This is a difficult post to write. As I formulate this Ellie update she is lying at home, medicated, certainly depressed and uncomfortable. She has developed a problem in the rear right leg which was an all too easy diagnosis for myself and her Veterinarian. We are not sure if the tendon is ruptured or just torn/frayed. This is not good.
Several weeks ago Ellie showed signs of discomfort after longer walks or even mild hikes. We would give her half of a Deramaxx tablet and she would seem to nap and work the kinks out. One week ago the kinks were no longer able to be “worked out.” There were no popping sounds like two years ago in her opposite leg that was eventually repaired via the TPLO procedure so the hope is that the meniscus is not damaged.
When I took Ellie to West Hills last week to see the Veterinarian I knew what the diagnosis would be. I knew they would perform the “drawer” test on her leg. It showed that there was some movement in the joint but nowhere near what it was in the opposite leg two years ago. Knowing/feeling what the diagnosis would be going in to the appointment was not comforting however, we had decided that once/if confirmed, we would not have another TPLO procedure performed.
Everything seemed to be improving until two days ago. A simple jaunt to the front yard turned into Ellie twisting the leg and yelping in pain. She was able to get inside the house and sat and trembled and panted for fifteen minutes straight. I immediately applied ice to the leg and fortunately she started to calm down. This was the scenario that I feared most knowing that dogs are so fragile while trying to recover from a tendon injury. This was what had happened two years ago on that fateful day at the park while playing with a tennis ball.
Ellie is almost ten years old and we feel that putting her through the long post operative recovery along with everything else would be difficult. The first time, two years ago, we followed the recovery parameters to the “T” and had tremendous success these past two years. We will follow the previous medication, recommended exercises, and non-surgical treatment options this time around and see how it goes. If after a couple of weeks there is no improvement we will have to reevaluate what direction to go in.
It is tough to watch her once again go through the pain and confusion of this type of injury. It breaks my heart to see her not want to go outside to perform her bodily functions knowing that it will hurt when she places pressure on the injured leg. She is not as accepting of the sling under her belly as she was two years ago and she looks at me almost as if she is being punished or has done something wrong. Ellie has never done anything wrong. I have never spoken in a harsh tone nor even used harsh words with her. “Bad” is not a word in Ellie Vocabulary simply because there has never been a need to use it towards her.
For now Ellie will continue to get a combination of Tramadol and Deramaxx to ease the pain and will also continue to get ice treatments on the joint at regular intervals. She will continue to get two Phycox supplements each day as well as continue on the WD Canine Dry diet. Keeping her weight in check, making certain she hydrates and eats, takes care of her functions regularly, and rests are going to be key ingredients. Hopefully my girl will come through this once again.
It is tough to realize that even though Ellie has been a poster child for TPLO recovery she has become a statistic. That statistic being that nearly 80% of dogs that experience tendon damage in turn injure the opposite leg within two years.
I miss Ellie. I miss her company at work. I miss our walks and our hikes. I miss her greeting me when I come in the front door. I miss her rolling in the backyard and plucking strawberries from the garden when she thinks I cannot see her. I miss her going on our coffee walk at 5:00 am. I miss her trying to steal a nap on the couch or a bed. I miss loading up and heading for the hills on a beautiful summer weekend and just exploring. I miss watching her spend more time stopping and smelling the flowers than the actual amount of time she spends walking. I miss seeing her trot around with her tail corkscrewing back and forth simply because she is so happy. Ellie has the purest spirit of any person or creature I have ever encountered.
Posted by Dianne on July 20, 2011 at 10:03 pm
I’m SO sorry to read this. Reading about Ellie was my “happy place” at times when I had to write something unhappy in my own blog about Winston. I hope that Ellie can get comfortable and get some healing going in that leg.
Posted by elliemilstein on July 25, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Hi Dianne,
Thanks for the kind words. Ellie is moving around on 3 1/2 legs right now. Just trying to keep her spirits up and let some healing take place. Just going one day at a time and reassessing by the week. Thanks again for the kindness. I will keep everyone updated on her status via the Blog. My best to you and Winston.
