Please Help Helena (has torn 2nd ACL)

My dog Helena tore her ACL last year and due to money troubles it took us 5 months to get the surgery which we had a payment plan set up and got behind on. Well today I let her off leash for no more than a minute to run and she came to me holding up her good leg, not touching it to the ground. She can barely walk at all. I had to carry her upstairs into our house. I don't what to do. I am completely distraught. Helena is my emotional support animal, and for all she does for me, she needs me more now. The leg she had surgery on never went completely back to new and she is relying on it to hold her weight now. Can anyone please help us?

Megan

 

I am not trying to be insensitive to your situation, but it sounds as if you have a physically unsound dog. In my opinion there is only one solution to the problem, which is euthanasia.

 

I am going to have to say put the dog down or give it to someone that can afford it, not beg for other people to pay for your animals surgery. If you can't afford your animal you should not have one. Not trying to be mean just stating a fact.

 

Take her to the vet make sure it's not a torn ACL. If it is and you can't afford it put her down or give her to someone that can. Just because the dog is a Emotional Support Animal to you (whatever that is) does not mean it has to suffer the rest of it's life to make you happy.

 

Not to be harsh either but I 100% agree with the bolded parts. We all fall on hard times but I am a firm believer in caring for your own, if you cannot financially take care of another living being then one should hold off opening thier home up to something that is as costly as pets can get.

Good luck with your dog, hope she turns out alright but I cannot in good concience support pandering for healthcare of your pet. Even if you scrape through this how are you going to afford the next dilema that comes your way, will you once again solicite help then too ?

Serioulsy I hope your dog turns out for the best, I wish no ill harm to come to her.

 

Yep shut off the cable, pitch the cell phone, cancel the internet you're using and take care of the dog.

Sorry just the way I would handle it put in that position. Or I would use my good name and credit to get money from the bank.

 

that goes w/ owning an animal. find ANY way you can to take care of it. do what ya gotta do, and get her to the vet to be checked out

 

It is VERY common once a dog tears one ACL that the other one will tear as well. One of our tech's dogs tore both his within a year and a half of each other. And she elected not to have surgery on either one. Tucker is not the same but he is happy and getting around. I would take the dog to the Vet to confirm an ACL tear. Get her on some type if NSAID and also a glucosamine suppliment to help the joints. Also cage rest.

 

Can you get CareCredit? That and check out PBRC.net. They usually help by donating some towards the cost. When one of my dogs needed surgery a few yrs ago, I had to use carecredit since we just moved and paid my tuition, leaving us broke. We moved to an apartment and cut waaayy back for a few months...it was hard, but well worth it. Good luck, I hope she will be okay!

 

Thank you I have heard some things about pbrc, I will check it out. And right now we don't have cell phones or cable. Right now I'm thinking of what I can sell if she needs surgery.

 

Oh and you don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little bit. Dogs are not disposable. She has a torn acl, and it's common for a dog to tear both acl's as was said. If theres a will there is a way. We got it fixed the first time and it will be fixed again. Then she will just be a loved and spoiled house dog. It would kill me to lose this dog.

 

Think long and hard about it.... phuk the therapy the dog gives you,think about what u can give the dog...and that goes for me too... We all have to put dogs down sometime

 

She looks like a bigger version of my bitch in mirror image. not sure what I would do in your situation. sometimes its wise to put your own emotions aside though I cant see the level of this dogs pain/discomfort. I do know that if my dog was unhappy and in constant pain I would choose the best thing for the dog.

 

Giver her kisses for me!
Many times surgery does not need to be an option. With rest and time some heal on their own to the point where you may never need surgery. If it is a total tear tho........ surgery is the only way to fix it.
First things first is a vet visit to get pain meds along with crate rest. Then you can save for surgery if necessary. Pray for a partial tear!!

 

I think the reason people were saying that is because having two torn ACL's often means that dog won't be going anywhere for a long time, if she ever fully gets back to being able to be up and around, it's not likely that she'll ever have the quality of life she once did. Which is particularly hard on breeds who aren't happy just being spoiled house dogs and have a need or want to work hard.

I don't think a dogs life should be thrown away for little reasons but as I'm sure you know ACL stuff affects a dog a lot more than a little. Especially now having both. The rehab would be a long hard road with out the surgery and the surgery with often decent results, is expensive and the rehab out of that is pretty intense to. I hope all goes well but keep her own pain and suffering in mind.

"It would kill "me" to lose this dog". It's not about you anymore, it's the quality of life your dog will have after all is said and done and will she be happy with it. Hope all turns out okay for you.

 

You nailed it in the last paragragh...all too often people will let their pets suffer due to their own selfishness. Not saying the OP is, but I've seen it a lot...especially in ER med. They wait til the last minute (usually a Sunday) until they can't bear to watch the animal in pain anymore to PTS. Or the people with all the money in the world keep on wanting treatment while the pet is clearly suffering. I go by quality of life, if my dog can no longer do what he/she loves due to med problems, then it's time to let go.

ETA: That's if there's no cure or I can't afford it. Obviously if it was fixable by a surgery I would try that first, then re-evaluate quality of life.

 

CareCredit:

http://www.carecredit.com/

 

i personally don't understand why you would ask for help here? what the hell have you done to make people want to help you? quite the contrary you have repeatedly pissed off several members of this site. yet you now ask for help? go ask mommy or daddy to help you out.

and if the dog is better off being put down, put aside your human selfishness and do what is HUMANE. you at least owe the dog that much if it has done so much for you as you claim it has.

 

Good post...check your email

 

This is the mentality that we see in many Humane Society types who yell and scream about animal cruelty and suffering. Then they have the nerve to selfishly keep lame animals alive for their own personal comfort. Either that, or keep them locked up for 23 hours a day in 3'x4' cages indoors. These self righteous pricks are no better than the ones setting dogs on fire in my opinion.