(TTA SURGERY) Tibial Tuberosity Advancement for Rocco

[Rocco's Mom]

Hi there Boxer World! It has been some time since I have been on the site so after a tough diagnosis for Rocco, I dug up our password and here I am. In the past I have always received such great advice and support.

Last September 2011, Rocco was playing with a friends dog and seemed to sustain an injury to his back right leg. I took him to the vet nothing visible on an x-ray and upon exam just told no big injury just may have come down on it wrong came home with Rimadyl and that was that. Over the past year he has developed arthritis and has good days and bad but his activity has been limited so he's a little overweight right now. Well Thursday night I let him out to do his business before bed and he couldn't get back up the stairs. It would seem that he hurt his leg again and I hoped he'd be better in the morning. Unfortunately that wasn't the case so I took him to the vet yesterday afternoon. They did x-ray's to rule out bone injury and diagnosed him with a torn CCL. Suggested that last year he may have actually partially tore it and finished the job the other night. Him being overweight doesn't help his cause.

Of course they began talking about options and the Dr. tha does orthapedic surgeries travels from clinic to clinic. The options they discussed were the TPLO and Sutchers. My cousin's husband is a vet (but practices an hour from here) and speaking to him today he suggested a TTA procedure. I am taking him there for a second opinion and discuss our options. We are leaning toward the TTA procedure with my cousin's husband I know he'll be in great hands there.

So thank you if you have read this far. I have questions and am just looking for people who have been through similar situations.

Has anyone heard about Dusaquin with MSM for joint health? Does it help with the healing after surgery and healthy knee going forward?

How was the recovery? we can't do his surgery until after October 23rd due to an out of town committlent. What if anything has been said about right away/wait etc? Maybe we need a brace in the meantime?

We have a ton of stairs outside and are going to build ramps for him tomorrow. It is so hard to see him in pain and not be able to do much.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Fabbidavisjr]

Partially torn

Hello, sorry about your dog....I don't have much advice for you but I do have some questions if thats ok...My two year old was diagnosed with a partially torn acl....She is skinny and in great shape, and we've been leash walking only no stairs or hills, for two months now and her leg is getting stronger and stronger....Did you restrict your dogs activity at all during that year? How old is he? We are trying to avoid the TPLO or TTA...Good luck with your dog, from what I've read TPLO better stabilizes the leg and lower risk of damaging arthritis....The angle is easier on the other leg then the TTA....and about 50 percent of dogs tear there other acl either surgery...sucks I know I'm in the same boat

 

[Rocco's Mom]

Rocco is now 7. When he sustained the initial injury we took him to the vet they did xrays and an exam on his leg at that time they did not determine a partial tear. X-rays did show signs of arthritis. Over this past year, he certainly hasn't been as active he'd have good and bad days and on the bad ones, we wouldn't take him for walks. I had chalked it up to the arthritis because I didn't know there may have been a knee injury. He would still chase passers by at the fence, in and out of the car, stairs etc. So over time as the vet explained little fibers would pop one at a time until finally the ligament gave 100%. Unfortunately his lack of activity over the last year has caused him to be overweight so that hasn't helped his cause either.

We had a surgical consult yesterday and are doing the TTA his bone slope was measured, I am understanding it is less invasive and has lower levels of complication. I think as his "parents" it is more on us going forward to ensure his activity is not going to risk his recovery or long term health. While he won't be happy being confined to the deck unless we are outside it is where we are at right now. I am just hoping we are doing the right thing for him and that the years he has left are a little better than this last one. He'll still have the arthritis but it would be nice to take the long walks we used to take.

Good luck with your young one...sounds like she is on a great track to healing. Hope you can avoid surgery.

 

[ELubas]

Hi there. Sorry about Rocco. My girl had TPLO when she was five and did great after. Her angle was not suitable for TTA or we would have done it. The recovery is managable and really after the first couple of weeks they really heal well and get moving. We did water therapy as part of her PT and while expensive I really think it gave her an edge in her recovery.

As for right now if he is in pain I would ask for a pain med. My girl was hurting and the surgeon put her on Tramodol for two weeks before the surgery. On lead all the time too obviously.

I know folks that use Dasequin and have good luck with it. Depends on the dog I think. I went with a natural joint support supplement and so far so good. Her other knee is holding up at this point and we are hopeful it will take her through her life as she is a little calmer now (not much!). Of course if she lives to be twenty, which is our deal ...lovicon

I bet you will find your boy will be much more happy to go and walk and much less tired out once he has his surgery. It was scary but I do not regret it for one second. My girl fared very, very well. Sending boxer wiggles to yours from mine.

