Help Adorable Ireland

Ireland needs your help!

Ireland is an incredibly sweet 2-year-old, lab mix who loves people. Unfortunately, he has cranial cruciate rupture of both knees which causes him to struggle with walking. The cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is one of the most important stabilizers of the canine knee joint. In humans, CCL is called the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). ACL tears in humans are generally secondary to trauma (common in football players/contact sports). However, in dogs they are usually degenerative (although a lot of animals have an identifying event where the knee is pushed to final capacity).

Thankfully, CCL tears can be addressed with surgical repair or medical management, with surgical repair having the utmost quality of life restored.

A few surgical procedures exist- tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and lateral suture are the most common methods. The TPLO surgery is most ideal for large breed and active dogs, such as Ireland. This surgery ultimately changes the weight bearing forces of the knee. Most dogs go back to normal activity after 8 weeks of exercise restriction, post-operative. Lateral suture repairs are more commonly recommended for small breed dogs.

Great news! Dr. Mike Dosal and his surgical mentor, Dr. Justin Harper have been consulted and quoted us $2,500 to repair BOTH CCL tears (via the TPLO technique). Another specialty hospital quoted us around $3,500 for ONE repair. Drs. Dosal and Harper from Texas Specialty Veterinary Services work as a mobile surgical company and would be able to perform the surgery right here at ADL. Both knees would be able to be repaired on the same day.

We believe this is the best treatment option for Ireland. If left untreated, Ireland will have a long road of osteoarthritis and pain ahead of him, but with your help, we can help him get the surgery he needs.

Please help us meet our goal of raising $2,500 for Ireland! Make a donation today by filling out the form below.