Help Clover get CCL surgery and live pain-free!

Clover is a scrappy little dog with big feelings and a real zest for life. She's never met a dog, cat, or person she didn't like (maybe even too much). When she comes across a particularly good smell, she smashes her nose all the way into what she's smelling. She loves the beach and the snow. She's a big fan of broccoli, cauliflower, and greek yogurt, and hates every fruit she's ever encountered except watermelon. She doesn't like skateboarders. She loves belly rubs and is quite insistent about receiving them. She hates baths but loves the customary after-bath zoomies. Her favorite enrichment activity is shredding paper. She often flops down on my torso like a cat. She loves engaging in the centuries-old feud between dogs and mail carriers. She has the sweetest sleeping face of all time. In the words of a friend (when I first adopted her), "All dogs are good, but some dogs are better, and Clover is on her way to being a very good dog."

Unfortunately, Clover has had an abnormal gait since I brought her home in mid-September 2023. It started with her hopping with her right hind leg held up for a step when she'd trot at a certain speed — just for a moment and then she'd be back to normal. This became more pronounced as time went on, and she started showing more signs of pain. After several months of regular visits with 4 different vets who could not definitively diagnose the issue, we finally have a diagnosis of an early partial CCL (cranial cruciate ligament) tear, and Clover needs surgery to resolve it. Without surgery, she'll continue to be in pain and lose range of motion as scar tissue forms to stabilize her knee — and she'll have a greater risk of tearing the CCL in her opposite leg the longer she goes without.

TPLO (tibial plateau levelling osteotomy) surgery essentially removes the need for the CCL by reconfiguring her knee. This surgery comes with a shorter recovery period than other options and typically restores the full range of motion to the leg. In the event that her vet isn't able to fit a plate in her leg, she'll have ELSS (extracapsular lateral suture stabilization) surgery instead, which basically replaces the CCL with monofilament nylon around the joint.

The estimated cost for TPLO surgery is between $6,274 and $6,691 (not including post-operative care, medications, follow-up exams and x-rays, suture removal, etc.). I have pet insurance, but it doesn't cover ligament injuries until the policy has been active for 6 months — and I haven't even had her for 6 months yet.

This was not an expected expense, and after months of unexpected expenses related to this medical mystery, I have to ask my community for support so I can help Clover get back to enjoying all of the things a scrappy little dog with a zest for life loves to do. I love this special goofy girl and I've never known her without this pain. I just want her to feel well.

All funds raised here will be used to cover the cost of her surgery. On the off chance we raise more than we need to cover her surgery, any leftover funds will be redistributed to The People's Fridge.

Thank you for your support!

Cullan & Clover