Hurt rear knee, need hunting vet recomendations!

[old boat]

Hello;
      Three weeks ago my 8 year old setter injured her rear leg retrieving a wounded hun. She was out of sight behind a clump of sage so I didn't see the actual cause, but she deffinitly was carrying her leg.                                                                          After getting her home and to the vet the cause was suspected ligament sprain as a best case synario, ligament tear/patellla (kneecap) displacement as worst. She was put on anti inflametory drugs for a week and the vet and I hoped for the best.     Well she puts alittle weight on it now when she walks but when she runs she will alternately carry it and and use it. So it looks like Surgery. The vet  I use is great but not a dyed in the wool hunting dog vet. What I mean to say is she may not understand the rigor of a chukar hunt and the plausibility of such surgery to hold up. I think I need your  opinions, experiences and the names of some hunting vets in Seattle and the Eastside. I'm in Fall City, Thank you

[CAMPMEAT]

See if Dr. William Brisky out of Orting is still around. We used him for everything dogs, cats, goats etc. He was/is very reasonable and very good.

[SpringerFan]

Just got home from Puget Sound Animal Hospital in Kirkland a bit ago.

Dr. Mark Engen was recommended by many of the other Springer owners as well as one of the best trainers / handlers in the US.

Great guy.

My Springer has a tore CCL/ACL and will require TPLO surgery. He is one of the best at it. There is a younger Vet there as well who is good. But if you want the best, try and get Dr Engen.

Good luck!

[quadrafire]

You know what Old Boat. Give it 2-3 weeks or more before you make any decisions. Knee injuries are Rarely an emergency. If it is still an issue after that time re-up your questions. Knee injuries in dogs are WAY more common than most appreciate, but SOME/many will get better with a little rest and pain meds.
Engen is good, On the East side check with Veterinary Surgical Specialists (spokane)( and just as good as Engen IMHO). I would bet big money they are cheaper than the west side for a TPLO if it is needed.

Most knees are Cruciate ligament injuries. Not all but most!!

[singleshot12]

 

[wildweeds]

A few years ago my setter somehow hurt his knee..................my vet is a hunter,has always been a hunter,used to breed american brittianys.........gave him the once over with just his hands,the dog exhibited the same symptoms you describe yours is having.He claimed it was a tendon stretch or something like that and explained that ligaments and tendons heal very slowly due to the poor blood flow,Well he was right I kept the dog as quite as possible and it took about 6 months for it to heal up,he missed the spring field trial season and I held him out that fall as well,just for good measure.I might also add that my vet was near the top of his class at WSU,and his father was from the first graduating vetrinary class at wazzu also when either get to running their hands over/around and on a hunting dog you can just be WOW..Very straight shooter and tells it like it is if I remember right that visit the day of the knee checkout cost me 41 dollars.You might also be interested in seeking a replacement? Check the classifieds I've got some  nice setter pups right now,crate trained........and holding their buisness all night long.Going to be brag dogs.The link in the bottom of my post is the sire who had the knee problem.

  My vet would be a drive for you as he is in Bellingham............Fountain Vetrinary , Dr. Todd Perry 733-2660.............is it bad when you know the vet number without looking :yike

 From personal experiance,I would A...... keep the dog crated for 2 weeks,and administer tramadol for pain,And B......... keep her as still as possible when out of the crate,like on a short leash to go do her buisness,with no sharp turns or bursts of speed.After that it would be a kept in a kennel and if she's a jumper I would curb that by lowering the roof to quelch it for the time being.

[Stilly bay]

VCA antech in lynnwood did a superb job of putting my setter back together after a car shattered his hip in three places. after  a couple of titanium pins and a ton of physical therapy, he is as good as new. I will see if I can find the name of the specific surgeon that did the work, the man is a true artist in his craft.

for a good solid hunting dog vet (lab specialist) I would have to say Dr. Johnson of Highland vet in Mt Vernon. the man has more common sense and dog sense than any other vet I have dealt with ( my EX was a vet so I have met a few animal Dr.s in my day ) and he will always do what's best for the dog. he has talked me out of a couple expensive procedures  that I thought were needed. that says a lot about a Dr. - especially in this economy.

my  is to give your dog some time before jumping into any surgery. its a dogs front legs that take the brunt of the abuse in the field, if it were an elbow or shoulder injury I would be in full blown panic mode wondering if my pup had a career ending injury. give your dog time,  rest, and he will let you know what he needs in this situation.

BTW good on you for looking for a second opinion, some times surgery can do more harm than good.

[SpringerFan]

You know what Old Boat. Give it 2-3 weeks or more before you make any decisions. Knee injuries are Rarely an emergency. If it is still an issue after that time re-up your questions. Knee injuries in dogs are WAY more common than most appreciate, but SOME/many will get better with a little rest and pain meds.
Engen is good, On the East side check with Veterinary Surgical Specialists (spokane)( and just as good as Engen IMHO). I would bet big money they are cheaper than the west side for a TPLO if it is needed.

Most knees are Cruciate ligament injuries. Not all but most!!

You are right. Never rush in. I tried the conservative approach with anti-inflammorties and 5 weeks of rest.

Problem is, once there is a tear, it does not stop. That is where I am.

Cheaper on the Eastside? You bet. But who wants to drive 4 to 5 hours with a dog in pain........

Good luck whatever you do. I was just offering input since you asked. I am not a vet like others here.

[YellowDog]

My lab had TPLO surgeries on both rear knees last year (6 months a part).  I took her to WSU as that is where our normal vet reccomended we go.  The normal vet talked directly to the head of the orthopedic surgery center at WSU before we went to make sure we were likely to get a good end result having both knees blown at the same time and having to do one and then the other.  I did my follow up visits with the Lynnwood VCA Specialty Center and Dr. Amy Little who I believe is a WSU grad but she was great as was the whole VCA crew.  Most likely the pain the dog is in will subside within a week or so and she will probably favor the leg but not really be in much actual pain unless prompted to run on it.  The difference in cost of the surgeries at WSU and VCA was about $1,500 less per leg with all of the follow up visits.  WSU was cheaper and I am happy with the results as is my pup.  If you don't want to go to WSU then I would let VCA Lynnwood (make sure you go to the Specialty Center on 44th Ave W) do the surgery without hesitation if need be.

[YellowDog]

By the way, there are a few old posts on here about TPLO surgery, experiences, and vet reccomendations.

[Shannon]

I personally wouldn't wait to get the surgery done if its something as serious as a CCL. The longer you wait, the odds go way up of the other leg getting torn also. I have a scheduled TPLO next week for my 4 year old. She blew out her CCL on Tuesday. Not good!

[high country]

Quad gave you solid advice. WSU and VSS do these almost every day.

[quadrafire]

I personally wouldn't wait to get the surgery done if its something as serious as a CCL. The longer you wait, the odds go way up of the other leg getting torn also. I have a scheduled TPLO next week for my 4 year old. She blew out her CCL on Tuesday. Not good!

The bad news is that about 50% within 1 yr will tear the other.  Wish I had better news with these active dogs.
If you have a chance to keep them THIN and fit it will help for sure.

[kbyers]

+1 for WSU.  I have had 3 close friends take their dogs up there for surgery and all have been very pleased.

[old boat]

Thank you all for the information, experiences and opinions! I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and her as quiet as possible. So now I'll just have to follow behind Empty Vest's exemplary GSP Roy, when possible and shoot clean up!
P.S. how does one use the spell check when posting?