 

[Fabbidavisjr]

thanks

good luck with your boy, I'm sure he will bounce back....I've known boxer who live until 15 years old so maybe he's just getting his second wind.

 

[Rocco's Mom]

Eileen, it is great to hear that your girl did so well with the TPLO surgery we are hopeful that like your girl Rocco bounces back and is feeling better soon after surgery. We are taking it easy now and he has days that are better than others he is on both Rimadyl and Tramadol twice a day right now and after surgery as well. My mission tomorrow is to get a ramp for our truck, area rugs for our hardwood floors and a harness to help me lift his back end after surgery. We have a "baby jail" that we will use to limit his space after surgery together with his home (crate). Anything else you found useful after surgery?

He does have arthritis so I know he won't be 100% but I am hoping he is better and in less pain than the last 6 or so months. He loved long exercise walks and the joyful leisurly sniff walks we used to take so I hope we can do those again in the spring. My main concern is the ice and snow here and on our deck in the winter so we'll have to take lots of precaution there.

Thanks for the well wishes and wiggles he needs it all right now

 

[Rocco's Mom]

Thank you to everyone for all of your well wishes and suggestions. We are one week and a day post op. Rocco is doing very well better than we expected actually. The first night was rough for sure like you said major pee drama because of the epidural he actually began to develop a uti combination of the stress and not being able to get up and go. He is prone to these when stressed so I wasn't surprised. Over the last week he has been putting weight on it occasionally lifting his leg to pee and in the last couple of days we have allowed him to do the stairs on leash a couple of times a day. It has been hard on everyone especially Rocco because we have moved his home and all his things into our family room. This allowed us to take him out through the garage and avoid all of our back stairs. We have been pretty much living down here with him as well. Husband and I taking turns sleeping down here with him kids eating, playing and dressing with him as well. He has had a tendency to lick his incision from time to time I did try the pro-collar but he hated it so much I was afraid he was going to injure himself trying to get it off. We are down to one tramadol twice daily and two rimadyl. He has arthritis so vet thinks we'll always have to give him the rimadyl.
So overall healing well we go Saturday to have the stitches removed and 8 weeks for a follow up x-ray. Thinking of moving our life back upstairs now still confining with the baby gates and such just think he'll be happier up there at this point.

 

[Tessa]

Thanks for your posts! Our situation is very similar. We are two days post op and Tessa came home yesterday. I'm kind of nervous because she is doing so well....They warned us she might not eat but she's finished everything we've given her. They said she might not have a bowel movement for 4-5 days and she's on her regular schedule going right after both meals so far. She doesn't mind the pro collar, she's putting weight on her leg, Tucker is leaving her alone, she is letting us ice it, taking her mess like a champ, she's even laying on her healing leg.....all the things we were worrying about are going smoothly!!!

I think we missed out on the pee drama because the surgeon kept her until later in the day to make sure the epidural had worn off. She's curled up in front of the fireplace right now sleeping like a baby. We bought a huge crate last night and will set it up later this morning...I hope she remembers how much she used to love her crate when she was younger.

I'm nervous because it is only day 2 and I hope the next 82 go this well!!

Please keep updating on your progress!!

 

[Rocco's Mom]

Glad to hear Tessa is doing so well after only two days I hope her recovery continues to go smoothly. We were warned of similar things appetite, bm, etc. He doesn't like the food he is on currently so considering he ate very well. But we did what we had to do to get him to eat as well considering there were meds to be taken. He was lifting his leg to pee after only a couple of days and putting all his weight on his operated leg.

For me right now the hard part is taking him out on leash all the time. I have two little ones and it's hard for me to take them out every time too. But we are dealing and I have to say that our "sticking to the rules" from the vet and advice from others here on BW has paid off. He is doing fantastic we had his stitches out yesterday and the vet couldn't believe how well he was using his leg.

So jealous...I wish I had a fireplace right now
Take care.

 

[Rocco's Mom]

Oh wanted to mention one thing since you are two days post op. Rocco's ankle joint got really swollen way more than the rest of his leg. If you come across this, massage it regularly to get that fluid moving around. Our vet also suggested the 5 min walks twice daily at that point to get things moving also. After only two days doing that his leg was almost 100% back to normal.