# his ccl tear and my mental breakdown



## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

I used all my 2014 allowance on F bombs today.
all in one week...
- Uncle Sam got me for 3 grand
- blew out the rear differential in my truck (another 3k)
- parking ticket on the rental vehicle
- lost my phone
- and today Gotti Boi blew his left knee out (99% certain)
only 1 or 2 other times in my life did I lose my shit like I did today. complete meltdown.
every time I read about acl (ccl) injuries I count my blessings. well I guess it's my turn to study up and make those choices. now that I'm back in my right mind, I feel horrible seeing my boy like this. I think it's pretty bad. severe enough that he can bear zero weight on it. completely lame.
my vet past away a few months ago (I know, this story keeps getting better) so if anyone can recommend a canine knee specialist in LA area... please let me know.

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## ~StangChick~ (Jan 1, 2009)

Damn, so sorry about all that and Gotti Boi. Hope he gets better soon.
Sorry I am on the other side of US so I can't recommend any vets.
Hopefully someone in that area can and soon. keep us updated.


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## ThaLadyPit (Oct 12, 2008)

I'm so sorry to hear of all your troubles. Poor Gotti Boi... give him a scratch behind the ear for me, and try to comfort him as best is possible. I too am over on the opposite coast , so unfortunately I'm of no help in that department either. Maybe we can get someone like Doug on here to weigh in on the vet situation. Lmao at using your 2014 allowance of f-bombs all in one day though. 

Mobile.....at the moment....on petguide.com app


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## HeavyJeep (May 7, 2011)

You may have half of my F bomb quota.. 
damn sun,, thats quite a week.. Time for a Newcastle and a strain of sativa lol


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

~StangChick~ said:


> Damn, so sorry about all that and Gotti Boi. Hope he gets better soon.
> Sorry I am on the other side of US so I can't recommend any vets.
> Hopefully someone in that area can and soon. keep us updated.





ThaLadyPit said:


> I'm so sorry to hear of all your troubles. Poor Gotti Boi... give him a scratch behind the ear for me, and try to comfort him as best is possible. I too am over on the opposite coast , so unfortunately I'm of no help in that department either. Maybe we can get someone like Doug on here to weigh in on the vet situation. Lmao at using your 2014 allowance of f-bombs all in one day though.
> 
> Mobile.....at the moment....on petguide.com app


thanks guys. in the last 24 hours i learned alot about the various procedures available. made some calls and there are a few options within 50 miles.



HeavyJeep said:


> You may have half of my F bomb quota..
> damn sun,, thats quite a week.. Time for a Newcastle and a strain of sativa lol


thanks! since you're in the giving mood, how about splitting your quota of sativa? LOL

if anyone has experience with Tight Rope procedure, please chime in. or send me a pm. i'm leaning towards this surgery (pending the vet's recommendations). thanks!


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

update;
we had 3 consultations with 3 different surgeons. including the well-known Dr Schulman. all 3 said surgery ASAP. all 3 suggested TPLO. lowest quote was 3900. highest was 4400.
i put my truck on autotrader and scheduled Gotti Boi's surgery.
day 6 after injury, he started putting his foot down just for balance while standing. otherwise he kept doing the pogo stick hop to get around.
day 7 Gotti sat normal with his leg tucked under his belly (not sticking his leg straight out to the side)
day 9 he started taking 2 or 3 steps at a time but going back to the pogo bounce.
day 10 (yesterday) at a slow slow pace, he started hobbling on all fours. 

SO... i contacted a canine physical therapist for consultation. she said small improvements within the first week are a good sign and that Gotti may respond well to therapy. it doesn't mean surgery is out of the question. but she asked me to monitor him another week or 2. still strictly limiting his activity. if he continues to show progress then she suggested a non-surgical approach.

i don't wanna get ahead of myself, but Gotti might avoid surgery. more to come. thanks!


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## ThaLadyPit (Oct 12, 2008)

That's great that there might be hope!! Sucks you had to put your vehicle up for sale.

Mobile.....at the moment....on petguide.com app


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## ames (Jun 6, 2010)

Wow man just seeing this. Sucks so bad! But I am glad it's looking a bit more positive and I hope he can recover without surgery. One thing you can look into is insurance since if he needs it on one leg it may happen on the other (knock on wood) 
Hate the pogo limp makes me feel so bad for them!!

Do you know how he did it?

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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

thanks guys. i appreciate the support. tough times right now.
@ames. we were doing our normal workout routine. he was running like a bat out of hell. no twisting. no turning. just running in a straight line. and he suddenly pulled up lame. no screaming or yelping. just a whimper. so i thought it might be a sprain. vet performed the drawer test and there was extra movement in the joint. diagnosis: torn ccl.
i had his elbows, spine, hips, and knees examined when he was 2.5 yrs old (5yrs now). no issues. so this is more of a sports injury scenario.
i've read that over half of dogs with ccl tears also need the other side done. but i don't understand why. load bearing compensation during recovery? degenerative joint condition? hard to say. i'm keeping my fingers crossed.


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## ames (Jun 6, 2010)

Wow! Yeah just the luck of the draw! He is very lucky to have you! Do you have him on a joint supplement with glucosamine? Could also start that. I use Dausaquin.

