TPLO Recovery: What You And Your Dog Can Expect
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.
First, here's how to prepare your home for a post-operative dog.
You'll want to follow that advice and make sure you're ready for him, and you've got things in order around the house.
Because once he gets home, all your attention will be on the dog 24/7.
Ankle Swelling Is Okay
Even though they warned us that the ankle would swell up, they didn't warn us how much the ankle would swell up, and how quickly! It happened almost immediately after we got him home.
It looked like a golf ball sized tumor on the side of his ankle. And you could tell it was loaded with fluid. It was very sad.
But I guess that's why he was on mega doses of antibiotics for so long too. To avoid the chance of infection setting in with all that fluid, in addition to his body getting used to that huge metal plate and 6 screws.
The Bruising Is Atrocious!
They also warned of a lot of bruising -- which I generally think of as black & blue. Not in this case. Tenor's bruising was bright RED... it looked like serious rug burns, if not fire burns. And speaking of burns, it felt really hot to the touch. It was clear there was a lot of fever and draining going on inside that leg. Hence, the heavy dose of antibiotics he was on for several days following the surgery. And the red bruising actually got redder and more noticeable over the next few days. Now, at the 7th day, most of the bruising is gone.
An eCollar, A Cast, Or A Wrap?
I would've thought that a cast or at least a wrap would have been required to "keep things in place" after the surgery, but no. Intead, Tenor was fitted with an e-Collar, post-op, and that's how he greeted us when we picked him up. They said he had to keep the e-Collar on the first 2-5 days he was home. But we immediately took that off of him -- ONLY because we know our dog really well AND we had our eyes glued to him 24/7 during those first few days.
I mean, I even slept (I use that term lightly) on the floor with him to make sure I'd know if he started licking his stitches or sore ankle during those first few nights he was home. (Thank God for those Thermarest sleeping mats that we use when we're camping... came in really handy!) Our dog is one-of-a-kind in terms of doing what we say, and he knows that No means No. (Actually, he knows that "No Lick!" means "No Lick!") Still, it wasn't until his 5th night home that Tenor even thought of trying to lick his leg wounds -- it must've been getting itchy as the hair was starting to grow back. (UPDATE: We used an e-collar for nights 7 through 12 post-op.)
What About The Stairs?
We were worried about Tenor trying to use his sore leg to climb all the steps in our 2-story home, so Dr. Beckman showed us how to use a towel to lift his back-end as Tenor uses his front legs to motor up the stairs. It worked like a charm. By the 3rd day, however, he was moving around well enough to tackle the stairs on his own -- using only 3 legs, rather than 4. It was a cinch for him.
Should We Be Overly Protective Of The Dog's Sore Leg?
Doc says no, not really. They know what their limits are. It's not a problem for a dog to lie down on his sore leg after TPLO surgery. Which is exactly what Tenor did. moments after we got home from the hospital -- even with the knee and ankle swelled to their extremes -- Tenor still would choose to lie down on that side of his body and sleep on that leg, on occasion.
It seemed painful to me, but he would inch down, as if to work through the pain -- and he would slowly lower his body to the ground on top of his bad leg. He seemed fine once he got situated. For the most part, he would usually lay on his left (good) side, keeping his right (sore) side facing out. But after lying around for hours like this, I think his left hip would get sore from having all of his body weight on it so long, and he would have to switch to the other side.
During those times that he was lowering himself down onto his bad leg, all I could think was: "All that fluid that's building up inside that leg -- mostly around the knee and the ankle -- HAS to go somewhere. And each time he bent his knee, a lot of pressure was being put on those stitches. I vividly remembered the time our other dog's stitches came loose and blood was leaking everywhere. But these stitches on Tenor held tight from Day One.
What About Pain Meds?
I asked the doctor about all the negative things I've heard about Rimadyl (and Deramaxx too for that matter, just not to the same degree).
He agreed there are definite downsides to using those meds -- especially long-term. But our dog would only be on Rimadyl for 5 days, so there shouldn't be much to worry about.
Dr. Beckman said the "sign" that something might be going wrong is if the dog won't eat.
No problem there!
What Is A Dog's Appetite Like After Surgery?
Our dog ate like a pig several times a day all through his entire post-op recovery at home. I'm guessing that's because eating was one of the few "fun" things he could do while still lying down and not putting any weight on his leg! Truth be told, we've never seen our dog eat as well as he did those first few days after surgery. (I'm also guessing he didn't eat much those 2 days he was in the hospital after surgery.)
Because I didn't want to take any chances of him not eating (and I wanted to spoil him a bit for going through the surgery), I chose to feed Tenor his all-time favorite "moist" dog food, mixed in with his daily hard food (Nutro dry dog food - Lamb & Rice). But, quite honestly, before I gave him pills, I'd make sure he had a bit of food in him first, and I would just offer him handfuls of the Nutro dry dog food -- he ate it without hesitation. Which, in itself, is very unusual, because Tenor has never been a big eater.
He Hasn't Pooped Yet!
I did get worried there for awhile, because it had been several days, yet he still hadn't pooped. (And I knew he had a TON of food in there!) He was peeing just fine, but he made no effort to poop while he was outside. On the morning of day 3 at home (which is 5 days post-op), he finally pooped. Not much, and it didn't resemble any poop I'd ever seen come out of his body before. It was slightly loose and very black -- tar like. We presumed this was from the heavy doses of meds that had been forced into his body. On the next morning came our reward -- a long healthy solid poop! (If you're a dog owner, you'll appreciate the excitement of such an occasion.) As it turns out, you shouldn't worry if your dog doesn't poop for several days after surgery.
How Much Activity Is OK?
While they say your dog has to be "kept strictly confined to a small area for 8 weeks" (yep!), and he should only be led outside on a very short leash 3 or 4 times a day for "eliminations", Dr. Beckman said it's really only those first 2 weeks that you need to restrict his activity so much. After that, it's just a slow healing process that the dog will adapt to on his own, and he will slowly start to put more weight on his foot as time goes on. He assured us that we could feel comfortable leaving Tenor in the care of someone else (if we had a trip planned or something) after those first 2 weeks. In general, they'd like to see our dog's activity be restricted for up to 8 weeks, but it's only those first 2 weeks that are really important.
Turns out there are 2 different schools of thought with this. Some recommend no activity at all; others recommend slowly introducing activity within 48 hours of surgery, as a form of physical therapy for the dog. We actually took a middle-of-the-road approach with Tenor. After the first 3 days, we stopped trying to keep him off that leg. We figured he knew when it hurt too much and when he should take it easy. However, we didn't let him run -- though he tried a few times (and succeeded) in the backyard a few times.
How Do You Prevent The Dog From Going Stir-Crazy?
After 3 days of being home and cooped up in our bedroom -- other than going out to pee & poop a few times a day (and tackling many flights of stairs each time!) -- Tenor was thrilled to be able to sit outside for longer periods of time.
What we did was laid down a sheet on top of the grass. (I was worried about dirt & infection near the wound.) We called this sheet his "bed" and he was happy to lie down on the sheet for awhile -- just gazing into the sky and enjoying the fresh air. You could tell that he really liked the change of scenery.
One tip: If you decide to let your dog spend some time outdoors after surgery, secure a spot for him in the shade, as I would think too much sun on a fresh wound (and a hairless dog in those spots) could result in sunburn pain.
