Bad News On Dozer

Dozer's Mum here:

I am sorry to tell you that little Dozer Dog is having surgery tomorrow to repair his left rear knee. He was playing fetch and tore his ACL and did damage to the knee itself. I could have let it heal on its own but within 2-3 years Dozer would have had severe osteoarthritis and pain and by his golden years the leg would no longer have been able to bend and he would have been hobbling and in great pain. When this happens to a person, surgery is the only option. Dozer deserves the same.

I took him to the emergency vet on Sunday morning and they gave me all the options and got Dozer on pain and anti-inflammatory meds. The strange part of this has been that Doze has not expressed any pain at all. His left hind leg just hangs and he doesn't put weight on it. I took him to his own vet yesterday and again, he never yelped, growled or showed any indication of pain. They didn't even have to sedate him for x-rays - he laid on his back, on his side and let the technician manipulate his leg without a whimper or any movement. (That said, he does know that the techs have access to cheese-in-a-can and he loves the ladies!) And yes, they did check to see if he had feeling in the leg. Apparently he is a stoic soldier.

I took Dozer down tonight and he will spend the night in the kennel at the hospital and then have the 3 hour surgery tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, it is a painful surgery so he will need to be on strong pain meds and in his kennel at home until a few days have past. The surgery is going to be very expensive (think thousands of dollars) and he will need physical therapy once the knee stabilizes. Again, no one is holding a gun to my head and making me go this route, but it is the only option I will consider. Dozer will be 4 years old in December and he deserves to have a full life with full mobility. I don't like credit cards but fortunately I have one with a zero balance and a low APR, so Dozer can have his surgery right away which means he can begin the healing process. How many people can look at their credit card statement and then look over a sweet corgi sleeping by a fireplace and know that every monthly payment has bought such continuous pleasure and delight? Much better than new shoes any day! LOL!

I have incredible confidence in our vets at Ark Veterinary Hospital and the staff is wonderful. Dozer could not be in better hands. I will keep you posted.

Love, N