Torn Achilles Tendon

My 8 mo old border collie mix was chasing the cat and slipped on the hard floor going around our island (under construction). She hit a nail we were not aware of and ripped her leg open. Took her to the ER and got stitches but was told she tore her Achilles’ tendon at the muscular joint. I am not sure if it is partial or a full tear as I was not told that.  I was told she needs surgery to repair it though. That along with all the after care are too expensive for us. What would happen if it was left untreated ? Would it severely affect her life? And are there alternatives that are less expensive?

Hello - and you probably already know that this is a hard thing to happen to a dog.  The Achilles tendon is most visible at the back of your ankle - the one that the Greek warrior is supposed to have had pierced by an arrow.  It is also pretty important for walking and when damaged, can make locomotion difficult - this is a hard thing to happen to a young border collie.  (More coming)  

Furthermore, ruptured tendons are very vulnerable to scarring, making the tendon stiff and tight and lumpy and immobile.  It can generally result in permanent lameness, which in turn can lead to an altered gait and thereby arthritis elsewhere.   Obviously I don't know about your dog's particular tear but I do know that untreated tendon ruptures in this area can hugely affect dogs' mobility, especially when unhelpful scar tissue is allowed to form.  For this reason it is usually recommended that they are treated as soon after the injury as they can be.   The joint may never be perfect (you'd have to ask the surgeon for the prognosis) but I'm afraid that we would recommend taking this one seriously if at all possible because of the long term effects.  Frustratingly, there is usually a time limit for getting surgery too.

I think, as ever, that the best way to deal with a torn Achilles may be referral to a surgeon who specialises in orthopaedics.  However this may have to be balanced against the time delay in getting help.

For example, a study in the early 2000s suggested that treatment was more successful in the first 21 days after surgery; however this may have been superceded by now and this doesnt take your own dogs' case into account, so a specialist or your own vet would be the first point of call for such information.