Violet was such a rock star during her ACL surgery. Even though she came out all bruisey and swoll and pitiful, she was a total tough guy.
The surgery went well. They removed the torn ligament and implanted a metal plate into her knee with screws. No breezing through TSA checkpoints for my pit bull!
She came home, I doped her up as much as possible, and she seemed to be getting better.
And then she wasn’t.
Maybe it was when that neighbor dog was loose and jumped on her; maybe her brother knocked her ass-over-tin-cups while I wasn’t looking; maybe…I don’t know, could be anything.
When I took her in for her follow-up, the vet student took one look at her and said, “Yeah, she shouldn’t be limping at eight weeks.” Could be three things, they told me. Plate breakage: unlikely, because she would have been in a lot more pain. Torn meniscus (which would require more surgery): well, no telltale clicking, so probably not. Osteoarthritis: most likely, due to all that extry bone she grew trying to stabilize the joint. They sedated and manipulated and x-rayed her. The prescription: anti-inflammatory drugs and cross your fingers they work. If they do, then it’s osteoarthritis, and it’ll be chronic but she won’t need to get sliced n’ stitched again.
After a few weeks, she was still gimpy. I called one of the surgeons. “Do you hear a clicking?” she asked. No, thank goodness. “Just keep giving her the Rimadyl and call us back in a couple weeks.”
Last weekend, we went up to Boone to cheer for Wa as she ran a marathon. Saturday morning, I gave the dogs some breakfast, and we were out the door to hit—our very favorite—Swift’s Hill before heading over to the race course. As soon as we stepped out the door, Redford off the leash, Violet on,
kuh-POK,
kuh-POK,
kuh-POK.
That. Was Violet’s knee.
When I spoke to another surgeon on Monday, he said it was most likely a torn meniscus and that they had a cancellation on Tuesday. They could evaluate and, if need be, surgerize her on the same day.
Tuesday morning, the doc talked baby-talk to her as he pulled her leg back. Kuh-POK, it went. Surgery then.
This operation was less aggressive than the first, and because it happened within the recovery period, they would just charge me anesthesia and administrative fees. Surgical costs were waived. So it was only $1,200. Ha!
And I just got the pink slip at work. Which is not as bad as it sounds. The early allocation numbers are done based on last year’s enrollment, and my school is going to have way more students next year, so my principal is “very confident” I’ll still have a position. And of course, I was planning on leaving this job in a year anyway. But still. Timing.
Money, man. I know it’s fiction, but it feels like truth.
Thing is, I was talking to this dude after Violet’s first surgery and he said, “It’s great that you’re doing that for her.” I cocked my head. He continued, “A lot of people would just put her down.”
!!!!!
WTF?! No! That had never even occurred to me!
I guess he’s not the only one who thinks that way. My neighbor stopped by yesterday. He asked how much Violet’s surgery was and when I told him $4,700 so far, he said, “I’d put my kids down for that kind of money.” That was pretty funny.
The ghost of Gail is sending you love. Vet bill love. Take care of your animals the best you can love. Do the right thing love. You know… Gail love.
I grew up in a household where if the dog was “more trouble then it was worth” it was a visit to the woods with the .22.
Our canine dermatology consult yesterday set us (already starving owners) back $387.58. The cost of allergy testing and shots, $800+. And that’s not a cure- it’s just to (hopefully) make her a bit more comfortable. 75% chance of working.
I’m going to spend the weekend looking around the house for things to sell on Ebay. But I rest easy at night because there isn’t a question of *if* we’ll do this for her or not.
Charly sends Violet her love. And some cheese. Cheese makes everything feel better.
sweetie, i hate to say this. but she’s still young enough. it might be better, if they can’t seem to stabilize her, to take the leg off.
my kid just had to do that to her cat and less than 3 months later you wouldn’t know she’d been born any other way. she was up and about in a couple of days.
just something to consider.
I love the Gail love.
Joseph! Hush your mouth! Violet has a long way to go before she’s more trouble than she’s worth. She’s worth a lot of trouble. And I don’t own a .22.
Oh, Tami, I know, it’s that 75% chance that’s the kicker. “…So you’re saying I could do all this and it might not work? Fantastic.” Violet loves cheese.
Right now, Margo, I’m hoping this does the trick. Course, the surgeon was like, “You know about the high probability she’ll tear the other knee, right?” Yeah, I know.
Hope Violet is doing better! My puppy brother, Maxwell Simon, has had multiple knee surgeries and is doing really well at age 13. Cheese really aided his recovery :)
I worked at a vet for 3 years. We, as a clinic, adopted many animals whose owners were going to put them down b/c they were starting to cost too much. We’d fix ’em up and find them new, much much better homes. It’s sickening how quickly and easily some people make the decision to just do away with them.
And I’m gonna have to go with Margo on this one. Dog’s carry 75% of their weight in their front legs. You could take her bad leg off and she’d never miss it. Dogs recover and adapt crazy quick. And sometimes it’s actually the less painful option if it’s going to be gimpy and arthritic for the rest of her life. Hopefully the latest surgery will work and she’ll be brand new. :)
Kristen, I’m headed out to buy more cheese. Cheese is important in most recovery processes, I think.
Anna, if there weren’t a 50-70% chance that she’s going to tear the other knee, I might consider it. But I figure two gimpy legs are probably better than one gimpy leg and one amputated leg. Right?
Poor baby. :( :
I’m sorry. I hope she get’s to feeling better soon.