I took one of my two dogs to the vet Thursday. She's been coming up lame for more than a week. Although she's been to the vet before for the same sort of problem, she's never been lame for such a long period of time. This time, the swelling in her leg was down enough for the vet to find out that "Princess" has blown out one of her ligaments in her right rear knee.

The vet gave me two options:

One, just let it be and let her live with it, giving medicines to help reduce the pain.

Two, have it operated on...total knee replacement. Cost, $3,500!!!!

Princess is only 4 1/2 years old, an American Staffordshire Terrier, and one of the sweetest dogs you'll ever find. She was a rescued dog from a woman that could no longer keep her. I've had her about a year and half.

The vet said there's no real way to know what blew out her knee or when it happend. She said that Princess was such a muscular dog, that sometimes the ligaments just can't hold out against the power of the muscles. Princess LUVS to play frisbee and chase her sister (non-related) around the yard, even when her leg hurts.

It just kills me to see her in pain. The coated asprin and glucosamine she's been getting daily aren't working as they once were for her.

I'd like to get your thoughts. What would you do? Get the operation for her or let her live on stronger medicine?