I know it can be super scary hearing your dog needs to have surgery. The thought of my dog being in pain and having to go under anesthesia contributed to many sleepless nights. I wanted to get on here to share my experience with Gracie’s ACL surgeries and how we decided to do it to help give a perspective of someone who has gone through it not once but twice.
So my little Gracie tore her left ACL the end of 2019 and ended up having surgery at the beginning of 2020 right before lockdown started. I still feel so guilty as I feel like it was my fault, we were running late for an appointment so I asked her to pick up the pace and since she was not a very active dog this actually contributed to a tear in her ACL. I ran many different woulda, coulda, shoulda scenarios through my head, I’m sorry Grace.
Anyways, how did we find out she tore her ACL? She started to limp, I watched her for a few days hoping it would get better as something similar had happened in the past and she had gone back to normal in a few days. But then she stopped putting weight on it so I brought her to the vet where they took X-rays and tested her for a torn ACL. The test consisted of manipulating the knee joint to detect abnormal movement or instability. My vet was pretty sure it was torn so she then recommended a consultation with the surgeon to get a second opinion and to hear my options. The consultation with the surgeon confirmed it was torn and they explained to me the options either you leave it be and it will heal and form scar tissue but due to the severity and symptoms (lameness) she was exhibiting they highly recommended surgery.
Side note here: it is so important to have a team of vets that you trust and feel are honest with you. I have seen and heard plenty of stories of people feeling their vets are just trying to get more money or feel like they are not treating their dog or cat with the care they would want for them. You have the right to leave and find another vet. Get your files and SOAP notes and get the heck out of there and find another vet that feels aligned with you. Trust your gut fur parent intuition is real.
So we dropped her off at 8am and had to sign the awful sheet that says if anything happens perform CPR (always makes me emotional). Then sent her on her way. Then we went home and waited until the vet called and said she was all done. After about 4-5 hours I heard that the surgery was complete and she was in recovery and they will reach out with a time to pick her up. They monitor them after surgery to make sure everything is good. During the first leg surgery, she actually had to stay the night they wanted to continue to monitor to make sure she was recovering from the procedure, but this time we were able to pick her up at 5 pm. YAY!
The first time we picked her up she seemed not herself it was emotional for sure just hearing her whimper and not really registering that I was there fully. It was definitely her pain meds. This time she was waging her tail and very present with her little shaved chicken leg.
We just got home from surgery and she is snoozing next to me in her little cone as I type. This time she already drank some water and ate a little when her previous surgery she wouldn’t eat or drink for DAYS… She is such a trooper.
I will continue to keep you posted on her recovery journey because it is not an easy one and if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out I am here to support you and your dog the best I can.
Lots of Love,
Kaylee + Gracie