However, Dr. Beckman has already warned us that there may be times when a sedative might be required to keep Tenor from overdoing it -- too much too soon. I'm guessing this is commonly the case with young whipper-snapper dogs who are very active. Doc gave us a couple of doggie sedatives, but I'm not crazy about using them. Only as a last resort, I guess.
Some Questions I Still Have
I plan to get answers to these at our next follow-up visit with the surgeon, Dr. Beckman.
1. Do I need to worry about him jumping up or down from high places (such as the back of our Jeep, our bed, etc) after he's fully recuperated? (8 weeks or so)
2. Shouldn't I keep a small dosage of Rimadyl or Deramaxx on hand in the event that his leg starts bothering him -- like in the cold, winter months, or after he's been playing hard or running? What about swimming?... the water is often colder than the air.
3. How long until he's allowed to run again? (It's obvious that one month after surgery a dog that's had TPLO surgery is likely to still be limping... I'm guessing this is true for anywhere from 2 to 3 months post-surgery.)
And Now For My Best Advice...
One of the best resources on the Internet regarding this type of surgery is Tucker's story. Many of the links you see in this article refer to Tucker's experiences. Hopefully, Tucker's experiences, combined with Tenor's experiences, will be of assistance to fellow dog owners who are going through the same thing with their dogs.
Here's more about what things were like for Tucker the day of surgery and the night of surgery.
Follow the recovery process of Zeus, a 2-year-old Mastiff who's undergone 3 joint surgeries. (There were a lot of bumps in the road. Poor guy...)
Here is Pocky's TPLO recovery.
Follow Kodi's post-surgery recovery after TPLO surgery.
Check out Nixie's TPLO recovery photos.
UPDATE: 2 WEEKS POST-OP
Two weeks to the day after TPLO surgery, Tenor started putting weight comfortably on his foot. Only when he was walking slowly, and you could see that it was a trial and error period for him, but we were thrilled to see him start using it again! I was beginning to worry about so much weight being put on his other (good) foot -- including one month prior to the surgery, then up to 2 months of recovery... that's a lot of extra weight on a single leg.
UPDATE: 3 WEEKS POST-OP
At 3 weeks post-op, Tenor started running (relatively hard!) on the leg that had TPLO surgery. We put a stop to the running right away, but he didn't seem phased by it -- no pain.
Also at the 3-week point:
- His fur is halfway grown in (half as thick as it should be), so he doesn't look "naked" or "obviously shaved" anymore
- He likes to have the outside of the bad leg rubbed (hard). And, while you can touch the inside of the leg (where the metal pin is) and he doesn't mind it, he is more aware of it. We don't mess with that part of his leg at this point.
- The wound is completely healed. There's fur over the incision. No scabs remaining. No swelling. However his knee does look a little "bulky". (Might just be an illusion since his fur has not grown completely back yet.)
- He still doesn't sit on his hind-end evenly -- meaning, his bad leg remains less 'bent' than his good leg when he's in the seated position. It's as if he leans to the left heavily on his good leg, rather than putting much seated weight on the right side of his body when that bad leg is bent. He'll extend the bad leg all day long, and even put a good deal of weight on it, but he's much more reluctant to bend it in as tightly as his knee should (eventually) bend.
- He thoroughly enjoys laying out in yard with the hot sun beating down on his bad leg for long periods of time. And since the fur has partly grown back, I'm not so afraid of sunburn anymore.
- Ever since the 2-week post-op point, we've been taking Tenor on lots of Jeep rides. He's buckled in to the back of our Jeep Wrangler (with the seat removed), so he has lots of room to walk around back there. Each time after a ride, he's been more inclined to walk on his bad leg without hesitation. I think it's a form of therapy -- because he's forced to lightly use it to balance himself when we're turning, stopping & starting.
UPDATE: 6 WEEKS POST-OP
Tenor has been walking lightly on his TPLO leg for weeks now and he's obviously putting more and more weight on it as the days go by.
- You can't even tell where he was shaved anymore -- though the fur isn't quite as thick as normal yet. I think it's that coarse undercoat that has grown in. It's definitely not like his soft curly fur everywhere else.
- He seems to be doing really well, however, I'm actually a little surpised that he's not walking on it more regularly by now -- seeing as he's healed so quickly and smoothly, compared to most other dogs. Nevertheless, he chooses not to walk on that leg unless he's only going a very short distance (one side of the bedroom to the other).
- There's no tenderness to the touch... at all. Just muscular tightness from not being used at this point. (That's my 100% amateurish guess).
- There is a definite bulge where the plate is on the inside of his knee. And there's a bit more "chunkiness" (not puffy, but solid) to the knee itself, compared to his other knee. Then again, it's hard to tell apples to apples, because there's a lot more fur on the other knee. There is clearly no swelling or pain associated with the leg itself anymore.
- He loves to have his TPLO leg rubbed -- fairly hard -- from high up on the hip... down on the back muscle of the leg itself... and all the way down to the toes. (I'm still leary of getting any too near that plate though.) I remember one of my early "signs" that his leg would probably be okay was when he started stretching out the toes on that leg -- because it felt so good to have that leg rubbed. Now, he frequently stretches out that leg completely on his own -- without incident. And he'll ask for more when you stop rubbing it.
- Tenor will stand on his TPLO leg all day long -- about 50% full pressure, only half of his actual "pad" touching the ground. But it's obvious that he's starting to rest more of the "pad" (rather than just the toe) on the ground as time goes by.
- He definitely won't use that leg if he wants to get somewhere fast though. It's as if he's pre-programmed to run fast in a 3-legged fashion now.
- I've been taking him on Jeep rides since 2 weeks post-op and walking him on the leash (10 minutes tops) since 5 weeks post-op. Every time after a Jeep ride (where he's standing a lot, sitting very little, and lying down some) he seems more balanced and confident on his TPLO leg, immediately following the ride. I guess it's sort of forcing him to use it a bit. However, we don't let him jump in or out of the back of the Jeep -- it's much too high for a dog with only 3 good legs.
- That said, he started jumping back up on the bed (on his own) at about 3 weeks post-op -- and we actually have a relatively high king-sized bed. He jumps back down on his own too -- never putting weight on the TPLO leg in either process.
- He's obviously in no pain these days -- even when he's walked on it a bit, or (gasp) broken out into a full sprint now & then while chasing kids on the other side of the fence. That's a big warning to those of you with a fence... even a tall privacy fence. If your dog is anything like mine, he becomes very curious whenever there's movement on the other side of that fence, and that is the ONLY time he completley forgets about his leg. As mentioned in an update above, we're talking full-out run on all fours. No evidence of pain, but you really shouldn't let your dog do any serious activity like that until the 8 week point., so we stop his running immediately. Yep, 8 weeks is that magic number that we're eagerly looking forward to.
- The only thing I'm nervous about at this point is his other knee requiring TPLO surgery soon. No signs of it or anthing, but the stats, and the fact that he's been SO overusing the good leg for so long now are what worry me. Fingers are crossed that won't ever be necessary.
UPDATE: 7 WEEKS POST-OP
We went back to the surgeon's office for a check-up and x-rays today.
