bullmastiff

Question
hi i have a 3 year old male bullmastiff. i took him to the vets and was told he has a torn ligament in his bak right leg.surgery will be 1600 pound.just wondered if you thought that was alot.if so what should i do.pet ins dosnt kover as it is a komman problem in large breeds.

Answer

Hi John,

Veterinary fees can vary by location.  You could "shop around", call vets in your area and see what other local vets are charging for the surgery your dog requires. You might find that the estimated fee your vet gave you is what the going rate is. Your local Humane Society or Animal shelter may know of reduced cost vet care clinics, so that's worth a phone call too.

It would probably be a good thing to have a different vet examine your dog too. Getting a second opinion is always wise when surgery is being talked about. If the second vet thinks your dog requires surgery too, you may feel a little better about this.

Some dogs do need surgery, but many will recover very well without surgical intervention if given the chance.  Don't rush to surgery.  The way to determine if your dog needs surgery is to carefully restrict the dog's activity for a period of 8 weeks.  This means only the necessary trips out every few hours to empty bladder & bowel.  You must impose whatever degree of restriction is needed to prevent all running, jumping, and other high-stress-to-the-leg activity. Slow, continuing improvement during the 8 weeks will indicate that your dog can almost certainly restore stability to the joint without surgery.  If there is no improvement in your dog's condition after the 8 weeks, then surgery probably truly is appropriate.

Best of luck,

Patti