Hi all,
Apologies for not having posted here for some time - I've had quite a time of it the last week or so and haven't been in the best headspace regarding Oz...
So to get you all up to speed...A week ago Friday I received a call from the Practice Manager of the vets where Ozzy was registered. The PM was calling having considered his locum's notes regarding Oz and started talking in depth about an operation and asked me to make a decision there and then as the orthopaedic surgeon wanted to know by 5pm that day whether they were required to perform sugery the following Tuesday (Monday was the bank hol). I was quite aghast at this - I'd been told by the locum the PM would call to discuss all options regarding Oz but they were pretty much looking to get surgery booked. I explained my concerns to the PM regarding surgery and said I'd feel happier if the PM actually examined Oz for himself.
So off Oz and I went on Saturday morning. The PM had a quick look over Oz and said surgery was still the best route. The orthopaedic surgeon was in the practice during that time and again I felt I was being forced into a corner. Now, I know it's probably going to look like I've been stalling this whole time but I definitely saw a marked improvement in Ozzy. He was very mobile and continuing about his day to day business with no issue at all (still under house arrest might I add!). I explained to the vet that I was rather reluctant to see Oz put through surgery given that he was dealing so well and I'd much rather take a "wait and see approach" and if things weren't improving within a couple of weeks revisit the option of surgery. The PM by this point was a little annoyed but I stood firm. Another appointment was made for the following Friday (29th May) whereby they wanted me to have made my mind up.
This whole time I was in bits. Do I put Ozzy through surgery? Was it absolutely vital this was done? How would he deal with cage rest? What if the operation didn't work? I had so many thoughts flying round my head, I began to feel quite ill.
So I came to the decision that I wanted a second opinion on Ozzy, just to see how the opinions differed, or if there was a correlation. I couldn't help but feel this was a money spinning exercise
After speaking with a colleague who recommended a different local practice (nothing to do with the franchise we were registered with) I managed to get Oz an appointment with a specialist in orthopaedics the same day that he should have seen the vet where we are registered.
All I can say is that I'm so very glad I did get a second opinion. The gentleman we saw was incredibly thorough in his examination and performed various tests on Ozzy. He encouraged Ozzy to have a wander around the consultation room and to jump on the table and windowsill. He said in his personal opinion, he wouldn't operate. He was satisfied that Ozzy was getting around just fine as he is and to see how things go. He said he wasn't ruling out surgery in the future but we should just let Oz continue as he is, and keep him in for a further six weeks. I explained Oz is under house arrest for the foreseeable future until the garden is cat proofed
The vet said he sees this injury very often in dogs and only in very serious cases does he perform surgery for this type of injury - maybe 3 or 4 a year. This surprised me somewhat but by all accounts this chap really does know his stuff. He became the first vet in the UK to obtain an orthopaedic engineering degree, which usually is only undertaken by human orthopaedic surgeons!
I feel so much more at ease knowing that, for now at least, Ozzy is just fine the way he is. He has to go back in a month for a review and his boosters are due, ouchies! Needless to say, I've requested that I move Oz to the practice where the super vet is registered
I had been looking to move, particularly as the surgery he was registered at was a pain to get to but the care and professionalism afforded by this practice was outstanding.
Ozzy is doing just fine, he's not asking so much to go out anymore and seems to be dealing with being indoors very well. I'm just so relieved that I didn't make a snap decision or be coerced into him having surgery which could have been avoided. I'm well aware it's going to take time for him to recover and hopefully he'll be out enjoying the sunshine (she says as it absolutely hammers down!) very soon.
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. I do hope all of your (and your little darlings) are well x