- I was mostly concerned about the "chunkiness" in the knee area that I mentioned above (at weeks 6 post-op). I was afraid that maybe we'd overdone it a bit, letting him walk on it more than he should at this point or something. Doc said the bulging is merely tendonitis. It will likely flare up and go away, then come back several times throughout his life. It's probably mixed with a bit of scar tissue as well at this point. Scar tissue generally shrinks over time. He said as long as there's no obvious pain from all of the leg manipulations he put our dog through today, then it was nothing to worry about. (Tenor showed no signs of pain, although he tyipcally has a very high tolerance to pain.)
- He did say that it was slightly atypical though, as he usually only sees that amount of "chunkiness" in the knee at 2 weeks post-op, then it goes away. Tenor's appears to be a case of tendonitis that has firmly set in.
- Doc said Tenor needs 3 more weeks on restrictions (only leash walks in the yard, and no running), but the x-rays he took today show that Tenor's knee is 90% healed at this point. He said the x-rays look good.
- I mentioned how I was concerned that his leg was making a "clicking" sound often times when he walks. The doctor was able to replicate it twice (it sounds kind of like a rubberband snapping), but he said since he couldn't replicate it with any specific movement of the leg, it was hard to diagnose at this point. I think he said the clicking is typically a tendon, but said not to worry about it just yet.
- Doc also said since Tenor has healed so well and the x-rays look good, there was no need for us to visit the surgeon again for any follow-up visits. He's well on his way to recovery.
- I asked if Tenor would ever be able to jump up in the Jeep on his own again, or if we should try to prevent extra-high jumping on this leg for the rest of his life. He said nope, 3 weeks from today, Tenor can go back to doing whatever he wants to do -- no restrictions including jumping at great heights. (Cool! Though I have to admit, I'll still be quite nervous.)
- Finally, doc said Tenor won't be back to 100% normal until 4 months after his 3-week clearance date to run and play normally. It takes 4 months additional for that leg to get back into shape and rid itself of the muscle atrophy that has set in. However, Tenor doesn't need to be restricted in any way during those 4 months. Good to know!
- Right now, Tenor is sound asleep -- sleeping off the pain. We just returned from this doctor visit, and it appears that the serious amount of manipulation doc put his leg through finally caught up to him... his leg is very sore right now.
We have good news on Cody. After diagnostics at the U of M, the orthopedic determined that he has a badly strained ligament in his HOCK!! Yippy!! 3 quiet weeks on leash and a recheck. I will get him into hydrotherapy when the time is right to get him back so he doesn't re injur it. Thanks for all the help. I was emotionally ready for the TPLO surgery. Thank God!
does anybody have any opinions about ex pens? I like the looks of the breeze pens (the mesh soft sided ones) but I wonder if they can see out of them well enough. I worry that if they can't see what's happening clearly, they will want to jump up? What are all of you using?? Thanks! Colleen
Kassidy, Thanks so much for the support. It is hard to talk to people who are not dog people and have them understand why I have a migraine about my dog!!! Can't wait for out appt at the U of M in 2 days. It will be good to just know what and when! Wow...2 knees. I've been keeping Cody really quiet for the past week. Only out for potty breaks then back in the house. If I keep Montana, the lab exercised, it helps as he wants to play. You are lucky you have enough dogs to play with eachother!! I will keep you posted after Tuesday's appt. Good luck with Belle, I am so sorry you have to to it on the other knee soon. Again, thanks for the support! Colleen
HI Colleen, I know how you feel but I want to tell you not to worry to much. I have 5 dogs! 3 labs (one of every color) 1 shep mix and my pit bull Belle who is 2 weeks post op on her right leg. I was freaking out when I found out she needed the surgery. One the money, two her, and three the living situation with everyone! I would recommend taking your dog off the pain meds immediately. All it is going to do it take away the pain. Which means he is going to think hes better and run and ruin the leg more. Possibly the other one as well. This is what happened to my Belle. She was misdiagnosed at first. I was told it was a sprain and they gave me pain meds. NOT GOOD. She ended up running more and playing harder and tore the other leg as well. I know all this now! The supplements are a good thing though. Belle walked on her operated leg from the day she got home. She is whole new dog. I think the pain of the surgery is better than having a torn ligament. She thinks she is all better cause she now has 3 good legs instead of 2. The other dogs are taking it well. All athletes as well. I keep Belle in a pen in the middle of the living room so she can still interact and see everything that is going on. The only time I have the cone on her is when I go to sleep. Also if I am just watching tv I chain her leash to the coffee table. This way she doesn't always feel like she is in a cage and can still touch and lick the other dogs. She will play laying down not using her legs. The first week I took her out to pee alone only. She felt uncomfortable trying to pee and poop with the other dogs running round. Plus the others are all males. I think she knew if she got knocked over it wouldn't be good. Now I take her out with everyone 4-5 times a day and feed her with them. I play with her laying down. She gets her staples removed on Wed. No more cone for her! This is when she can start going back into her regular crate. Then hopefully I can be told when we can do the other leg. Another 4k in debt I go! Its all so worth it. I know I am leaving alot out but I don't want to just keep blabbing! Please, anyone called me for support, or questions. I might be able to help. Good luck Colleen (805) 341-5115 :)
First for the pragmatic stuff - why should the cost be $4,000 per leg? Are you certain that it's not the total cost for both? Sylvie's single leg cost $1,750 + $300 for water therapy at the LSU Vet School and they are usually very expensive. Second, why would you worry about front legs and overcompensation? There are many dogs with only three legs that lead normal, active lives. Dogs are adaptive, physically and behaviorally so I wouldn't fear for the worst just yet. Also you might ask about going the physical therapy route initially for either one rear leg and both front legs - that's what you would do for yourself - surgery is always the last option, and again, there are people and dogs who can tolerate partially or fully torn anterior or posterior cruciate ligs. or collateral ligs. The knees aren't as stable and there has to be some activity adjustments, but it is possible if the cost seems prohibitive for you, and you would still be helping Belle. I hope whatever you do that you have peace of mind knowing that you're doing what you can for her; she'll love you no matter what you decide.
We have a 1 yr old golden and 2 days ago he was running at the dog park...all of a sudden he was lame. My GP vet suspects a CCL tear. We have an appt with the head of orthopedics at the U of MN in a week. Been reading all your comments and am very bummed. We also have a 3 yr old lab and it will be really hard to keep them both calm as they want to wrestle now! Cody, the golden is on Rimadyl (temporarily for pain) and glucosamine and chondriton now for life. We will feel better after talking to the U of M surgeon...right now I'm just keeping him quiet with short walks on leash. I was told to make him use that leg and not lift it. I have already had our carpenter start making steps for the beds as they have been allowed to sleep with us for part of the mornings. My how life changes quickly. These dogs are such athletes and are very lean. Was looking forward to a fun winter in the 80 acre dog park...any advice would be appreciated! Thanks and this will be a great place for support. Right now I'm obcessed with learning everything there is about a CCL tear.
Hi there
Poppy has had both her legs operated on ,the left back leg was 12 weeks ago and her right leg was 4 weeks ago. When we got her home from having the 2nd op she was walking around on it from the start which we couldn't believe.We was told by out vet that there is a high percentage where the 2nd leg has to be operated anyway because of the dog over compensating for the injured one. We was very worried about the situation but she is making a good recovery and no problems with the front legs at all. i hope the surgery goes ok?