Russ and Ellie
Posted by Roberta on September 5, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Dianne and Everyone Else,
I’m Roberta and my loving Westie, Lacy, was recomended to have TPLO surgery. After reading this blog, I am deathly afraid. She is almost 8 years old, but up until a few months ago, was like a puppy, running, jumping on furniture (that’s probably how it tore), but now she is not the same dog. Westie’s hold their tail high, but she only has it high when we are outside walking, so as not to show that she is injured.
I am so confused as to what to do. Can’t make up our minds on whether or not to have the surgery. Cost is not the issue here, my loving Lacy is.
Posted by Leah on September 29, 2011 at 8:13 pm
I just found your blog and my heart is shredding as I read each word. My dog Zack must be the heart mate of your sweet Ellie. He has never done a single thing wrong in his life. His entire joy and purpose is to be my best friend. Zack is an 11yo aussie that has torn both his crucial ligaments. One is 75% torn and the other slightly torn. My heart is breaking at what to do. He is older than your Ellie and I worry about his quality of life at his age during recovery. Thank you for sharing your story. Best to your darling Ellie.
Posted by elliemilstein on October 12, 2011 at 8:13 pm
Hi Leah,
Sorry for taking so long to respond and also sorry to hear about Zack. No fun at all for the dogs or the humans. Ellie continues to improve and I am glad that I did not opt for the surgical repair on this leg. The leg that was repaired a few years ago continues to be terrific.
Ellie can now go on walks up to about three quarters of a mile in length and she seems happy. She will be ten in December and I think she just enjoys hanging around with me and her usual routines. I am hoping she can once again return to my office as I miss that very much. Once in awhile she needs half of a Deramaxx for inflamation and she is a bit stiff after a lengthy walk but, again, she seems very happy.
Good luck with Zack and I wish you both the best for a speedy recovery. Keep in touch.
Russ and Ellie
Posted by Katie on October 29, 2011 at 7:52 pm
I came across your blog after looking into TPLO surgery again…yes again. My sweet 4 year old yellow lab Maddie had the surgery 15 months ago to repair her right knee. We followed the post-op rehab to a T and she recovered beautifully. It was the first time in her life that she had no pain, no limping after a play in the yard. She has had problems all her life. Our small town vet attributed her problems to bad hips and they almost had us convinced that a total hip replacement was the answer. We decided that we needed a second opinion and made the 3 hour trek to have her seen by an orthopedic specialist. He started at her ankle and went up her leg, when he got to her knee he said “here’s the problem”. We were shocked; never did our vet mention her knee. A week later Maddie had the surgery. Recovery was hard, but she did so well! and soon she had what we referred to as a “bionic knee”. It was truly amazing. For a year she got around better than literally she ever had before.
Well a couple weeks ago, that limp that we knew all to well returned on the opposite leg, It was devastating.
We took her back to the specialist who did a fantastic job on her other leg last year and of course he told us what we were expecting but didn’t want to hear…he would recommend the same surgery. He said limiting her activity was an option, but that arthritis build up will be a concern and that given she is so young, she will benefit greatly from the surgery.
So, she is scheduled to undergo her second TPLO surgery on Nov. 9th. I am really heartbroken about it. Maddie, just like Ellie, is the sweetest little girl and the best dog I could ask for. It kills me that I have to put her through this again.
I was so sorry to read the same thing happened to your Ellie, and I understand how crushing that must have been. I am glad to hear that she seems to be improving with your efforts. I hope that she continues to get better with each passing day.
All the best,
Katie
Posted by elliemilstein on October 31, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Hi Katie,
I am glad that your Lab is young enough to benefit from another surgery on the opposite leg. Ellie is almost ten and I just did not want to see her go through the long recovery process one more time. Ellie is happy and even though she limps a bit and cannot hit the trails and hills with me like she used to, she enjoys life. Give her a rawhide and a blanket and she is content. It is an adjustment for both of us however, life is good
Best of luck with the second recovery and also great job on the first go round. That is what it takes; a little luck, patience, and willingness to go through all of the steps. Keep me posted on everything and hang in there. Thanks for the nice note.
Russ and Ellie