# CCL Rupture - TPLO Surgery Recs



## smithstp (Oct 24, 2016)

My six year-old GSP may have ruptured his CCL (ACL) during training. Local vet may be recommending TPLO surgery, which can cost $3500-4000. Anyone had experience with this and any recommendations, including vets/surgeons? Thanks in advance.


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## coveyrise (Oct 24, 2016)

Dr. Greenberg in Cairo Ga. did my dogs ACL many years ago and did a great job. I think he can hang with the best surgeons.The price seems a little high to me but you may have the best surgeon in the country. Price for surgery on dogs has gone crazy. Many times the surgery is not needed at all. More than not, I have opted to not do surgery on my dogs only to have them heal fine in a month or so. Get a second opinion. Young dogs heal amazingly fast.


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## NE GA Pappy (Oct 24, 2016)

How did a 6 y/o get to be a Georgia State Patrol anyway?


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## whitedog (Oct 25, 2016)

I had TPLO surgery done on my pointer , Jack, at UGA. Jack responded well but the rehab was long and involved.
After a long rehab, many trips to UGA, and a release from them, Jack ruptured the opposite side on the first hunt. I went through the process again.

Jack was the first dog I had raised and trained myself. He was young. He was an outstanding birddog. I got many years of hunting out of him after that and hunted him all over the country.  He lost a step in the process but he was still a lot of dog.

Having said that, I wouldn't go down that road again. I wouldn't do it with a 6 yr old dog. The odds that the other side will rupture are better than not. The vet told me that but I didn't listen. I'd let the dog heal up and hunt it. If you look at it from a cost perspective, you can buy several trained dogs for what you will spend on surgery.


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## smithstp (Oct 25, 2016)

Thanks, guys. Confirmed CCL/ACL tear with specialist. Really mulling the decision and getting recs both ways. Any additional thoughts appreciated.


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## DeweyDuck (Oct 26, 2016)

What whitedog said. I can't see the wisdom of spending that much money and still not be sure of the outcome. Start over and be done with it. I did that with my all time best lab and now am without a duck dog but if faced with the same choice, I would not hesitate to do it again.


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## RacinNut (Oct 26, 2016)

I went thur this injury with my Lab. Zach last year, he injured his training also, went to my vet and she send me to a specialist, TPLO $3600,  I started to check on the surgery, and here on Woodys, and found a web site tiggerpoz.com, and followed it,  its been a long year but Zach is pretty much healed, 90%, we do not train hard and no jumping in and out of truck, most of the time, Zachs a good dog and can swim and play with my sons 2 dogs and grandchrildern,he gets around just fine, its a slow healing process.  I started telling him EASY from the start and he has learned to let off and be a little easy when he runs, but Labs are smart and special, don't know what the future holds for us but we live one day at a time, Zach is 4 1/2 years old, also I give him a Canine Joint Support called Phycox, from Petmeds 1800, an old vet from WNC told me about this.   Good Luck and let me know how the healing goes.


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## J Gilbert (Oct 26, 2016)

I'm in Decatur as well, and we just went through TPLO surgery back in August with my lab.  We used Veterinary Referral Surgical in Roswell, they were great to deal with and I'd highly recommend them.  We did pay $4500 for the surgery, but that included two follow up visits and one set of X-rays.

If you have any questions, send me a PM with your number and I'll answer to the best of my abilities.


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