I totally think it has to do with compensating. Injuries cause a change in their gait. Mel now has issues with his left knee from compensating on his right paw and not walking for 3 months on it. So crazy. Glad he was healthy and he was active if not he could have injured it a long time ago! What I am dealing with Mel now was the weight he gained being completely immobile for 8 months. But since your gottie boy is already putting weight in it, it might not be as serious. I sure hope it isn't!!

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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

yes. we started glucosamine immediately. i scored a deal on a big tub of the In Clover brand. i've been reading about shark cartilage in powdered form. idk if that's overkill but it's interesting.
i'm also interested in "platelet rich plasma" therapy. the science is new and alot of professional athlete's are doing it. Dr Schulman in LA is offering this therapy for dog injuries. they take blood from the dog. spin it down so it's highly concentrated in platelets. inject it directly into the joint capsule to stimulate soft tissue regeneration.
lol people reading this probably think i'm nuts.
... i didn't know Gargamel had joint issues! that's too bad. maybe theres a place near you that does canine hydrotherapy? it can help shed some pounds while keeping the exercise low impact. it's expensive in LA. swimming is another option. maybe even a better choice.


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## MtnMama (Apr 2, 2014)

I took in a 7 year old dog a few years ago who had had recent ACL surgery. Later, when cold/wet weather hit, she was uncomfortable (wouldn't jump up onto couch, stairs, etc). We gave her Synflex and within a few days she was jumping up on the couch again, no problem. I know this situation is different, but just thought I'd throw out the product name for consideration...

Hope Gotti Boi feels better soon!


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

@MtnMama i have not heard of Synflex but i will look into it. thanks!


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

... and if anyone in interested in this
http://www.cardomain.com/member/z71-spaceghost/

PM me!!!


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

DAY 38
Gotti Boi started his physical therapy last week.
this pic cracks me up. he totally freaked out during his first hydrotherapy session.









his leg is stiff in the morning. limps a little. but by the end of our short morning walk it's barely noticeable. muscle tone started coming back but muscle mass is still low.

laser and cryo therapy has reduced all exterior swelling. slow going with stretching exercises at home to increase range of motion.

more updates to come.


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## ThaLadyPit (Oct 12, 2008)

Awe! Poor pup. Look at the fear in his eyes. Glad he's doing better. Thank you for keeping us updated.

Mobile.....at the moment....on petguide.com app


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## ~StangChick~ (Jan 1, 2009)

aww his face! Glad its helping.


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## DickyT (Jan 29, 2014)

Poor pup, glad he is getting treatment and showing signs of progress.


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## PerfectPit (Aug 2, 2010)

Gotti Boi is lucky to have you! Have you looked into financial assistance for his care? A few years back my boy had to have luxating patella surgery and my heart went out too. We kept him on a strict regiment but after a year he finally refused to lower his leg and the vet said we couldn't wait any longer. When the price was announced I thought I was going to pass out. I googled financial assistance for dogs in need of surgery. There were about 10 organizations willing to help people in need of medical care to keep their dog. Luckily I had been with my vet a long time with several dogs and he allowed me to pay on time. So I wrote numerous checks to him and he deposited one to be cashed every 2 wks until it was paid in full. Hoping Gotti Boi doesn't have to have the surgery but this is an option if needed. Good luck to both of you!


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## Strongboy (Nov 26, 2013)

*Knee injurie*

My 18 month old red nose tore his ACL several weeks ago and we're in rehab mode which is tougher on me than him. I spoke with a DVM rehab and acupuncture specialist last week and she recommended surgery then physical therapy. The vet is in San Diego however I will pass her contact information along to you and you can call for a referral for a vet in LA.

Vet: Claire B. Sosna, DVM, CVA
Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Animal Acupuncture And Rehabilitation Center - Veterinarian In San Diego, CA USA 
Phone: 858-638-4171

Best of luck to you and your pup.

Kim


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

Strongboy said:


> My 18 month old red nose tore his ACL several weeks ago and we're in rehab mode which is tougher on me than him. I spoke with a DVM rehab and acupuncture specialist last week and she recommended surgery then physical therapy. The vet is in San Diego however I will pass her contact information along to you and you can call for a referral for a vet in LA.
> 
> Vet: Claire B. Sosna, DVM, CVA
> Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
> ...




thanks Kim.
we are in week 11 of recovery with Rose City Rehab and Wellness Center. we did hydro. cryo. and lazer.
thinking about platelet rich plasma therapy. not sure yet.
but Gotti Boi is about 85-90% now! and he's loving his workouts! thanks again to everyone for get well wishes.
Video Day70
[URL="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67999009/Day70.mkv"]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67999009/Day70.mkv


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## ames (Jun 6, 2010)

hahahaha OMG that face!! that video is so cool. thanks for the update. Glad he is doing better! No fun!!


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

ames said:


> hahahaha OMG that face!! that video is so cool. thanks for the update. Glad he is doing better! No fun!!


thanks ames.
someone should tell HIM it's no fun! he LOVES hydrotherapy. he jumps out of the car (not supposed to be jumping) runs into the therapy room (not supposed to running) climbs into the tank/treadmill (not supposed to be climbing) and waits for the therapist to turn it on.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67999009/20140610_130801.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67999009/20140515_162600.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67999009/20140515_161031.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67999009/20140603_163022.jpg


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