that has tore her knee. I have way to much time and money invested in this animal to just let this go or put the animal down. I am forced to wait till spring to do any invasive surgery due to I need access to water for rehab.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Scot E]

Don't know if you have her in any associations but a lot of times they have a good list of that kind of thing. AKC may even have good info. If you do field trials or anything similar sometimes they have good info as well.

Sorry about the problem with your lab.

Scot E.

 

[Broz]

I use to have a registered kennel and raise running hounds. I had a few instances where my hounds would get their legs stuck while jumping a fence. Usuall the rear leg. They would fight till they were loose or I arrived to free them.

On one ocassion one of my best dogs hung up on a rear leg. Before I got there he stretched the tendons that cross the knee. This made the knee joint loose. But the tendons where not severed. I had a very good vet. He advised me to lock the dog up and not to run him at all. Short but increasing walks on a lead only for 6 months. I followed his instructions. My dog, " Rocky" made afull recovery. It took about a month before he would even put the leg on the ground. But by the end of the 6 th month when I cut him loose he was good as ever and could run with the pack for miles on end. I guess these tendons need times to heal and retract to tighten the knee joint back up. But anyway, Rocky lived to the ripe old age of 15 1/2 yrs and never was lame.

I am not sure this will apply to your dogs injury, but maybe it will help.

Good luck and I hope your dog recovers well.

Jeff

 

[The Surgeon]

Scot, thank you. I have looked at them and there are a few out there. But what I guess I should have said was "experience with a surgeon". This isn't my first rodeo with this particular injury, so I know what a surgery that did not go as planned can do.

Broz, I have her on lock down right now. Biggest problem I am having is when I am at work the kids and wife, who do not understand what this means, have a tendency not to listen to me. I understand the stress the puts on a family. Belle, my Lab, hates the pen. She puts up a big fuss when I am not here, thus the family gets impatient with her and lets the dog have her way. In this case you can not do that.

I have been through this surgery once and it was a nightmare. Daily trips to the lake, pool, and tread mill were very time consuming. The dog never recovered and ultimately ended up being put down due to intense pain. I am very worried about even going the surgery route. I am thinking about just retiring her early and letting it go.

There is no easy options to this especially when you have been through it already and it did not work.