It might be an excellent idea if you get another opinion from another vet stem veterinarian.
It might be possible to extract the stem cells (via the acquizition of fat cells) using local anesthesia and sedation. The second stem cell vet should be able to assess everything.
Thank you very much for your reply and for your additional info; I did not know about osteophyte before and I didn't know that stem cell procedure needed anesthesia for the injections also.... :-(
...I'd have a few more questions just to put my heart and mind at peace and to take the best decision....
Isn't osteophyte painful? Doesn't osteophyte give chronic pain and cause the loss of joint motion? Shouldn't this be arrested by surgery and the bone spurs removed instead?
(I remeber that the vet that previously operated my dog to the other ACL said that, the clicking noise in the leg that is now limping, was in his opinion because of the arthrite formation..).
I am just a little confused.... I went to the vet thinking of an ACL surgery and now we are instead here talking about meniscal surgery and finding myself to believe that osteophyte can actually be a good thing....
Then, since my dog is 7, I am worry for the anesthesia required if she'd need more than one surgery (not only for the possible further stem cells injections needed even in a few months, but for the ligament possible future worsening too - since stem cells are still not vastly experimented yet)...
What should I think?
...Thanks again so much!
1. If there is an obvious clicking noise in the knee, or your dog occasionally collapses on the affected hind leg, than is it highly probable that there is a meniscus tear. Your vet probably palpated (palpation = diagnostic touch) the knee and was able to feel crepitus (crackling) and clicking.
2. Maybe it was only a partial tear and not a complete tear. These can on occasion get better. Osteophyte formation can also stabilize the knee a bit.
3. I have my certification in Stem Cell Therapy and some experience. Do stem cell therapy first. It is extremely effective. However, no one can tell how long it can last in your dog. It may last anywhere from month to years, but, it can be repeated. Stem cell therapy may be able to heal the torn meniscus and torn ACL, than, obviously, surgery would not be required.
There are two types of stem cell injections. The one that would be necessary for your dog would be an injection into the joint capsule of the affected knee. It requires two procedures: a surgery to extract fat that contains the stem cells, and than the injection two to three days later. This would require two anesthesia's. I would not inject into the knee of any dog without anesthesia (it can be done without anesthesia in horses and humans {outside USA}).