Hello All :) I have a 2 1/2 year old pit bull mix named Belle. She is the most amazing, loyal, beautiful girl ever. I recently found out that she needs a TPLO done on both back legs. It's going to be at least $4,000 a knee. What we do for our babies! I have her scheduled for one knee on Tuesday the 29th. I am going in the 28th to have her fronts checked. I was told by the doctor that if her front legs are going bad from over compensating the bad back legs we are going to have a huge problem. Meaning probably surgery on every leg. There is no way I can do that. That would be 4 years of surgery and recovery for her. When she only gets to live as long as she does. Has anyone else had both back legs done and see a problem in the fronts? She has been using the fronts to overcompensate for a few months now. Only because she was misdiagnosed at first. Even if we do have the one leg done, she will still be using her fronts and her other bad back leg to fully hold up the one we operated on. My boyfriend says I shouldn't put her through 2 years of surgery/painful recovery when there is a huge probability of the fronts going out. It would be a waste of money and all that suffering. Any advice???
Thanks deirdre for your advice. Poppy is visiting the vets tomorrow regarding her tplo surgery on right leg. I hope the surgery goes as well as the first. I have been so worried about the next few weeks but reading these messages reassures you.
Hi Carolyn. What I found was is that Titan limped if I did two 10-15 min walks on cement.
I would walk him around the block for one of the walks, and then drive him to a grassy area at the park and let him walk around there, then we would sit there and he would watch the other dogs.
I wanted to keep him socialized as 3 people had told me that there dog became a bit aggressive after being reintrouduced to the dog parks after tplo.
Hope that helps a bit, but it usually mean that you have done a bit too much. I used to take a watch with me, and time it. If he did limp, then I would cut it back the next walk by 1 minute, or the next day by 1 minute
Our dog Poppy a labrador had TPLO surgery 7 1/2 weeks ago and has been doing really well. she has been going for 2 5/10 minute walks a day. Did you notice if Titan had the odd day where he limped or hopped? Today Poppy is limping and not using leg as well, do you think i have over exercised her? or do you get setbacks like this? Am i expecting too much at the minute. Poppy is also due to has TPLO on other leg very soon
We have just decided to do this for our boxer/pit cross. She is 3yr old, close to 70lb and had a very active lifestyle until last Saturday morning. This seems like an incredibly expensive surgery to us and my husband spent today "shopping around." It was recommended that a Board Certified surgeon do the procedure (which we are comfortable with) and we have found that in N. Nevada and N. California this op runs about $3,600 (median). We were hoping to find something in the realm of the $2,500 odd mentioned in this article. I'm not sure why there are such $$ discrepancies across the country (we do not live in the most affluent area and are not spoiled for choice of surgeons). The place we have chosen does come highly recommended and we have a friend whose elderly lab has accomplished a great deal for many years on his so we really hope we are doing the right thing in the long run... Thanks for the great article.
HI Kas
You sound just like I did, I didnt know whether I was homocidal or suicidal (LOL), its a long haul, but you know what, I like you was so afraid of doing anything wrong, but I did put him on leash and take him for walks around the yard, and even 1/2 way down the block. i did this at 3 weeks. Or I would drive him to a quiet spot and just sit there holding the leash and let him still be around all the noises of the city. I would have a coffee and he would sit at my feet.
The best thing was marrow bones. I would give him a marrow bone, it woudl keep him occupied for at least 1 1/2 hr. Kongs with peanut butter in them. I woudl just put him in the car and drive, I started to climb the walls. Literally, i dont think I can do that again.
Your not alone. Try a few of these suggestions, and if you ever need teh other leg done, be like me and get it done earlier in the year, this hot weather does not help either
Lilly is at a little over 2 months post op and has finished her therapy. The vet says she is 95% healed and that in 3-4 weeks she can start doing heavier exercise and begin playing with other dogs. She thinks she should do that now. We are very happy and are just praying that the other legs stays sound and whole for the rest of her life.
We gave our dog bones and Kongs full of lower fat stuff to chew on. She didn't gain but a few pounds and lost them very quickly once walking 3 times a day. I cannot believe they said NO chewies...I tried to find the LONG lasting ones :-) Good luck!
I am kind of losing it at the moment. My dog is 6 weeks post op and is absolutely driving me NUTS!!! It is soooooo hard to keep him inactive and confined! I would give him some kind of chew or something but they told me not to do that because he might gain weight if I give him treats. UUUUGGGHHHH! Any ideas on how to keep his mind busy so he doesn't go crazy and take me along with him??? They did warn me that this would be the most difficult part....when he feels good but isn't completely healed. Any advice is appreciated.
Titan is 4 months and 2 weeks post tplo, and he still favors the good leg when standing. He walks, runs and plays like a new dog. But when standing he still does not fully weight bear if he is thinking about it. However we were told that this could be habitual as his leg has healed perfectly according to vet.
Titan didnt show real progress with the leg until at around 2 months, so hang in there all, one day it just happens it seems. Its funny I used to sit there and analyze every more, saying to myself maybe today will be the day.
5 weeks after surgery and she is doing great, still need to keep her controlled, and she still favors the leg, but she is getting better and stronger every day. Fantastic recovery!
This is sort of in reference to John's post, but also a question for all of you out there. Bosco is had his TPLO surgery last January and recovered beautifully. You would never know he was ever lame on that leg. My vet said there is a good chance that his other leg could require surgery--but it depends. Well, right after he started fully weight bearing on his 'new' leg, his 'old' leg has been lame ever since! It has been so awful. Anyhow, the vet checked his knee and really didn't say much--if its torn ligaments or what. I am convinced, that his surgery affected the height so much of his leg, that it is now hurting his hips. A 20 min walk cannot happen without him limping the rest of the night.
Im super discouraged--and angry because when I asked my vet about the chance of his hips hurting or other side effects of this, again...not much a response. It is the 'unknown'. So--has anyone else experienced this? Hip issues or anything else?
thx.
hi john,
my dog stanley is part rottie and he had surgery done 5 months ago he had a tough go at it, he is over 100lbs and is nine years, unfortunaly his good leg now has torn ligaments.
we opted not to put him though another operation and the vet agrees he is on long term meds to keep him confortable, and he gets around ok, unfortunatly i heard this before...hope your pup does well he is still young,,connie
I agree with Dierdre who said:
"I have stopped throwing sticks, and balls for Titan, as it is the twisting, turning and breaking suddenly in the stop that sometimes makes the other leg go."
In our case, it's been a year since our dog had his TPLO surgery, and I STILL try to avoid situations that might cause him to stop fast or twist & turn on those back legs. We still play catch, fetch, etc but we've simplified the game a bit with less full-out chase and hard running :-D
Hi There
I have a cane corso that is 4 months one week post op. So far so good, there are no signs of the other leg. I was told there is a 40% chance. I have stopped throwing sticks, and balls for Titan, as it is the twisting, turning and breaking suddenly in the stop that sometimes makes the other leg go. He is up to 40 min unleashed walks. I have also noticed that he doesnt play as much any more.
I think he is being cautious, and only he knows his capability. Otherwise he is great.
