So for those who are not yet in the know, Quincy injured her knee a few weeks ago and was diagnosed by our vet as having a torn cruciate tendon. How? Good question. She merely went out in the field to pee and sniff and returned limping.
Via physical exam and X-ray it was determined that a cruciate tendon has been torn. Then it was the researching for a treatment plan. I'm not going to say who wanted to do what for how much here, but these are some of the factors weighing in on my decision.
The severity of the injury, now that evening she was only slightly limping and the same the next two days. It was one day after that we were at the vet, where it was manipulated and aggravated no doubt. since day two, nothing no limp at all. So, do I believe it is torn, yes but not terribly. And even a small tear will take months to mend.
Our lifestyle. Quincy and I are quite active, we love hiking and camping, swimming etc. Regardless of her age, she'll be 10 in Sept, Quincy is a very young 9 yr old. Medically she's very healthy.
My financial status. I'm not wealthy by any means. I work a full time job and pay a mortgage living check to check like most people. Can I make any of the options work financially? Yes. But I'd be stretched so thin that I could be in trouble an emergency were to arise.
My availability to be there for Quincy in her recovery. I work long shifts, without the ability to take a long period of time off work to give follow up care after any surgery to promote it's success.
My goals for Quincy. To have her heal, be happy and live an active outdoor life with me for another 5 to forever years.
To get her safely back on the trails as soon as safely possible. Turns out she is a boredom eater, not good for a dog with a knee injury.
So the plan? The plan is to use a stifle brace, a dog's knee is called a stifle. The brace stops the shifting in her knee caused by the tear therefore preventing further injury. This also allows the ligament to build scar tissue and hopefully eventually stop any movement on it's own. If it doesn't then she just wears the splint continuously, the splint does not stop her from partaking in all our usual activity. Will she get arthritis? Probably, but so will I and we'll deal with it then.
NOTE; In my research I came upon this site and found it helpful. Don't let anyone rush you into any decisions. http://tiggerpoz.com/index.html
The severity of the injury, now that evening she was only slightly limping and the same the next two days. It was one day after that we were at the vet, where it was manipulated and aggravated no doubt. since day two, nothing no limp at all. So, do I believe it is torn, yes but not terribly. And even a small tear will take months to mend.
Our lifestyle. Quincy and I are quite active, we love hiking and camping, swimming etc. Regardless of her age, she'll be 10 in Sept, Quincy is a very young 9 yr old. Medically she's very healthy.
My financial status. I'm not wealthy by any means. I work a full time job and pay a mortgage living check to check like most people. Can I make any of the options work financially? Yes. But I'd be stretched so thin that I could be in trouble an emergency were to arise.
My availability to be there for Quincy in her recovery. I work long shifts, without the ability to take a long period of time off work to give follow up care after any surgery to promote it's success.
My goals for Quincy. To have her heal, be happy and live an active outdoor life with me for another 5 to forever years.
To get her safely back on the trails as soon as safely possible. Turns out she is a boredom eater, not good for a dog with a knee injury.
So the plan? The plan is to use a stifle brace, a dog's knee is called a stifle. The brace stops the shifting in her knee caused by the tear therefore preventing further injury. This also allows the ligament to build scar tissue and hopefully eventually stop any movement on it's own. If it doesn't then she just wears the splint continuously, the splint does not stop her from partaking in all our usual activity. Will she get arthritis? Probably, but so will I and we'll deal with it then.
NOTE; In my research I came upon this site and found it helpful. Don't let anyone rush you into any decisions. http://tiggerpoz.com/index.html
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