Letty's ACL Repair
This is Letty's story:
We found out about a Saint Bernard puppy located in Pennsylvania that was bred by an Amish farmer. She was the last of her litter, and we brought her home when she was 12 weeks old. At her first vet appointment we found out that had an umbilical hernia which needed to be repaired. We had this repaired when she was spayed, and had her stomach tacked to reduce the chances of bloat (gastric torsion). Then when she was between 6-8 months old she developed Epilepsy. Luckily we caught it early, and she has been and will be on daily medication throughout the rest of her life. Along with the lifelong medication for her Epilepsy, December 2015 (the day before Christmas Eve) she was diagnosed with Lyme disease for which she will be required to be on medication when a flare up occurs.
We watched our little 35 pound ball of fluff grow up to be a 140 pound beautiful happy dog who is now 1 year and 9 months old. Letty is a loving caring dog who loves the company of everyone around. Her favorite of which are babies who she tries to keep calm. Letty loves to pretend she’s 50 pound lap dog, and loves to cuddle with you.
Although we were prepared for the expenses of having a Saint Bernard we were not ready for what happened next. On Memorial Day she was having a puppy play date with a few friends. When we brought her home we noticed she was limping. As she played hard we thought nothing of it until she didn't stop. We brought her to the vet, and we were told that it was a sprain but if it did not get better she would need x-rays. Unfortunately she did not get better, and we were required to bring her in for sedated x-rays.
The day we found out the results of her x-rays it was heart breaking. We were told that she tore a ligament. Neither of us were expecting a result of that nature. The vet also advised up that Letty has hereditary hip dysplasia. The vet then told us we needed to see a specialist.
At our orthopedic vet appointment we were told that she tore her CCL (Cranial Cruciate Ligament) which is equivalent to an ACL tear in a human. He then advised us that our only option to fix the tear on Letty is to operate. The best surgical option for Letty is called a TTA (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement) procedure. Basically when the ACL tears in your pet's knee, the tibia is able to slide forward when your pet stands on the leg, which is normally constrained by the torn ligament. This is very painful and causes arthritis in the joint. TTA works by changing the way the quadriceps muscle (the large muscles on the front of the leg) pull on the tibia. After a TTA, the muscle pulls the tibia back into its normal position when your dog stands on the leg.
The cost of the TTA procedure is overwhelming, and more than we ever though it would be. We were advised that this procedure for Letty would cost $5,800 which we are not prepared for. We have always been responsible pet owners getting her the medical care she needs. Unfortunately, with this procedure we need to ask for help. We are appealing to all animal lovers to help us reach this goal in order to have Letty live a normal pain free life. After an intensive surgery, and a 16 week recovery period Letty should make a full recovery.
Anyone that knows us, has seen our Facebook, or Instagram pictures knows that this girl is our world. We simply would not know what to do without her, and want to see her back to her normal happy-go-lucky self. As you can see from Letty’s picture she is well cared for and the love of our life. Please help us reach our goal, and get this beautiful girl the surgery she so desperately needs.
