joejoesmom Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 (edited) I hope no one minds my asking this. My niece's 18 month old Husky has torn her cruciate ligament. I was wondering if Huskies have any unique needs during and after surgery (like greyhounds). I asked on a couple of Husky boards but nobody has responded. Reminds me again of why I love greytalk. I forgot to ask the surgeon and won't see her again before the surgery. The surgeon has already told us about the surgery and how important it is to keep her in her crate. I am just asking if anybody knows of anything that might be unique to a Husky that we should be aware of. Jane Edited to add: Due to cost concerns a general surgeon is doing the procedure. We just can't afford to take her to the orthopedic surgeons at OSU. Edited December 23, 2011 by joejoesmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Hey Jane, no breed-specific concerns for anesthesia and surgery with Huskies. They tend to be rather vocal during the immediate post-op/recovery period, though. I worked evenings in the ICU when I was in vet school, and whenever there was a post-op Husky, it usually made for a loud night in ICU. The thing to keep in mind with cruciate tears in dogs is that they are usually secondary to conformation, which means that the other leg is also prone to being affected at some point too. Most surgeons will tell you to be prepared to deal with a cruciate tear in the opposite leg on an average of 1-2 years after the first. Hope everything goes smoothly with your niece's dog. Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IrskasMom Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 I have no Advice, but I will keep her in my Thoughts and Prayers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greydawg Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Ditto. Sending her positive thoughts from Florida. Quote Cheryl - "Mom" to RUNNER (Gunnah, born 6/15/2012) and FARGO (Ridin Shotgun, born 8/21/2015). Missing my Grey-Angels HEISMAN (RX Heisman) (3/29/2005-2/1/2016) and ALEX (Bevenly) (4/15/2005-6/7/2018). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joejoesmom Posted December 23, 2011 Author Share Posted December 23, 2011 (edited) Thank you all. Jennifer, the vet did tell us to expect a similar problem with the other leg. Luna is very active and often has the run of a 100 acre farm. It is going to be tough on my niece to keep her quiet. Thanks for the info that Huskies are dogs, unlike greyhounds . Jane Edited December 23, 2011 by joejoesmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 Oh boy. My mixed breed dog torn his ACL. What a nightmare! He had a TPLO, and ended up with a bone infection that nearly killed him. He had to have a second surgery to remove the hardware and take out the broken screw... I don't even want to tell you how much it all ended up costing. And he had to be in an x-pen, only outside to relieve himself, for 12 weeks. Not fun stuff. I hope your niece's dog has an easier time. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joejoesmom Posted December 24, 2011 Author Share Posted December 24, 2011 Oh boy. My mixed breed dog torn his ACL. What a nightmare! He had a TPLO, and ended up with a bone infection that nearly killed him. He had to have a second surgery to remove the hardware and take out the broken screw... I don't even want to tell you how much it all ended up costing. And he had to be in an x-pen, only outside to relieve himself, for 12 weeks. Not fun stuff. I hope your niece's dog has an easier time. The vet feels that Luna is a good candidate for LSS surgery (where they essentially replace the ligament with suture material). So there is minimal cutting of the bone. Hopefully this will minimize the risk of infection. I know that bone infection is very serious. I have had my hip replaced and chose the facility partly because of their state of the art surgical suite which reduces chance of infection. Luna will need to be in an x-pen for at least 6 to 8 weeks. Not a good thing for an 18 month old Husky who is used to running around most of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joejoesmom Posted January 3, 2012 Author Share Posted January 3, 2012 I just wanted to report that Luna had her surgery last Thursday, December 29. It went very well and she went home on Friday. She is happily enjoying the extra attention and treats and is recovering well. Thank you everyone for your support and good wishes. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Thanks for the update-- glad everything went as planned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zoolaine Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Glad she is doing well! Briley my older mixed breed had TTA surgery about 18 months ago and did really well with aquatic therapy afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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