Quote:
Originally Posted by car2bike  Hey guys,
I have done some searching but still have a few questions. We have 2 yorkie dogs, both 10 months old (roughly). One has been lifting her back leg since Sunday, she was running around all day and playing, then just laid down!
We took her to the vet on Monday morning as it didn't seem to be getting any better. The vet told us its LP and possibly a stage 3. We are getting a second opinion tomorrow afternoon, for now she is on meds and strict rest.
We have 2 dogs as mentioned and of course one wants to play with the other. When we separate them they bark and cry like crazy, so we've had success leaving the crate open and she just lays down while he plays around a little, then goes in with her.
My questions are:
1. Is 10 months too young to even think of surgery?
2. If we do the surgery how will we keep them separated for a month+?
3. Is there anything we should ask the 2nd vet tomorrow specifically?
I appreciate any/all help!
Matt |
Our Bella had the surgery at just a little over a year of age. She is still in the process of recuperating. Your first question would be a good one to ask an orthopedic surgeon who has experience doing this kind of surgery. Once the surgery is done, you will have to confine the dog who was operated on to its crate or ex-pen for most of the time. That's pretty much non-negotiable, so you will have to come up with creative ways of dealing with that. Maybe get the two dogs accustomed to being separated, with one in the crate, and one outside the crate? Also, the dog cannot be allowed to lick or bite the incision until after the stitches come out--that will require vigilance on your part, and/or the use of an e-collar.
Ask the second vet for a referral to a good orthopedic surgeon who has experience with this kind of surgery. Ask about the costs and benefits of waiting until the dog is older before getting the surgery done. My surgeon said I had a year or two to make the decision before arthritis set in, but your surgeon may tell you differently.
Our Bella has luxating Patella in both legs, but it was much worse in one leg than the other, so we had only one leg operated on. The surgeon said that the other leg may never get to the stage where it will require surgery. Each dog is different.