Rottie luck

Can you help I have an eight year old Rottweiler who has been a bit unfortunate health wise in his life. He has had problem with cancer when he was two which was luckily dealt with surgically. Then November 2007 had to have a cruciate repair. His latest problem is an abscess on the same leg as the cruciate repair we have been dealing with this with a long course of antibiotics just had a swab done and awaiting the results. The vet seems to think it could be a problem with the cruciate repair and says that he might need to have another operation, this I am reluctant to do because of his age and the long time it took to recover from the previous operation also worried about the general anesthetic. Are there any other options available?

Many thanks
Lynne Vaughan

We had a fascinating article in Dogs Today February 1996 about using acupuncture instead of anaesthetics. Might be worth a read. Still available as a back issue from 01276 858880.
Beverley Cuddy, Editor, Dogs Today


I think that many of your worries will be helped once you know the result of tests on the swab taken from the abscess, and I hope that you will have already received them by the time your read this.
Your Rottie has certainly had more than his fair share of health problems, and I think it is important for you to try to take this one step at a time. The abscess may well be an entity in its own right. The swab taken from the abscess will have been tested to identify microbes present, and their individual sensitivity to different antibiotics. Identifying an antibiotic or combination of antibiotics which is effective against the bacteria isolated under laboratory conditions will hopefully lead to similar success when given to your Rottie, resulting in the abscess healing.
Your vet is worrying about the possibility of an underlying reason for the abscess having occurred. This would be indicated if the abscess appeared to heal whilst your Rottie was being treated with an antibiotic course chosen based on the results of the swab, but then recurred after the treatment had finished, for example. At this point, further investigation would be needed. Based on the results of that, it will be a matter of weighing up the choices available.
I am afraid I cannot be more precise when it comes to alternatives available to you. An operation such as for cruciate disease is a major orthopaedic operation which would be expected to have a long convalescence, whereas a less invasive procedure may be needed in this instance. General anaesthesia has advanced greatly in recent years, with detailed monitoring techniques available and improved drug regimes.
Above all, there is your Rottie to consider. What is the effect the abscess is having on his quality of life? Will he be better off having any surgery, together with the risks involved? It always comes down to quality of life – we the owners have to make as informed decision as we can on behalf of our canine friends. Your vet will be able to advise you, based on his knowledge of your dog’s clinical situation, but ultimately it will be your decision.
Alison Logan, vet