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Lord help me :( - TPO Surgery anyone?

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pure bred
4K views 15 replies 15 participants last post by  lixx 
#1 ·
A lot of the issues that have confused me about Samson have finally been explained and I can't help but to cry.

Short background on the situation to further explain the emotions/problem

Maximus was my "dog of a lifetime". A wonderful rottweiler from the pound that affected my life in more ways than I could ever describe. He was my "best friend" and I miss him dearly. In his final months we spent literally thousands upon thousands of dollars only to have to put him down due to the spinal problems.... It was pure hell watching him lie there in pain there's no other way to describe the agony of losing a dog as special as he was...even still is for that matter. Nevertheless there was no more we could do. He was laid to rest on May 7th 2004.

Only two days later, Mother's Day, my husband gave me a brand new 6 week old pure bred rottweiler pup. It was probably "too soon" but I know he did it out of nothing less than love. The pup of course, is Samson.

Only two weeks after bringing this puppy home, Chelsea our shepherd busted her toe and then ended up with that recluse spider bite which by the time all was said and done cost me a bunch more cash for the failed surgery and follow-ups with the vet and cleaning the wounds twice a day etc. Some of you may remember the posts about the healing power of honey for her...It took another 6 weeks or so with limping and doggy collars and treatments etc to fix that issue....

Another 4 weeks later we had Hurricane Charley to deal with, and then Frances, and then Hurricane Jeanne...

I feel like the "stuff" just wont stop and the above just barely scratches the surface of how much "stuff" there has been.

In the meantime I'm noticing that Samson is too slow. He doesn't sit right. He hops oddly when running around and as he grows the problem gets worse. Now he's 6 months old and the problem is severe...I pressure the doc into checking for hip displaysia... Apparently they don't normally check until the dogs are 2 yrs old...Tonight doc did the x-ray and sigh just typing this is making me cry. Samson is bad in the left hip and worse in the right. He already struggles to stand up from a lying down position and when he is sitting he sits on the side of his rump rather than straight up...hard to explain.

Needless to say he's going to need surgery on both hips. Doc says he MIGHT be a candidate for TPO so I'm going to get an appointment with the doc who can do that surgery for a consult and to see if they can do it or not...if not he'll have to wait for total hip replacement in both hips.... and if I can't do either..he'll be put down. I just put a dog down 5 months ago..I've already fallen in love with this one...I simply can't imagine losing him already :(

Nevertheless, I'm fearing the expense is going to be high.... I dumped all of the money I stash in my pet jar out.... (I keep a 5 gallon glass water bottle to dump every extra penny or dollar etc I can find into it jic an animal needs quick care/cash...) I had $1,100 in that jar after I finished counting it all out. That seemed like an awesome amount to have saved up already but now that I'm faced with surgery for both hips it my as well be ten cents.

My husband, mind you he loves me...he loves the animals...he's not cruel but he is realistic, doesn't feel we can afford another 5 to 10k for these surgeries and he fears the dog might not live a full life even with them. I'm so emotional I can think straight..I'd probably sell the house to try and save the pup which would obviously be a bad idea since he'd then have no home lol.

Now that I've come here and dumped the surface of my problems out...does anyone have any advise?

Is TPO WORTH IT??? I've read a bit that seems to imply it has a high success rate but has anyone else gone through it? Is the dog REALLY OK after it's done? and if Samson doesn't qualify for it, any info on Total Hip Replacement? Any idea how much this stuff costs in the end?

I don't know what to do except watch my puppy, who should be bouncing around having a good ol' time, lie there with back legs too week and in too much pain to care. It's not fair...it's soooo not fair. Hubby says "we can get another one..try harder to make sure it's ok etc" but, as much as I know he's TRYING to make things right it's all just wrong :( He paid the "big bucks" for Samson somehow hoping that by getting an AKC registered dog from a solid set of parents we'd avoid these issues in the first several years....boy did that backfire! Now we have a LOVELY 75lb Rottweiler already on a special diet to ensure we control his growth from hurting his hips even further and who is facing either another couple of months in pain cuz of double hip surgery or possibly even being put down before he sees his first b-day. I'm so scare of that....

Please pray we are able to do the right thing whatever that may be..and let me know if you have any info that will help us make the right choices. I'm so lost, scared, sad, confused etc... the pain is so fresh from all of the other trials and I feel like I'm reliving the pain of losing Maximus on top of the current pain of seeing the "Shadow of Maximus" in such trouble so early on.

