Should my old dog with health issues get surgery for a torn ligament?

Question

Lola has anxiety/dementia arthritis lots of lumps and a heart murmur! Aged 13.5 she has ruptured her critical ligament in her hind leg cost to repair £1700 should she have the op? Pet's info: Dog | Cairn Terrier | Female | 13 years and 6 months old | 20 lbs

Anna M., DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello, and thanks for your question. There is no single right answer to this question, and you may get different answers from different veterinarians. My own thoughts, without knowing all the details about Lola, is no - I probably would not recommend that you pursue the operation in this case. The surgery will help stabilize her knee, but it won't reverse the damage from arthritis. The recovery period can be really hard on dogs with other orthopedic issues, and older dogs heal slower. Also, her small size works in her favor, as small dogs definitely fare better than large dogs without surgical correction of a cruciate tear. All of these factors to me would add up to the benefits of surgery not outweighing the down sides. I do encourage you to have a frank conversation with Lola's primary vet who knows her best - or even request a consult with the surgeon. Most surgeons will be pretty frank about how much improvement you can expect. I have had patients pursue cruciate surgery in their older years - but typically it's my older patients who are still quite active, who I expect to do well through recovery. From your description, I'm not sure Lola would be in that category. I hope this helps! I know it's not an easy straightforward decision and I can tell you're trying to make the best choice for her!

Should my old dog with health issues get surgery for a torn ligament?

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