My Pet World: When a vet recommends surgery, what do you do?
Dear Cathy,
Two years ago, my golden retriever sustained an injury the vet called a spinal stroke. She spent a few nights at the animal hospital before I brought her home. I was given a dog harness to help her move around and told she should make a full recovery within days. Sure enough, in less than a week, she was pretty much back to normal – even able to jump into my bed, which is fairly high.
She plays, eats, runs, and appears healthy and pain-free in all other ways. However, about a week ago, she tried jumping onto my bed and fell back onto her hind legs. Since then, I have noticed her rear legs go out from under her when running. The vet said it was unrelated to the previous injury and prescribed joint medicine, which I have been giving her for almost two years. I have seen no improvement.
Recently, the vet said a CT scan would be next if the meds don't help. I assume that it's either a hip or leg issue. My dilemma is needing to figure out what to do, whether it's one or the other. She is a happy, healthy dog in every other area and if they recommend surgery, I'm not sure I would want to put her through that unless necessary. Your thoughts?
— Jeff, Holtsville, New York
Dear Jeff,
You have to know what's wrong and have all your choices presented before deciding what you might do. Depending on her age, overall health, and diagnosis, your vet may or may not recommend surgery. Even if he or she does recommend it, surgery may not be your only treatment option. The doctor could suggest a different medication, some physical therapy, or even acupuncture, depending on the problem.
I mention acupuncture because I had a dog with hips that started giving out when he was about eight years old. He wasn't a candidate for surgery, so my vet recommended acupuncture. It wasn't expensive, and I was amazed at the results. We used a combination of acupuncture and medications to make him more comfortable and able to still get up on his own for the remainder of his life. Pets of any age can have surgery, but unless it's needed to save your pet's life, other treatment options may be available for your consideration.
Dear Cathy,
I've had many pets and found that if my dogs threw up, they usually ate something they shouldn't have. My wise mother told me to check the labels on my canned cat food for liver. Yep, it was frequently mixed into the food. When I stopped feeding it, my cats stopped throwing up (unless it was a hairball ). I hope this helps others.
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