I know how freaky this surgery is in the recovery,I was a wreck worrying. Keep giving your dog supplements, the hardest part is keeping them quiet, and having to see them not going for walks
Good luck with your rottie. It will be fine, I cant believe its been 4 months already
Our 20 month old Rottweiler just had the TPLO surgery on Wednesday, Aug. 12th. We pick him up tomorrow from AVS here in Nashville tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 14th. This article is great, and one thing that I worry about and want to ask some of you, has the other "good" leg been okay sometime after the surgery? I would be really disappointed if the other leg has the same problem sometime in the future, but I know that's a possibility, especially in the larger breds. Thanks for your help.
Our 7 y.o Dalmatian Shiraz has TPLO surgery on Tuesday, and I've been documenting how she is going at http://naturallydotty.wordpress.com
I just found this site last night when I was searching for more recovery information, and the article and comments have reassured me so much. Now I know that a lot of the redness on her leg is bruising, and that the swelling is to be expected.
We take off her painkiller patch today, so it will be interesting to see if she behaves any different tomorrow.
On Wednesday she goes back to see a physiotherapist at that clinic.
We're really looking forward to the time when we can watch her running like the wind again at the park. Keeping that picture in mind makes all the work, anxiety and her pain worthwhile
Her operation was done by a wonderful specialist here in Melbourne, Aus.
This might not work for you but we take/took Lilly out at odd times of day like really early in the morning and late at night when we knew there would be fewer run ins with anyone. We also have a large field and yard so we walk her around in large circles to get her time in...we are still surrounded by fun but most of the time it makes a huge difference in the time of day we go out.
Hope you can work it out!
Amanda
Ok...Shiloh is 3 weeks post op tomorrow and he thinks he is back to normal. It is so difficult to keep him NON ACTIVE! When I take him out to potty in the morning, he thinks he can jump at the squirrels like he used to. It is difficult to keep a 130 pound dog contained. Last night on our 1/2 a block walk, we encountered a black lab (off leash) running with bike riders as well as a shit-zu who thought he was ten foot tall and then a little boston terrier...all charging Shiloh and barking like they were going to kill someone. We have a leash law in my neighborhood but obviously people aren't adhering to it. What should I do? Now I am afraid to walk Shiloh for therapy in fear that these little dogs are going to make him digress! He has never acted aggressively to other dogs until he was cornered by two yapping off-leash little dogs! UGH!
HI Kas
I know exactly how you feel. I was so worried. Our dog had 8 stairs to go down to go to the bathroom. As far as concrete, I did it at about 3 1/2 weeks, just 10 mins leashed. Then we went back to the vets at 9 weeks, and he said you can up it to 20 min x 3 x a day. Like I said we are nearing the 14 week mark,and I take him for 1 20 min walk,but its not really a walk (in the morning) its a slow walk,he hates to be leashed. Then in the afternoon I take him to a park,where it is all mulchy and on trails. He is still leashed for the first 10 mins, then I have started to let him off for 20 mins. Then I put him back on. Its so hard to tell whats right. I monitor him, and if his leg seems a bit sore when we get home (so far so good) then I cut back.
The first 3 weeks were so nerve wracking. He trots well on his leg,but he is still not fully weight bearing when standing. I think this is partly habitual. Some dogs get a habit of this, so I was told. Are you giving your dog any supplements?
I give Titan 3 omega 3 fish oil capsules, and I use a product called Synflex (liquid) in his food. He was only on pain killers for a week.
Are you doing rehab down the line? I didnt cause my dog does not like the water past his ankles, hes a big big chicken. Make sure you dont have any areas of your floor when he could slip and fall. I went to walmart and got all these ugly ugly non skid mats, sure the house looks like a dump, but its worth it.
I iced and heated his leg (tried to) but he didnt like the ice. Hes a real stubborn dog. Just relax and massage the leg, and it will slowly come. I know exactly how you feel,I was a wreck, i was so scared of doing anything that would set him back.
I hope this helps a bit. Just remember every dog is different. I dont know what type of vehicle you have,but we have a pathfinder, and we had to find a set of stairs that our dog would use. He would not use the normal ones, or a ramp. I went on line and ordered a pet loader. You can check this out at www.petloader.com best darn thing I ever bought. Do not let the dog jump or twist.
Keep us posted, and try and relax. Taking time off work is great, I did that also, for 3 weeks.
Thanks Tara for your comments!
She is a licker, she always has been but she's been pretty good. My husband sleeps (I use that term lightly) with her at night because is was going to lick thats when she'd do it.
She's not crated, We have her in a big exercise pen Today is Day 5 after surgery and she seems to be doing well. She's not wimpering anymore, she acually hasnt since day 2. I can notice her putting a little more weight on her leg today.
its going to be a long process but as long as she can be as comfortable as possible i'll be happy. I'm wondering if i'll survive it tho ! lol....
Thanks for responding Deirdre! I felt relieved reading your post because I moved my mattress to the floor before I read that! I think my dog just wants to be close to me. I am also relieved to hear that I am not the only one worried about how much activity is ok. I am off work for 3 weeks so I should be able to monitor my dog constantly. I painted the living room tonight and he just sat there and watched. That is not his normal activity. When did you start walks on concrete? So far I have only walked my dog in the grass in the front and backyard. The information I have read says to start walks after 2 weeks increasing the distance as the dog tolerates. That means I should start walking him again this Thursday. However I would have to walk him in on concrete through the neighborhood. I am so nervous that I will do something wrong that will make his healing worse on him. Advice is much appreciated!
Kim - I was lucky with my Katie's first surgery she didn't lick. I had to go back to work on day 4 following surgery. Her second surgery I wasn't so lucky, for the same reason as you the cone collar just didn't work. I went to Petsmart and bought a blow up collar that isn't quite as uncomfortable. I wouldn's say she liked it but she didn't fight it like she did the cone. There are also some "soft" cone collars on line you can try. You may be lucky and she is one of those dogs that won't lick. Good luck...
Roxy my 4.5 year old Rotti had TPLO surgery last Thursday July 16. we brought her home on the Friday afternoon. Getting her in to the back of my Jeep was the first mission then trying to keep her steady on the way home.
Once home I put her in her excercise pen that has lots of comfy blankets and toys and her water and food. The first day she was wimpering lots and it broke my heart.
Today is now day Day 4 Post OP. She is recoverin fairly well to my knowledge anyways. She is toe touching and putting a little weight on her leg when we go out for a potty break. Other then her poppy breaks she's just been in her excercise pen. She's so use to just being free so it makes me feel bad to keep her locked up all the time.
We actually go in her pen and lay with her and pet her and loves that !! My husband actually has slept in her pen since day 1 because she will NOT wear the cone around her neck. she's like a wild horse with it on and I think it will cause her more injury by the way she tries to bounce aroudn with it on. We've been watching her pretty much 24/7 since she's got home. I go back to work on thursday which will be 1 full weeks since her surgery, we'll have to figure something out though so she doesnt lick or chew at her leg.
This site is great ! sad to see so many dogs go through it but nice to have all the advice.
