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Thread: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    41

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    Check out the vet in 100 mile friends were quoted a approx $5000 on the coast and got procedure dun for $2000 up at 100 mile

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    Sunshine Coast
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    2,830

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    Me personally, I would get a second opinion. I'v grown to become skeptical of vets that want to rush into treatments of my dogs. I'v had a older Bl Lab female that had fat lumps on her sternum that we had tested and turned out to be fat, the head vet at that clinic was treating her this one day and it was his first time treating her and he says you know, we can remove those lumps. I told the vet that she is 12yrs.old and she is only going to get knocked out one more time. She live a good life to 16yrs. old, fat lumps and all.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Posts
    952

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    I like Galloway in Richmond.

    https://www.stevestonvethospital.com/

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Surrey
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    641

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    I had a similar problem with my Cane Corso, she is a large dog(130lbs) and plays hard with our male Cane Corso so they tend to strain and pull muscles quite often. took my girl to vet for a limping rear leg and after X-rays was told she needs surgery.
    This surgery would essentially cut her leg off and reattach. Well we were planning an Alaska trip with dogs in about a month and decided that doing this trip with a dog in that kind of recovery would be impossible so we put off the surgery and started the dog on 'Recover' and cbd. Within a month the dog was fine and running around as normal and is still fine a year later.
    I'm not saying the vet was not doing what they thought was best but in our case it seems it was unnecessary at that time.
    By the way we actually really like our vet(Albatross in Langley) and continue to take our dogs there. They weren't actually the ones to push for the surgery as they don't do that kind of work at their clinic but recommended the surgeon we did see.
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  5. #15
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    Nov 2007
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    Region 3
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    617

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    Dr. Grant Cumberbirch / Amherst Veterinary Hospital (Kitsilano/4th & Alma area) .... Grant has a black lab, is a hunter/fisher and knows his stuff. I'm now in Kamloops but use Grant exclusively for my DD vet needs. Good man.
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  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    677

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    Quote Originally Posted by ActionJackson017 View Post
    So.. do I blindly follow these experts opinion?
    No, of course you do not have to. However, based on your description your dog likely has a torn ACL. This is a very common problem in Labradors, Cane Corsos, Rottweilers and a few other large breeds. Last week I saw 6 torn ACLs and I only worked 3 days...
    As recommended, surgery is the best option and it is prudent to have bloodwork done before surgery making sure your dog has no underlying issues hampering a safe anesthesia. There are several surgical techniques; TPLO or TTA have the best papers at this moment.
    Since you already have a referral to a specialist, go and see what she/he has to say. Make an appointment for a consultation first and book surgery if you feel confident with that doctor.
    Dr. Mark Smith is a surgeon who works out of several clinics in the Lower Mainland with tons of experience with these surgeries.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    4,368

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    For what its worth,

    My brother in laws GWP had a torn ACL at a young age. There were cheaper treatment options but they elected to have the TPLO. It required allot of care and rehab but its been two years and that dog is as fast and agile as ever and shows no indication of ever being injured.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    54

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron.C View Post
    For what its worth,

    My brother in laws GWP had a torn ACL at a young age. There were cheaper treatment options but they elected to have the TPLO. It required allot of care and rehab but its been two years and that dog is as fast and agile as ever and shows no indication of ever being injured.
    Was going to say exactly the same thing. Our lab tore her ACL in a freak accident when she was just over a year old. We went with the TPLO surgery and YES it is a lot of care and rehab …. do EVERYTHING that is suggested in the rehab in the time frames suggested. Post surgery find a vet specializing in rehab as they should have a water treadmill which works wonders in the recovery. Her recovery went very well and she was back hunting and running hunt tests the following season.
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  9. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
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    The Rock
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    27

