I was mentioning to my carpenter that my BIL has bad knees- think no cartilage and you will get the picture - and thus he can't do tile work anymore (can't kneel). He said he had heard of braces that some carpet layers wear that attach above and below the knee and take the pressure off the joint. Sounds like an orthopedic brace to me. He said he has seen ads for it in the back of woodworking magazines. Can anyone help me find such braces? He said they were expensive, but my SIL will pay alot to see her husband not be in pain anymore. I tried to Google, but don't know what to search for. Thank you for your help!!!

Your Eskie stays off the furniture??!! Even when you aren't there? My Eskie is almost 5 and weighs 23 lbs. - I refer to him as a large mini or a small standard. Personally, I would try to find a way to see the ortho and determine the damage. The MRI will be expensive (we used to have mini Dachshunds and my 2 special soulmate pups had worst case back/neck disc disease and the horrible surgeries - and they were very expensive (we are in Canada). I am sure you will understand that absolutely nothing scares me more than a dog who appears to have a problem walking. Hence we now have an Eskimo. Two years ago he suddenly became reluctant to jump up on the bed and I was very worried as I had just read on Eskie specific board of 2 Eskies that had disc related problems and their vets had suggested surgery - so within half an hour I was at the vets - they understood since they had lived through the Dachshund years and have many Dachshund patients. Fortunately, he had just pulled a muscle in his back. But as I look at his long legs I worry about Patellar Luxation and Cruciate Ligament injuries (not to mention blockages as he is a Hoover) with the jaws, teeth and claws of death. I he were to develop ACL or Patellar I would have the surgery done by an ortho. Some regular vets still do the procedures but due to the current trend towards specialization most regular vets have decided to defer to specialists. Our vet now calls in a specialist re "regular" ACL surgeries - performed in her clinic and if the more specialized procedure is called for, they are referred to the specialist licensed to perform that procedure. Often if one leg is affected, the other will follow. I fully understand the financial problems such a surgery would cause, particularly with the health problems in your family and the economy in general, but perhaps you could check out payment options/pet "credit cards" etc. that are offered in U.S. Eskies tend to live a long time and are puppies to the end so your pup has a good chance to live to be 17 and while arthritis is likely to develop, it will be much worse without the surgery. It is true that some dogs do not have the surgery and cope, but not all are so lucky. I really hope that everything works out okay for your fluffbutt.

We had Tightrope surgery done on our 90 lb Akita 4 years ago. She was only 4 years old at the time, but I thought the TPLO was way too invasive. A week after surgery, the cast came off & we started 10 min walks 3-4 times a day, Never left the yard. we did put a ramp up the steps - they didn't want her doing any steps for 3-4 months. also had to keep her off the couch (no jumping) - so I had garbage bags of empty soda bottles that we would put on the couch to keep her off. Got quite a few comments & looks fromvisitors :) We gave her Tramadol for the pain - which worked just fine. The vet also suggested water therapy. I couldn't find anywhere in my area for this - so we went to the lake 3-4 times per week & she swam. Now - 4 years later, she doesn't seem to have any problems. Walks fine, runs & jumps -but on cold mornings, she is a little stiff until she gets moving. All of the food & treats I give her are loaded with glucosamine & omega 3, which I believe has contributed to her recovery & maintenance. We still swim as often as we can. Kita is pure white & is still my lovable polar bear.

Vicki. If you need to keep your baby quiet, go to a whole foods or other holistic - natural type food store and get some rescue remedy. It kinda drugs your dog to the point where they dont want to do anything, I have used it with my dog and with my friends dog who had a spiral fracture to her ankle and was not suppose to get up and move around for 4 weeks or so. Good luck with your baby. Hope everything turns out ok. My buddy has been doing great and his second TPLO we put in used equipment which costs less, ask your vet about that as well. I also chose not to have my dog on Rimadyl because of the issues with liver disease, that also saved me money. So there are things you can ask your vet about which may save money. My dog has a bit of arthritis in the leg with the botched surgery. Other than that, Ascripton once a week or so when they show signs of pain (panting, toeing, no wanting to go...) On the patent thing, I heard the vet that invented the surgery had died and that is why it is now available to everyone.