u/Echo-Honest

My 9 year old female chocolate lab has a likely CCL tear in her back right hind. 80 lbs, I know she's overweight. Trying to diet her for the last 6 months with a 25% food reduction and no real progress. Had her thyroid tested this week, no issues there. With sedated x-rays at $600, and another $4-6K for the surgery, can't really swing this cost. I expressed this at the appointment.

Vet assured me, and to quote the medical notes: “Explained that with conservative management, the joint will eventually scar down with arthritis, leaving a noticeable but less painful lameness, and reassured the owner that a good quality of life can be maintained.”

However, vet also provided me with literature that essentially says without surgery the meniscus will eventually fully tear, resulting in significant pain and loss of quality of life. Essentially a ticking time bomb.

Don’t know my direction forward. I don’t want to add to my debt with this potential cost, but I also don’t want my best friend to suffer and regret my choice later on.

Does anyone have some direct experience with this issue and not getting the surgery? I would appreciate any advice.

Hello. Please please help me understand my beautiful 9-year old dog Bella’s likely case of cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture, especially the potential consequences of choices I have.

She’s a chocolate lab. Overweight, medium sized dog at ~80 lbs. She’s been on a diet for the last 6 months, I feel she’s slimming down visually, but vet trip yesterday and they said she’s gained weight since last visit. Currently eating 3 cups of food each day, potentially pairing that down further, but already reduced from 4 cups a day. Tested thyroid yesterday, everything ok. I know her weight needs to be cut.

She’s had a slight limp since Christmas on right hind leg. Recently after play, her limp became considerably more pronounced, so took her in, where we got the DDx of likely “Cranial cruciate ligament rupture. The combination of acute-on-chronic toe-touching lameness and medial stifle effusion is highly suspicious for a cranial cruciate ligament rupture”. There is also the potential, the doctor explained, of bone cancer.

TPLO surgery was discussed, $4-6K at minimum, which frankly, I can’t afford. I asked the doctor what would happen without surgery, and was told with “conservative management, the joint will eventually scar down with arthritis, leaving a noticeable but less painful lameness, and reassured the owner that a good quality of life can be maintained” (taken from medical record notes).

Went home with pain meds for Bella, and doctor asked me to consider sedation radiology to try to determine what’s going on: CCL rupture or possibly bone cancer. Also received a follow up to read about the TPLO surgery.

Here’s where I need a better understanding of full consequences. At the appointment, once I told the doctor about my inability to afford the surgery, they were very understanding and told me about the joint scarring and that good quality of life can still be maintained. However the literature I was sent essentially said that eventually the meniscus will completely tear, causing significant pain and loss of quality of life. The doctor was reassuring, the literature makes this sound like a terrible ticking time bomb.

So which is more accurate? I know Bella won’t heal on her own, and estimations are nearly impossible without an in-person evaluation. But could the scarring allow for eventually walks outside? Playing fetch? Can she possibly move again at some point without the dramatic toe touching and considerable limp? I can’t afford her surgery, but it also breaks my heart if a decision not to act now will just leave her as a hollow shell of her former self.

Any advice, although I know quite possibly anecdotal, would be greatly appreciated, thank you.