Ariel second surgery 2024 - Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)

 Meet my beloved, kindest, and smartest girl — Ariel (Esa). We rescued her when she was just two months old, and from that very first day she became our true ray of sunshine. Ariel is gentle, deeply attached to her people, and incredibly intelligent. She’s even a bit of a polyglot — responding to commands in both Russian and English, which always makes people smile.

In July 2024, Ariel underwent her second major surgery — a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) on her left rear leg with arthroscopy. The veterinary bill came to $7,200, followed by 8 weeks of very difficult rehabilitation. 

She was not allowed to run, jump, or play. Walks were restricted to 5–15 minutes, strictly controlled. Every step had to be monitored. Every day required patience, planning, and emotional strength.

TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) is a major orthopedic surgery performed to repair a torn knee ligament in dogs. During the procedure, the surgeon cuts the bone, rotates it to a new position, and secures it with metal plates and screws. This allows the knee to function again without pain.

It is considered one of the most invasive and complex surgeries in veterinary medicine. Recovery is long and difficult, usually requiring 8–12 weeks of strict rest, limited walking, no running or jumping, and careful rehabilitation. Without this surgery, most dogs cannot walk comfortably and live in chronic pain.

Since then, Ariel has faced three surgeries in total. Each one was medically necessary. Each one was emotionally devastating. And each one added to overwhelming medical expenses.

Below, I have included documents for transparency:

• Invoice for Ariel’s second surgery (2024)

• Post-operative medical report for her second surgery

We fully covered Ariel’s first two surgeries ourselves when we were financially stable. Unfortunately, our situation changed drastically in October 2025, when my husband lost his job, reducing our household income by more than half.

At this point, my income is our only source of support. My bi-weekly take-home pay is approximately $2,400, which is not sufficient to cover our essential monthly expenses, including:

• Mortgage: $3,163

• HOA fees: $531

• Health insurance: $543 (Covered California)

• Groceries and food

• Car insurance: $573

• Utilities: $300–$400

If you are able to help with Ariel’s recovery after her third surgery and the ongoing medical bills, here is our GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/74ba905a4