Hi kas
Glad to hear your dog is doing well. We never crated our dog. What I did was put the mattress on the living room floor, (Yuck), and I lay around quite a bit with him, during the crucial 2-3 weeks at the beginning. I know quite a few people who never crated their dog. We had stairs that he had to go down to do his business,and we just used a sling to hold him up. Our vet said that there is no need to crate, that was how they thought a long time ago. But you do know your dog..I have a lazy breed anyways (he is an Italian mastiff)
If I crated my dog, he would become so depressed, and you want to encourage some weight bearing so if he walks a bit on his leg that is a good thing. Its difficult and scary at first. I dont know how many heart attacks I have survived (LOL)
Hope this helps a bit
I have been reading all of your stories and they are so helpful. My 130 GSD is 9 days post-op and I am so worried if I am doing things correctly. My main concern is the weight on his leg and I am feeling very guilty crating him for such long periods of time when he is accustomed to using the doggy door all the time. Thank you for all of your stories. I am so afraid of hurting his knee.
Wow, my dog amazes me. The first day home was rough, she was just miserable. Day two she is a different dog, alert, not eating her food but will eat treats (healthy treats). By the end of today she was putting the paw down while walking. She even wanted to go upstairs for the night but we of course aren't allowing that. She seems to be bouncing back very quickly!
Deidre our vet said no more confinement but to still leash walk her to build back up her muscles. She can trot on leash, do figure 8s but no sharp turning right now. We are going to do the other xray in about 4 weeks to make sure 100% healing plus we are seeing a PT once a week until then to get her built back up. He said she shouldn't fun full out off leash just yet...but again you are 7 weeks past us. He also said there still may be lameness or hobbling at times if she over does it and to just watch her and don't get scared. Good luck with your pup!
Oh and yes we did sedate her for xrays...she does just fine on sedation and loves her vets office so it isn't a problem for her.
HI Amanda
Glad to hear that all is going well. We are now almost 14 weeks post op. Did you vet sedate your dog to do the x-rays? Our vet will not x=-ray so we are on our own so to speak, he has done a recheck without an x-ray. You said your dog is now off restrictions, what does that mean exactly. Offleash or on. I did my first off leash today,and so far so good. Just kind of foggy on when it is ok to be off leash
Thanks
Hey everyone well we have made it to week 7 of recovery from TPLO surgery and Lilly our 60lb black lab is doing very well. We had her first set of x-rays today and the doctor called and said her bone is 85-90% healed and that we can have another x-ray in 4 weeks if we choose to in order to make sure it is 100%. We are so happy. She is now allowed on the couch again which just made her day. He also said that it will take 6-10 months for the bone and leg to re-model but that she is off restrictions just no major exercise. Now of course we worry about the other leg but have decided if it happens we can handle it. This has been the most helpful website and I have passed it along to many folks! Will keep in touch and updated on all the pups here needing happy and healing thoughts!!!
Amanda
My 9 year old Siberian Husky just got out of surgery an hour ago, she comes home tomorrow. thanks so much for your article, it answered a lot of my questions. Can't wait to see my girl and for her to recover fully!
My Bernese is now 3 1/2 weeks post op on her 2nd TPLO surgery. We are doing a lot of rehab work including walking in water on a treadmill-something I would have bet nearly anything that she would never do! Massage and range of motion exercise is of the utmost importance too! Keep your spirits up - dogs heal incredibly well and once the first week or 2 is past, you'll see improvement every day.
Thank you so much for writing this article. Our 5-yr old lab mix just came home from knee surgery today. -We've been home for 3 hours and he's whimpering...it's killing us to hear him in pain, but we know the hardest part is getting through the first 48 hours. Seriously, thank you so much for sharing your story!
Bruno is a hound/shepard mix. He had the surgery 4 weeks ago at Animal Trustees of Austin. The doctor was great and the leg never showed any sign of being swollen or retaining fluid. I was a bit concerned at where the opening was though. It looked like the incision was going to open & had some minor fluid-like blood the first week. Whatever the doctor used though held the opening shut (super glue?).
Bruno hated the collar so I took it off. He soon understood that he wasn't supposed to lick his wound. I had/have him in a big dog cage where I took the top off. I had to remove the top of the cage because I got in there to hoist up his butt with a towel and have my daughter maneuver him out the front of the cage "slowly" on a leash. This worked out well.
Thankfully, a few days later, my 90lb Bruno started to walk and squat by himself. My back was very thankful!
This week I started letting him in the living room for a bit each night. I am sticking to what the doctor said about staying confined though (although he is pretty pathetic at this point). At $1200 a pop (was quoted up to $3700), I don't want him to relapse! Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories.HI Samantha.
My dog is 13 weeks post op, and I thought he was healing very slowly, but during that past 1 1/2 weeks, there has been a huge improvement. I did not use metacam as my dog had seizures on it when we used it. I give my dog lots of fish oil, omega 3's. He get 3 capsules a day, plus a liquid glucosamine called Synflex. Our vet did not send us home with any pain killers other than 3 little pills, as he says this gives a dog the false impression that the leg is ok.
Some dogs seem to take forever to heal, just be patient. Our dog, like yours was off and on for about a year, he is 2 1/2 years old and is an italian mastiff. Just be sure to reduce his food while he is inactive as extra weight will not aid in his recovery. Keep us posted. I think you did the right thing, it will all come together.
My 4 and a half great dane is just coming up to 7 weeks after his TPLO surgery.He has been given 2 plates in the joint . He has been having proplems with left leg since he was a year and a half but we were getting by with anti- inflammatries twice a year but he was lifting he leg more frequently and finding it harder to get up from lying down .We also noticed when he sat down that he always left out the left leg which the vet later told us was a sign of pain.
Intially our vet told us when he had the problem that because it only affected him twice a year it there was no need for surgery but as the leg problem became more frequent and for longer periods i.e 3 weeks at a time it was time to something and I did not want him getting surgery when he was much older as the average age of danes is 8 years.To make long story short he is doing well but I have been using metacam for the last two weeks as when he is off it for any length he seems to show signs of pain but he has weight on leg and is in good form overall.I hope it was the right decision as I did have my doubts at times and it was more than once it got me down but I dont want to have regret later that I did nothing about it later on when he is to old and not able for operation and would not recovery as well.
You have got to be kidding. I would report him, the first vet. Poor dog, and poor you. This is terrible. What type of surgery was done in the first two surgeries. I am thinking it was the X-cap. If thats the case the vet should know this type of surgery for a dog over 80lbs is not recommended. Wow, I am in shock over this. Let us know how your dog is doing please
Aberdeen will have his 8 week follow up. Our vet told us that for this x-ray he does not need to be put out or anything.. I know some of you have been concerned on putting your dog out again so soon after surgery. But they do a standing quick knee x-ray ( incl. in the original price) He said there is no reason to put him under anesthesia again... I think this vet has been great if any one is in the Atlanta, GA area. I recommend him highly. BUT, Abe does have cabin fever like crazy and pulled me into the bushes yesterday (he is about 90lbs) because he saw a squirrel.. So, like the vet said, although he looks well, puts almost all his weight down , still keep him confined until you see that x-ray.. I will keep you all posted... Finding a good Vet is the key.. I am sorry for the x-tra surgery your dog has to endure.. lots of love and hugs
I have a 5 yr old Golden, who is going in for his 3rd surgery on his knee tomorrow. the first 2 surgeries were done by a local vet who did not know what he was doing...in fact he said he said, "I am gonna operate again, I will get this right" NOT at my dogs expense he is not....I took him to an orthopedic surgeon and he is going to redo the work the first vet did....I am agonizing over putting Wrig throug this again....he has had two surgery since April with restricted activity...has anyone ever heard of anthing like this?
