At 2 days post-op after TPLO surgery for a torn ACL, we took Tenor home from the pet hospital. 

Dr. Beckman said that he was healing faster than most dogs, and he was also putting more weight on his leg sooner than most.

I think Tenor paid the price for that extra weight on his leg in those first days post-op, because his leg and ankle swelled up like an over-stuffed balloon just moments after we got him home.

Here's a little about our dog's recovery from TPLO surgery, as well as the stories of other dogs who've been through it.

Last month, on a warm sunny day, Jim & I had just returned home from a trip to Canada.

We picked up our dog at the pet sitters, then we all played at home in the backyard together. Tenor was soooo happy to see us. It had been a week -- about the longest he'd been away from us.

Suddenly, he got this urge to just start running... HARD!

Tenor was running laps from corner to corner -- the entire perimeter of our fenceline. When all of a sudden, as he was running and turning the corner, he yelped and fell down. His knee gave out. That was the start of Tenor's 3-legged mobility.

Our Dog Tore His ACL

We immediately called our vet, who said to put him on the Deramaxx pain killers we had leftover from the last time he pulled his leg muscle.  If it continued for more than a week, he wanted us to bring  Tenor in for x-rays.

It continued. The meds didn't help much. Tenor wouldn't put any weight on that back right leg at all. When we took him to the vet for x-rays, it was obvious that he'd torn his ACL.

 

The vet said Tenor had about an inch or so of free-range motion in that knee -- in a direction that he was supposed to have NONE. (More proof that the ligament was torn.)

So we scheduled our initial pre-op visit with the veterinary surgeon who comes highly recommended in these parts: Dr. Samuel Beckman with Affiliated Veterinary Specialists here in Nashville. (They're also the doctors associated with the after-hours emergency care center.)

 

So we took our vet's x-rays to the surgeon (Dr. Beckman), who also did a visual exam of Tenor and agreed the TPLO surgery was necessary.

By the way, while examining Tenor's x-rays (one set included his hips), Dr. Beckman said that Tenor will never have a problem with his hips -- they look REALLY good. Whew! some good news for a change!

Dr Beckman also spent a good deal of time explaining to us the parts of a dog's knee, how the knee and ACL work in dogs -- including ways that they're similar and ways that they're different from a human's ACL and a human's knee, the options for this type of injury, and what to expect in terms of the surgery and recuperation period.

Health insurance -- whether it's for our pets or for ourselves -- is supposed to be a good thing. Right?

After all, having pet insurance means our pet's medical bills will be covered in case of an emergency. Or are they? Unfortunately (as is the case with human health insurance), most insurance companies are in it to make money, not necessarily to help their clients.

The idea is to pay for health insurance in the event that your pet has a medical emergency and needs to be treated for a high-cost ailment such as cancer, for example.

Just to throw in a little statistics, there are about 6 million dogs diagnosed with cancer in the United States alone each year.

So, is pet insurance a good idea or not? That answer can be problematic for pet owners to find, and really depends on more factors than just whether or not you actually need pet insurance.

Did you know that owning a dog costs about $1000 for the first year alone? Then, it costs about $500 each year after that -- and that's just for the basics!

According to a report I saw on the news this morning (on my local FOX news channel in Nashville), there are a number of ways that you can save money when you own a dog.

Here are a few...

Here's an illustration showing exactly how to apply these products directly onto your dog's back, beneath his thick coat.

Some Tips:

Just be careful not to overdo it...

It's important that you use the correct dosage based on the weight of your pet. And never apply a topical flea & tick preventative to a dog younger than 7 weeks of age.

Also, remember to always wash your hands very well after applying the product to your dog's coat ...or wear rubber or latex gloves when you're applying topical flea and tick treatments on your dog.

Just as important: If you have two or more dogs, don't allow them to "mouth" each others' fur for the next day or so. (Dogs often do this instinctively when they're playing.)

Despite the fact that these are the safest (and most effective) pesticides available for use on pets, you must remember: They are pesticides!

If you have pet-proofed your home, then you have taken very important steps to ensuring the safety of your pet. 

However, if you have not pet-proofed your yard, your dog could still be in danger. 

Here are a handful of things to look for to make sure that your dog stays safe in your own backyard.

My dogs love these homemade dog treats...

After that dog food scare awhile back where some dogs were sickened or even died, Hubby & I made a decision that our dogs would no longer be fed commercial dog food, including their beloved dog biscuit treats.  This way, we’d know exactly what went into the food, and we’d also be able to easily steer clear of cornmeal, which is hard to avoid and seems to aggravate our dog’s allergies.

First stop: the Internet.  We looked at several sites that had dog treat recipes, and we gravitated towards these two:

Bullwinkle Free Dog Treat Recipes -- which has numerous free, printable recipes. 

The Poop Pantry -- they have dog recipes and treats you can cook for your dog.

We began with the Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers (very easy, only 4 ingredients) and Bacon Bits for Dogs (I never met a dog that didn’t like bacon) and Canine Carrot Cookies (my dogs adore carrots).

Then we set out to create our own homemade dog treats. We call our recipe: Peanut Butter Puppers.