**tears**
 
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#2 ·
Awww... Deb I'm so sorry :hug3: I have no info on TPO or Total Hip Replacement surgeries or their costs, but I can pray for you all to find a way to work something out with the vet to get Sampson taken care of and on the road to recovery. I believe there are some groups out there that donate for expensive surgeries and such...I'll look into them and see what I can come up with to at least help with the financial difficulties of surgery.
 
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#3 ·
I'm so, so sorry. I can't even imagine what you must be going through and have already gone through. I don't have any answers, I'm sorry, but I too will pray for you.
 
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#4 ·
:hugg2: omg this story is so sad. I have no info for you either but I'm sure someone will help you out soon. You and samson will be in my thoughts through all of this. You will make the right decision, I'm sure of that, I just hope it's a positive outcome for you. :hugg2: Please keep us updated on samson's progress.
 
#5 ·
Oh, Deb .. I am so, so sorry ... what a load to go through ... and you so don't deserve it. I don't have any info for you but I will definitely be thinking of you, your family, and Sampson in the days to come. I'm sure you'll make the right decisions ... please email if you need someone to talk to ..
 
#6 ·
Thanks everyone for your thoughts. It's a lonely life when you're feeling pain for a pet. Unlike a loved one that's human, people "on the norm" tend not to understand the depth of the pain :( Forums like these are awesome for filling that dark hollow void. I really do appreciate it as I'm sure Samson does too cuz it allows me to cry here rather than with him ...

Update:

I have an appointment with the specialist for the evaluation, consult, quote, and to determine if Samson is even a good candidate for the triple pelvic osteotomy. PRAY REALLY HARD THAT HE IS and that it wont be sooooo expensive that we can't do it. From what I have read so far the TPO is our best shot and solving this problem. Thing is, he'll need it on both hips so the costs sort of double .... I've seen a few numbers online that seem to indicate about 2 to 3k per hip plus aftercare...so I dunno..but if I can find a way or make payments or whatever I'll do my best..hopefully hubby will be able to understand this need. Everything is just too unknown right now.

IF, on the other hand, Samson does not qualify for the TPO (there's some pretty strict requirements to be considered a worthy candidate I guess), then we may be out of luck...I don't even want to think about it right now :(

So, long story short....we NEED the consult on Tuesday to go PERFECTLY! Need the price to be somehow amazingly lower than planned and we NEED the doc to feel positive that Samson is a good candidate and to agree to do the surgery.

Part of me is REALLY TICKED OFF at the breeders since we asked a LOT about the parents and grandparents etc for hip displaysia and they assured us the family had been in their family for many years and that they had never seen any hip displaysia problems...I feel like it's impossible for Samson to have it this bad and there to be no solid history of it...sigh...I guess that's a non-issue at this point. I gotta look ahead cuz getting angry isn't going to help him either....

I've raised soooo many rescues that I often thought, when Samson first came home, "It'll be weird having a dog that has never known pain and whose past is not a mystery". Well his past is not a mystery but I guess I really blew it on the "Knows no pain" part ... poor thing hasn't seen "normal" yet. I sure hope we can make things right...I really really do.

Tuesday is going to take forever to arrive I think....
 
#7 ·
Im so sorry to hear all of this. Its so heartbreaking. I sure hope that he is a candidate for the TPO...he seems like such a great pup in all your posts. Its just so sad. I am praying for you guys and I hope that everything works out w/o costing you every penny you have. Good luck. We are keeping you in our thoughts.
 
#9 ·
Keep your chin up, Deb... Its been a rough ride but you haven't crashed and burned as of yet. The usually 'easier said than done' applies here, but I don't know what else to say. I hope that the thoughts everyone can send out are of some comfort. Though I am sure no such thing will come until there is some closure to this issue. We'll be thinking of you.
 
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#15 ·
Deb, you know that you and samson are in our thoughts. I totally feel your pain.

My rebel is a lot like Samson in this instance, only he is not a canidate. We do the best we can to make him comfortable and love each day we have.

I will pray that Samson is a good canidate and that it isn't too awfully expensive. Ask if there is a veterinary school nearby that may be able to do it for less. Just a thought.
 
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