I am sorry you are going through this. I am new to this website and everyones input has been helpful. I know you mentioned giving Stanley glucosamine. Have you ever given him GLyofolex. People swear by it. It is natural and you can purchase it from JB PET. It has 1000 mg of gluc and msm. it also has chondrotin. it helped my mother in laws dog with inflammation and arthritis. she only had one leg and ran around like she still had both her legs.
Oh Connie, Poor Stanley. Wow, I feel for you. How rough that must have been. You are so wonderful for putting your life on hold for Stanley i.e. parking R.V. Mind you, I would do the same, and have done. We have cancelled our holidays twice, as we too have an R.V. It's not the same if our furry friends cannot enjoy the holiday as well.
Your a good mom. We just love these guys so much, they bring us so much joy and unconditional love. My Titan used to do that shaking the last time we went to the previous vet. He would tremble like a leaf. We changed vets, and now he doesnt mind, even going back to where he had his surgery, he doesnt mind.
Your an inspiration to all dog owners, and Stanley is so lucky to have you.
hi deirdre,
wow poor titan as well,
i hope he is healing good let know when he has his xrays, stanley is also a big boy 110lbs its so hard with a big dog...during stanleys operation his fibula bone was broke,,so another wammy..he had a pin removed bout a month after, vet done xrays sooner than normal because of everything, i think it was just to much for him the vet all the time, now he wont even go near the car or want his leash on for fear of going, i also started rehab awhile back.. made it twice and it was to much for him he shook uncontrollably so that was out two. stanley is 9 years old so i think we are gona just keep him happy, we even have decided to park our rv for the year since that is outa the question for him as well..being that said he still has his big area in the living room with all his pillows and blakets still from when he was recovering, its his safe spot and we are leaving it as well as out side he has a comforters and pillows and all his boo boo bears. we hope stanley will have some good years left...he deserves them...
i cant stress enough becarefull with them, as not to get reinjured for stan it just happened to be bad luck, so my prayers out to all dealing with this...i hope all is well.
stanley and connie
xoxoxo
Hi Connie
I am so so sorry for Stanley and you. That must be a terrible blow. Poor Stanley. You said he was traumatized, I am assuming you mean by going through the whole thing. My dog as you know is very slow healing as well. he was severely traumatized as well. While awaiting surgery,the vet had (a long time ago) converted a big shower stall to a kennel for large breed dogs. While he was sitting there waiting for surgery he stood up on his hind legs, and pulled the shower head off the wall and in turn ate a two inch piece of the shower head. When the surgeon called he said the surgery went text book,however Titan had a 2 inch piece of metal in his stomach, and if he didnt pass it within 5 days, would have to have an additional surgery to remove it. Luckily he passed it on the 5th day. So I know what you mean by traumatized.
We are going to have x-rays done in 3 weeks.
Please give Stanley a big hug, and all the best to you
stanley is just bout 4 months post op, we have decided that he was very tramuatized and still is we have the vet visit our home. last xray was 2 months ago and that was hard on him as well. his knee has healed very slowly and know we found out the other knee most probaly has a torn cruciate as well...as it is very lost and he walks not well...we have decided agaist the 2nd surgery...the first one was very hard on him not putting him through a anther, our vet agrees he is now on one half rimmael a day and glucosime his activates are limited and his is confortable just walking around his big back yard, from now on the vet does only house visits as to not further scare him he gets his vacciations at home and nails clipped, i hope all goes well for others, for our stanley is comfortable and happy not going back to the vet, i really believe he tore his other good leg due to the first surgery because he did not use it for a long time... i know we are making the right desion, would we have done it again..simple no..
good luck to all huggss and kisses, stanleys mom
we are hearing the same popping noises. I thought I did something to it while I was doing his pt exercises. did it go away?? what did your surgeon say?
HI Deirdre,
I would insist on the 8 week x-ray. I find it odd that he is not doing that. if he is nice vet, he will listen to you and do it to put your mind at ease.
My dog's knee is popping and clicking also. my surgeon said it is common. I will let you know when it starts to subside. it has been two and half weeks since he had his surgery.
Hi HEidi,
My boxer just had tta surgery-which is another procedure- recovery is similar to tplo. your dog's incision probably healed well, FYI ben gay and vicks rub helps with licking and it not harmful.
anyone on this site experience a lot of popping and clicking. I hear it a lot more after he gets up from resting, but I hear it more often now and he is almost at the 3 week point. his surgeon said it was common, but it is bothering me. thanks for your responses.
Hi Kris - I know what you're going through. My 5 year old lab mix had his first TPLO in December of '08 and his second in March of '09! It has been a long road since his first one wasn't healed before the 2nd one went, but every day he seems to get better. Having said that, the 2nd one is taking a lot longer to heal. It's been 13 weeks since his second one, and he's still limpy on his most recent tplo knee, and we're only up to 20 minute walks. I am sorry you're pup needs a second one. I was heartbroken too about my pup, but I think that our pups are more resilient than we are!
Hi people,
my dog, 3 years old black lab. is 3 months after an TPLO op. She gets more-less well, she can stay and run properly without pain, but I see her problems with sitting and laying down, flexion problems. She allways gives her leg ,,out-to the side,, and not under her body. Also I hear clicking in her knee. The x-rays were ok. Has somebody the same problem? Some advices? Really thanks 4 ur answers.
Deirdre - you really need to get the surgeon to do an x-ray. My dog has had TPLO surgeries since January 22nd. The second was 13 weeks ago. Her 6 week x-rays showed she was not 100% healed and which told my surgeon she needed more time before removing her from restrictions and did another set of x-rays at 10 weeks to verify it was 100% before lifting the restrictions. I still don't thinks she is 100% back to normal so I am still extra careful not letting her on stairs yet.
Hello Everybody
Just wondering what is the general rule of thumb when you can let your dog off leash after TPLO. Its been 11 weeks today. I have heard all sorts of different times. I am just looking for a guideline here.
Thanks for your responses in advance
Hi Mary
I am glad your beagle is doing well. I am so unsure of what to expect. I know when we go out for the first time off leash, I am going to be a nervous wreck when he sees a squirrel, or starts to play. I know someone whose dog is 9 months post op, and goes on 5-7 hour hikes, but at the end of the hike his dog is limping. I said, mine would be limping without having the tplo, that is a long hike.
I think sometimes we are looking too hard. I am a firm believer that the dogs will lead a normal life after this surgery, however like anything else, when it is rebuilt it never is as good as new.
I am at a loss. I am not at 6 months yet. When I get there I will be like you are I am sure, wondering what is normal and what is not
Good luck with your doggie. Beagles are so sweet arent they?
My dog Buddy is almost 6 months out of surgery and seems to be doing well. He is a beagle and jumps and goes crazy when he sees small critters. Naturally every walk since we were allowed to go back on an exercise routine has been plagued by critters.
