and I'm scared.  feel like crying. I took her to vet #3 yesterday (lucky me they had 1-5 pm office hours). she hurt her back knee back in October I think it was and has been favoring it ever since but after bouts of play like at the dog park or out in the field near our townhome she gets really bad..time before last she struggled a long time to get to her feet. I took them out there Saturday and she romped around just fine..actually saw her using the  knee probably better than she has in a long time. But that night she kept crying/whining and limping around. vet #2 put her on Rimadyl to treat the arthritis in that knee and didn't recommend surgery at the time- just treat the pain. Well she's stil on the 1 per day Rimadyl and I think she's still hurting. when this vet was manipulating it she didn't cry out like she did at the other visits but he said it felt like the doggy ACL. He said my choices were to let her learn to live with the pain and limping or to fix the problem with surgery and he said even at her age (nearly 9) that I was looking at another 3-4 years with her. But the worst part isn 't the $3000 for the surgery thought t hat's a huge-mongous ouch! it's the fact that I have to pull out the cage aka kennel and keep her penned for 8-10 weeks..that's nearly 3 months. now she's not the most hugely active lab around but she does enjoy a good romp and wrestling match. And we sleep upstairs though the past several months she's started off downstairs then come up later and sometimes not. my other dog won't kennel..she'll  hurt herself getting out. also worried she'll try to break Kayla out as well(the one having the surgery). I'm just so scared. This surgeon came recommended..and turns out the one he recommended is the same one who operated on a friend's dog a few years ago though he's now retired and his associate has taken over the practice. so not like I'm picking someone out of the blue. I just don't know what to do with working 12hr shifts..thinking I'll look into getting a petsitter. expensive probably but for 10 weeks I can probably swing it plus I'll have some days off and a coworker offered to help on the weekends I work and my parents are down some as well so they may be willing to help out. I've never had to confine a dog like this. sounds miserable. she did say she could stay out with me so long as she was lying down and not moving around. last thing we want is to mess it up while it's healing.

anyways sorry so long but I'm pretty freaked out. I had talked myself into paying to see the surgeon and do xrays again and all that but not for the surgery to be done the next day! then to be told about the 8-10 week confinement. poor Kayla..I hope she understands this is so she won't hurt anymore and will be able to romp around again without being in pain.

Blech. I've been through it twice with my girl pit bull, Luce. She tore both of hers about a year apart. It's really no fun. She's a pretty energetic dog. Thank goodness for her being crate trained. I don't know how I would have survived otherwise.

Feeding all of her meals stuffed into Kongs and frozen bought me a lot of time. I cut her food back some because of her not getting any exercise, and mixed her kibble with a spoonful or so of plain yogurt, stuffed it into Kongs, and froze it. Instead of taking 30 seconds to eat each meal, it took her at least half an hour.

It was harder at first, but then she got used to her restrictions and it wasn't so bad.

Good luck!

Susanna, how are things going?

My previous dog had her leg amputated.  I was in a similar situation.  I consulted with the Vet and they agreed to do the amputation that day.  I was relieved, but when she came home the next day, I was not mentally prepared for the nursing duties. The recovery was 4 weeks (not quite so long as your dog).  I ended up making a small space for her near the living room sliding door.  Since I had to carry her outside for 2 weeks using a towel for support, the shorter the distance the better.  I slept on the couch next to her.  It was easier that way.  It was rough, but we got through it.

Sierra also got used to the confinement.  Though at first, she went through 4 days of anxiety.  I literally had to sit in her very small confinement spot with her at times.  She whimpered and cried--something she never did before.

I hope that your dog's recovery goes easily.  Things will be so much better after!

She seems to be doing ok..she doesn't fit in the kennel with her e-collar(that lampshade thingy) so I moved the couch and loveseat closer and scooted the oversize chair up to meet them and blocked it off...dont' think it'll work too well once she gets more energetic so I may have to use the kennel after she gets the stitches out next Wednesday - yeah a week from tomorrow! today she wasn't wanting to drink anything.my parents are down and my mom was really worried since it'd been almost 24 hours..took her out and she did a poop and just a little pee then came in and drank a little. took her out back to lay on the deck but she kept standing wanting to be scratched on her butt and loved on her face so we came in after a while so she'd lay down again and rest her leg.she drank a bit more then as well. so far the bandage has stayed on thank goodness since I don't wanna be seeing anything if I dont' have to!'

they found a tumor in her mammary line but thank goodness it was a fatty t umor..was supposed to take 4-5 days but they called yesterday to tell me the good news. I'm trying ot take one day at a time but really dont' know what to do when she's really wanting o-u-t and I'm working 12 hour shifts and the other dog is being a pain! my mom's helped me out a LOT this past week..a whole lot. I was snappy and impatient and alternated between putting it out of my mind and crying. I was so relieved in Nove when the vet didn't recommend surgery and had started her on the rimadyl..and I knew letting her play in the field would make it act up again but she wanted to have some fun. so now I'm torn between feeling guilty and happy that she got to have some fun though it caused her pain afterwards. it's just now hititng me off and on the magnitude of it and that she really did have amajor surgery. and thinking about that tumor had me thinking about losing her which I know will happen one day .,.she turns 9 March 1. I know my dad thinks i'm nuts and kept saying 'you know she'll probably always have a limp' and I fin ally snappped back 'yeah maybe but at least it wont' be because she's in pain and crying every night'..I hope not anyways. I couldnt' see letting her be in pain or never being able to walk around if surgery could  help. just hoping she doesn't end up messing it up by getting frisky too soon or Sasha wanting to play or something.

sometimes I swear this reminds me of when I babsat my friend's then 10 month old just learing to move around! have to watch her like a hawk. I did sleep on the couch where she was the first 3 nights then last night slept upstairs and kept coming down to check on her. I think she probably did better by herself since she usually starts off sleeping down here then comes upstairs later on if she wants...I think my being on the couch made he rknow something was 'wrong'.