Funny had Cranial Cruciate Ligament surgery in May 2003
The surgery
she had is known as the
Tibeal Plateau Leveling Osteotomy or TPLO
She went under the knife with Dr. Craig Ritchie at Companion Animal Hospital and surgeon Dr. E.B. Okrasinski.
This procedure was developed by Dr. Barclay Slocum and requires the surgeon to be not only board certified, but licensed to perform this procedure.
This first X-Ray shows Funny's tibeal slope to be 21 degrees.
In order to reduce the slope, the veterinarians had to cut Funny's femur, adjust the tibeal slope and secure it with a metal plate.
Notice the reduced slope on the tibeal plateau.
This is a top view of the screws used to secure the plates. My dog buzzes the security at the airline ticket counters!
This is the view of the surgery the day after the procedure. I don't recommend your taking them home early like I did. It was an enlightening experience. I had never heard Funny cry like that in my life. My recommendation - leave them at the vet's where they can get adequate pain treatment.
Although I had prepared a crate for her highness, the Arkay dogs have been blessed with a lovely mournful wail. You know the "I am dying in my crate right now" kind of scream? No matter how sick she was, there was no way she was sleeping in the crate. Klicker got the crate and I got the doggy bed on the floor!
A short 16 weeks after the surgery, Funny went on to win Best Altered in Multi-Breed Show under honorable, Kim Allison. Funny also entertained the crowd by catching and crunching a live mole in the middle of the ring. What a gal!