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    A few years ago my dog tore one of his tendons in his knee, he would favour it for a few weeks and then go crazy out in the yard and come in limping again, we took him to the vet to have him checked out and they told us he had torn one of his ACL's and that he would need surgery, when the vet was checking him out she actually took the knee and twisted it and bent it back and tore it completely, dog yelped and that was how she did the diagnosis, surgery was the only option and explained to us that the dog would end up with having to do the other knee within the next year due to it favouring the damaged knee after surgery at a cost of 5k per knee when the time came. I think that vets play on peoples emotions 90% of the time and I avoid them like the plague, but my wife wanted a second opinion so we took our dog to a vet out of city and had a sit down with her. we explained what the other vet did for her diagnosis and the new vet said that is typical, the tendon could have been damaged as our dog would be lame for a few days and then fine, what the original vet did was tear the tendon completely as there is no way to tell if it is detached, and because our dog was walking on it and using it still she explained it was damaged but now he couldn't use the leg at all. the second vet gave us 2 options, surgery, or a brace, we chose a brace after I did some research on how they repair the knee during surgery, and I wasn't willing to see my dog go through the surgery once little own a second time down the road. it is 2 years later and the brace actually works, he has to wear it anytime he goes for a walk or a play but it doesn't impede him, at first he didn't like it but now doesn't even bother with it. he did damage his other knee 6 months later but we took him back to the second vet and she assessed him as yes it was damaged but let him take it easy for a few months and nothing strenuous, again he is all good and only wears the brace on his original damaged knee.
    He has done so well that several of our friends have had their dogs damage their knees and they have gotten the braces as well and there dogs are recovering and recovered just fine. Braces were around 1k when we bought ours and it had to come out of the US through a local vet, my buddy just got one out of Victoria as someone there is now making them, the vet needs to measure and send a form fitting cast away so they can make and fit the cast for the dogs leg. So there are other options, most vets will only tell you of surgery as they get a % when the surgeon does the work. If you PM me I can get the info for you of who the vet was we went through, she is on the island but she maybe able to recommend a vet in your area that will help you with finding a brace if that is the direction you want to go.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    875

    Re: 2nd opinion on vet? Advice requested

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg3093 View Post
    A few years ago my dog tore one of his tendons in his knee, he would favour it for a few weeks and then go crazy out in the yard and come in limping again, we took him to the vet to have him checked out and they told us he had torn one of his ACL's and that he would need surgery, when the vet was checking him out she actually took the knee and twisted it and bent it back and tore it completely, dog yelped and that was how she did the diagnosis, surgery was the only option and explained to us that the dog would end up with having to do the other knee within the next year due to it favouring the damaged knee after surgery at a cost of 5k per knee when the time came. I think that vets play on peoples emotions 90% of the time and I avoid them like the plague, but my wife wanted a second opinion so we took our dog to a vet out of city and had a sit down with her. we explained what the other vet did for her diagnosis and the new vet said that is typical, the tendon could have been damaged as our dog would be lame for a few days and then fine, what the original vet did was tear the tendon completely as there is no way to tell if it is detached, and because our dog was walking on it and using it still she explained it was damaged but now he couldn't use the leg at all. the second vet gave us 2 options, surgery, or a brace, we chose a brace after I did some research on how they repair the knee during surgery, and I wasn't willing to see my dog go through the surgery once little own a second time down the road. it is 2 years later and the brace actually works, he has to wear it anytime he goes for a walk or a play but it doesn't impede him, at first he didn't like it but now doesn't even bother with it. he did damage his other knee 6 months later but we took him back to the second vet and she assessed him as yes it was damaged but let him take it easy for a few months and nothing strenuous, again he is all good and only wears the brace on his original damaged knee.
    He has done so well that several of our friends have had their dogs damage their knees and they have gotten the braces as well and there dogs are recovering and recovered just fine. Braces were around 1k when we bought ours and it had to come out of the US through a local vet, my buddy just got one out of Victoria as someone there is now making them, the vet needs to measure and send a form fitting cast away so they can make and fit the cast for the dogs leg. So there are other options, most vets will only tell you of surgery as they get a % when the surgeon does the work. If you PM me I can get the info for you of who the vet was we went through, she is on the island but she maybe able to recommend a vet in your area that will help you with finding a brace if that is the direction you want to go.
    Thanks for that input. An interesting and perhaps adequate approach for some dogs but not for all dogs with knee injuries. Age and activity levels should be considered when deciding on an appropriate response.

    A knee brace, the same as in humans, might work as long as your not running endurance races, climbing goat mountains or going on extended backpack sheep hunts.

    There are many things one can do to reduce the risk of knee injuries before they occur as per this thread:

    http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showth...injury-in-dogs

    PS Greg3093. The vet who did the initial examination did nothing wrong by manipulating the knee as described. If the ligament tore completely from the exam it would have torn by itself later. ACL injuries DO NOT heal by themselves. The way she did the exam was the appropriate way of initially diagnosing this injury.
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