River’s Surgery A Success!
Extremely complicated TPLO knee surgery made possible because of the support of the RAPS community. Doctor warns: It is crucial to catch knee problems early and deal with them directly. Learn how …
Thanks to the generous support of the RAPS community, River is recovering beautifully from major knee surgery this week!
A few days ago, we shared the story of River, whose life has been more challenging than most. We asked for your support – and you came through!
On Wednesday, River had TPLO surgery on her right leg. (Learn all about TPLO health and surgery here.)
TPLO surgery is, at once, extremely common and among the most complicated, challenging surgeries an orthopedic surgeon can take on.
X-rays of a similar surgery to the one River received.
“It went great,” says Dr. Guy Arad, the surgeon who has worked with River and performed the surgery. He credits River’s sweet nature and resilience and predicts an excellent recovery.
At first, it was assumed River would require TPLO surgery on both legs, but Dr. Guy is hopeful that maybe the second surgery won’t be necessary. It is very difficult to predict.
“It’s something that you have to wait and see,” he says.
Her right leg will be out of commission for a while but that does not necessarily mean that the added strain on her left leg will exacerbate what X-rays show are early signs of troubles there.
“I’ve seen many dogs that do great and don’t require a second surgery but there are others who, six months or a year from the surgery, require the other one,” he says.
TPLO surgery is one of the most difficult things a veterinary surgeon is called to do.
“On a scale from 1 to 10, TPLO is usually 9 to 10,” he says. “It’s high risk. You have to be a very competent surgeon and somebody who has a lot of experience in orthopedics to start doing TPLOs.”
Despite this complexity, it is overwhelmingly among the most common orthopedic procedures.
“85% of all orthopedic conditions in a dog are what we call ACL ligament issues,” Dr. Guy says. “It’s very common.”
It’s also very expensive.
And therein lies a conundrum.
Identifying and dealing with knee ligament issues early is crucial, he says. Putting dogs on anti-inflammatories can cover up the problem and allow it to get worse, requiring more invasive, complex interventions later when the condition becomes worse.
He urges people to be on the look out for early signs. The most obvious is when your dog has difficulty or hesitation getting up, appears to have a sleepy leg, avoids putting pressure on one leg or is favouring it a couple of times a week.
“That’s the early sign,” he says.
See a veterinarian right away, urges Dr. Guy – and make sure it is a doctor who is familiar with ACL conditions.
As a patient, River is a dream.
“She’s sweet and wild and the nicest dog ever,” he says. “She’s a sweetheart.”
River has a new lease on life because the RAPS community came through!
The RAPS Emergency Cases Fund exists to help us save the lives of animals like River who might otherwise face euthanasia because their people do not have the resources to provide the medical care they require.
