bulldog ligament/knee problems

Question
Hi,

 My 4 1/2 year old bulldog Mary has recently been diagnosed with problems in both of her knees, and hip problems.  The vet says that she tore ligaments in her right knee and upon the surgeons review there is also a MLP problem with her patella.  The surgeon says that she needs surgery on both knees for the ligament problem and the patella problem.  I am very conflicted with what to do because there are so many sites on the Internet that claim that surgery is not necessary, that activity should just be restricted for a few weeks, But our vet says that it will not heal on it's own....and she will need surgery in a couple weeks on the first knee and then approx. 6 months later on the other knee.  HE said that the hip problem doesn't seem to be very bad and that it is ok for now.  I guess my question is.....how common is it for bulldogs to get this type of surgery?  Is it necessary?  How much should it cost?  he quoted us at about $1100  per leg.

This is the first major health problem we have encountered, so we need all the advice we can get.   

Thanks,
 Jen


Answer
I think you need to be very cautious about this. I would give your dog crate rest and leash walking only for a month and see if you see an improvement. If so, this may be necessary for extended periods of time. If she's not in severe pain now, there's no rush for surgery. If she's limping, that's a good thing. At least she knows she hurts.

This is common in Bulldogs or should I say, this is something vets look for as well as hips. Generally all Bulldogs have bad hips but most will live long healthy lives in spite of it. A Bulldog with a bad knee may limp around for weeks and then be fine. Surgery, for me, is a last resort especially in a dog this age.  The price he quoted you is about average I find.