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(08-23-2010 06:50 PM)robo21 Wrote: [ -> ]Our sincere condolences on your loss. I understand and we are sending prayers and healing energy for Mowgli. Hang in there...

Thank you - I appreciate it.

Okay Wow!!! man have i been out of the loop, just got done reading the whole post!!!! okay where do I start????

god love you all and your vet Dr. Leeds, I really hope you all are doing well! I have been a little paranoid about Relliks playing but everyone told me to relax, I am so glad that Sadie is okay (not of the bill though that really sucks) But it's so great to see someone who owns up to their commitment with these great beasts. I love my boy and his sister but I worrie all the time about them getting hurt. Again so glad you caught it in time.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Harley...I recently lost my best friend of 12 years my rottie lillie, mydog8it I know the pain like you have no idea........ My heart goes out to you and mowgli, I am not a reglious person but my prayers and thoughts are with you all. hugs and kisses to Mowgli its not much but I hope it helps.

(09-24-2010 04:58 PM)Mastiff Lover Wrote: [ -> ]Okay Wow!!! man have i been out of the loop, just got done reading the whole post!!!! okay where do I start????

god love you all and your vet Dr. Leeds, I really hope you all are doing well! I have been a little paranoid about Relliks playing but everyone told me to relax, I am so glad that Sadie is okay (not of the bill though that really sucks) But it's so great to see someone who owns up to their commitment with these great beasts. I love my boy and his sister but I worrie all the time about them getting hurt. Again so glad you caught it in time.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Harley...I recently lost my best friend of 12 years my rottie lillie, mydog8it I know the pain like you have no idea........ My heart goes out to you and mowgli, I am not a reglious person but my prayers and thoughts are with you all. hugs and kisses to Mowgli its not much but I hope it helps.

Thank you for posting April and our condolences on your loss.

I think the key thing I learned from this experience is to supervise these giant dogs while at play and know what might be harmful. For instance, I will NEVER again allow any of our Mastiffs, present or future, to play tug o' war. Sadie is/was very intent on winning, so was Kahless and at 8 months he was bigger than Sadie is now. She did not want him to win so she dug her hind legs into the grass and he ripped her anterior cruciate ligaments in both knees. Kahless was the irresistible force pulling against Sadie's knees, the immovable objects. Only thing is Sadie lost - BIG time.

Four months after her first surgery and $9,000 later she is almost back to normal. And yes thank God for Dr. Leeds. He is one of the best. And yes, I must admit that we were good parents in that we followed his instructions exactly and without any exception. Sadie did so well that he overlapped the second surgery with her first surgery recovery time to cut down on her confinement time. Then she did so well that he released her to rehabilitation 1 month early as her bones were completely healed that fast! Dr. Leeds even said we did a superb job of home care.

Were it not for these surgeries Sadie's quality of life would have been ruined. Every step she took was painful and it would have worsened as her bones grew more and more arthritic. She is walking now in complete comfort. It is heartwarming to see her doing so well. I know of a couple of Mastiff owners who had their GP Vets do the TPLO surgery to try to save money: BIG MISTAKES in both cases. They ended up having to go to a specialist anyway to correct the mistakes made by the GP.

We are still on restricted activity for another 3 weeks which means we walk 20 minutes, 3 times a day. Leash walking only, even to go potty in the backyard and no furniture. She is doing fabulously well. She is strong as ever and her muscle tone is improving daily. We will go the full rehab period though to make sure that she has the musculature to support her new knees.

I do play a much gentler tug o' war with Kahless and I let him win. I never let him brace with his hind legs as Sadie did in the photo above.

Sadie's first surgery was now 19 weeks ago. She is doing remarkably well. We go for three, 20 minute walks per day and she can pull like an ox when she wants to. The surgeon said pulling is good for her as it will build muscle quicker. Perhaps this is true, but sometimes the pulling is not so great for me!

I put up with it to expedite her building muscle mass which is going very nicely. The atrophy is virtually gone and her muscle tone is almost to the pre-injury level. She's a happy girl and walks normally.

When I think of the difference in the quality of her life that the TPLO surgery has made on both legs has made I am very grateful.

i hope all goes well

(12-09-2010 02:28 AM)robieducks Wrote: [ -> ]i hope all goes well

Thank you robieducks! And yes, it has been 6 months now since her first surgery and Sadie is fully recovered and playing happily again completely pain free. She's running and jumping just like she did before the injuries.

What I learned from this is to monitor our giant breed dogs' play with closer supervision, and only allow more gentle tug o' war between humans and dogs not dog vs dog. And definitely, seek immediate veterinary advice for any kind of limp.

I am so grateful that we were able to fully restore Sadie's quality of life with surgery. This was a very expensive lesson but hopefully by sharing the experience others can avoid such injuries.

One more thing, I have seen disastrous results in having the TPLO surgery performed by a general veterinarian. By all means, anyone seeking this surgery for their pet should find a board certified surgeon specializing in the procedure. It might cost a little more, but a second surgery can be avoided.

A good friend with a Mastiff went through this and ended up having to redo the leg. She was lucky, the dog could have been crippled (or worse) for life.

Hi Robin, Im sorry to hear that Sadie was hurt. I am glad you have a vet that cares about her as much as you do. I know all dogs can get injuries, but are mastiffs a breed that are more likely to get those injuries? I really want to get a mastiff, but I want to get a little more info on them. I can't stand to see animals or people in pain.

(02-03-2011 09:20 AM)iwantamastiff Wrote: [ -> ]Hi Robin, Im sorry to hear that Sadie was hurt. I am glad you have a vet that cares about her as much as you do. I know all dogs can get injuries, but are mastiffs a breed that are more likely to get those injuries? I really want to get a mastiff, but I want to get a little more info on them. I can't stand to see animals or people in pain.

Thanks Iwantamastiff and welcome to the i-tails community.

No, Mastiffs aren't more likely to be injured. But if and when they need care, it is far more expensive to treat them due to their size. For example, a Beagle with congestive heart failure costs about $2 per day to medicate at most. A Mastiff, on the other hand costs about $13 per day to medicate simply due to the weight difference.

I know this from direct experience with Samson who has been on these meds for the last 2.5 years at a cost of nearly $12,000. Sadie's surgeries cost $9,000+. Insurance would have helped a tiny bit with Sadie but hardly at all ($600 reimbursement from insurance for congestive heart failure) with Samson.

Insurance doesn't cover all ailments and then it ends up costing about $8,000-$10,000 per dog over their lifetime. In Samson's case, it would have been an extra $9,400 down the drain as they would only cover the first $600 of his meds for congestive heart failure. So insurance is good manageable payment plan. However, if your dog stays healthy you have "wasted" your money, if your dog suffers an ailment not fully covered, you lose.

I chose to self insure and set aside enough money and available credit to cover anything that might come up. This is based on my situation and may not apply to everyone.

The point is that Mastiff ownership can be very expensive when compared to lesser sized breeds. "What the lion is to the cat, the Mastiff is to the dog..." is true especially at the vet's office.

Don't forget about food. Kahless' diet alone runs an average of $150/month with his premium kibble and miscellaneous toppings. That's another $1800 per year on top of everything else. Then there are toys, vet visits, dog shows, grooming supplies, etc. Not everyone shows so leaving that out we have about $2,000 a year in care and feeding without insurance or sickness.

Mastiff ownership can be costly but in my opinion it's worth every penny. YMMV