billdozer

@LuckytheDog will you keep us updated on how Lucky is doing? To update everyone on Bear: He is doing very well. We have worked to find alternative methods of stimulation that don't tax his body as much: reduced frisbee to once a month. when throwing it, keeping the frisbee low to avoid jumping. hiking at a moderate pace. I let him explore, and we take breaks in the shade. engage in more "brain games" like hide and go seek with treats, toys, etc. swimming (he loves this during the summer...but be careful, he has cut his foot twice, find a good spot that isn't heavily used) social situation training. for instance, I will take him downtown and test his ability to act in social situations, treating him and praising him when he does a good job. this one I cannot stress enough. we had done this previously, but since the diagnosis we've increased the amount of time spent doing this. it has been awesome for us. he LOVES people. he LOVES other dogs. So when he does a good job of keeping his cool and being respectful of others, his reward is more exposure time. it keeps his confidence high and his brain engaged. A lot this stuff I'm assuming most of you on here already know. But, I just wanted to throw this out there because chances are SOMEONE will benefit from reading.

Thanks for all of your replies! He's home, happy, and healthy.

Can you believe this? I was so shocked about the difference in x ray quality that I even cross-checked the image on the deep and dark web to see if I was getting scammed lol.

Hi @Ranchhand- thank you for your response. I have been through an interesting few weeks so sorry for taking awhile to get back with you. I'll start by saying this: Bear actually does not have torn ligaments. He has "slight hip dysplasia," in fact so slight that the vet doesn't even want to touch them yet. The Story: I took him to the local vet I have been using for the past two years after I noticed him kind of "carrying" his leg when he walked. I just started my second semester of law school so I wanted to have him x-rayed to have peace of mind about it. The above x-rays and diagnoses are theirs.They also told me he had "severe arthritis" and prescribed him two months of medication until I found a surgeon. So, relying on their opinion, I found a specialist, and scheduled him for surgery. When we arrived at the specialist, the vet acted really surprised. He had me walk Bear up and down the halls and do a series of stretches and squeezes around his body. Based on this assessment he was "amazed that I even noticed a problem with him." (I have to brag here— he said most dog owners would have no clue and that the only reason he could tell something was abnormal was because he is a "fucking vet" lol). He said that he didn't like the x-rays that were previously taken, and that he wanted to re-take them. After taking x-rays, he had this to say (paraphrased): "I am really unsure what the other vet was basing their diagnosis on. I found no signs of any arthritis. He does not have torn ligaments. The only thing he does have is some slight hip dysplasia, which, after a long day of outdoor activity, may be causing him some discomfort. I don't recommend the hip replacement yet, because I feel like if I cut him open at this stage, I will do more harm than good." Here is an X-ray he took… look at the difference:

"-partially torn cranial cruciate ligament (ACL); will need Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) surgery.-Hip dysplasia, one side; will need hip replacement."

Why not?