To this day his leg seems to get tired and his toes will drag a bit if I walk him more than 30 minutes. My questions to all out there is: Is this normal for a dog as far out of surgery as he is? I am worried that his antics at the sight of small critters has cost him some stability in his leg. The problem is slight and I don't want to go running to the vet unless I have to. Buddy is absolutley terrified of the place by now.
Hi Connie
Wow, I am so sorry to hear about your dog. It is a long haul isin't it. I hear stories like yours and mine, and I wonder if it was all worth it. Then I hear other stories and alot of these dogs are walking like brand new by new. I guess each dog is different. I dont mind how long it takes if I could just be certain he is pain free and will lead a normal life. Thank you for sharing about your dog, and I will keep you posted and you do the same. I am going to order x-rays on Monday. Thank you all for this great forum
dedrie my dog stanley had his
surgery done feb5th and is very slow going maybe to slow, we have had a ruff go at it(see other post)my vet did not wait the 2 months because he felt he should be futher along plus he had a pin that might need to be removed(his fibula broke during operation) so at4 weeks we had him xrayed it showed some healing but not much he was at 20% where he should have been around 80%..stanley is a big boy to over 100lbs and low key as well but has bad anizty problems now. had him to rehab but only twice he hated it to scared the vet said there.. that he only uses his leg to balance on not bear weight on it. so to date he walks on it now and we do leg streches at homeits been 5 months and we are npt going to put him though any more...he has to take it easy its been a touhg road, but i suggest gettin your doggie xrays just to be sure, it hard i know, but take it one day at a time...i still have to, i hope all goes well
please keep updated
thanks
connie
Hi Amanda
This vet has done over 500 of these surgeries without ever doing a 8 week check up xray. he is the sweetest most caring and skilled man. but I think I am just going to at least get another vet to do an xray on him, as I just want my mind eased. I will continue to go to this vet. He has been in business since 1972, and every vets office that does not do orthopedic surgery recommends everyone go to him, so I know he knows what he is doing. I think it would be fine if everything was on schedule, but Like i said before, I am just a litte worried regarding thelength of time this is taking.
Thanks for your adivce, much appreciated
You have gone through so much I would for sure go ahead and have another vet do the x-rays and I probably would change vets at this point. It sounds like your vet doesn't have you or your dogs best interest in mind. Good Luck and I hope you can find a vet with ease and with a good helpful heart as this is a scary matter.
HI Heidi
thanks for the reply. I would feel much better if he had xrays, but our vet flatly refuses, so I dont know what to do. Someone else said that some days are better than other regarding the amount of weight bearing and walking. The vet felt his leg and watched him walk and said he is doing well, just a little slower than others. He is 140 lbs, not over weight at all. We did reduce his food by 20%, and he went down to 133. He is not getting rehab as again, the vet said just a money maker. He has done 100's of these surgeries and all without complications. Maybe I should get another vet to do the xrays?
Sorry to hear about your pub.. I would definetly insist on having an x-ray. The eight weeks is crucial to find out if the bone is repairing itself properly, if the screws are were they supposed to be... Would you not rather do it now, and maybe discover that something is going on in his joints? Then later, when things could get worse? My vet said it is imperative to take the 8 week xray to gauge progress and to catch anything if it is not healing right. Yes, he has to be anaestetist, but with my vet, it is so quick and short (maybe 10 min) it is well worth it.. I would do it.. Something truly may be going on.. Your vet should know better..
Hi Everyone
My dog Titan has had TPLO April 4 of this year (2009). I am a little concerned as he will not weight bear when standing. He leans to one side. I have been walking him for 2 20 mins walks a day. We slept on a mattress on the floor with him for 2 months (that totally sucked for us) He liked it. Now he is back on our bed. I am so worried that he is taking so long. We are at 10 weeks post op, and from what I have heard, he should be fully weight bearing by now. Anyone else have this experience. Should I just be patient? He is an Italian Mastiff, low key dog except when he sees a squirrel. He had his 8 week post op check up, but our vet does not do x-rays. He said its not good to put the dog through sedation and anxiety again. Any advice would be most helpful
Thank you
Our Abe had his sutures removed. He is 3 weeks post op. His incisions has healed great. He now put alot of weight on his leg and wants to jump up and pulls on his pee pee walk quite heavy. Vet reminded us that although his fur is growing back and his wound is almost undetectable, it can be misleading to think he is doing better than he is... So, keep that in mind,and still keep them confined is what I am told. We have eased up on the confinment and he is able to walk about more in the living room. But I am talking to heart that til his 8 week x-ray he needs to be restraint. He has become a bit unruly and does not listen to our commands as well. Vet states that may be normal because all his routines and rules have changed. Anyone else has that experience. What are you doing with your dog for a playtime? Any suggestions... he seems to want to throw his toys around etc. Any input on how to get rid of some of this energy is appreciated.
Lynnette - I can't thank you enough for what you shared. I take Bouncer in for TPLO this week and it's immensely helpful to know these details, and to have the experiences of all the other Commenters.
I'm going to put a picture up of my flying-leap-to-get-a-Frisbee Bouncer to remind me of the end goal when things get grim.
Best to you all and to the canines who love us no matter what,
Donna
My dog, Porky, is 4-1/2 yrs young & had TPLO surgery on his right leg last March ('08) - his recovery went very well & I love the doctor @ Red Bank Veterinary Clinic. This past weekend he was chasing a cat in the yard, I heard a yelp & low & behold, after another visit to RBVC, dr. said he totally tore the ACL in his left leg & needs surgery. I'm heartbroken for him & very worried about having this surgery on both legs. I appreciate all your comments as it has helped ease my mind but surgery is & can never be taken lightly. Please pray that he has a smooth recovery & heals well. Thank you!
We just took our Lab Boozer home who had bilateral TPLO 13 days ago. He is doing great!! Last night was very nerve racking being our first night, but the stiches are out, no more meds, so the hardest part is over. Since he had both legs done at the same time, he is walking on both legs like normal. We only let him go outside to potty, and that is it. He goes to PT every other day, and they really work him out in the water treadmill. I cant wait until he his fully recovered in time for dove season!! Anyone else had the bilateral TPLO?? Please send me an email to: cscott@dirtdealers.com. I would love to hear yoru story.
This article and website is a godsend. Our German Shepherd had TPLO surgery almost 2 weeks ago, and I noticed a fluid-filled lump in her ankle tonight that worried me greatly!
Reading Tenor's story, and seeing that I'm not alone in these symptoms, really has helped. Thank you! Thank you! Tina
Thanks for this great and very informative article. I just found out my dog has a torn ACL and I had no idea what to expect as far as the surgery goes and the recovery period. I see now she will require a lot of attention and TLC. The pics are great too as it helps to give me an idea of what she might look like after the surgery. Glad to hear Tenor is doing well. Has anyone taken their dog to the Texas A&M Vet Teaching Hospital for surgery? It was recommended to be my a co-worker of my sisters that shows dogs. Thanks!
Thanks you so much for everyone's comments. Aberdeen is now 9 days post op and is doing well. Although I believe we did not have any other choice about his surgery, reading everyones comments I wonder if he will ever be back to the way he used to be. Hiking mountains , long walks etc. Anyone's dog has a six month and plus report? How are they doing? Although Abe is getting cabin fever and wants to play and go outside, I am listening to everyone and just keep him on a short leash and confined.. It just seems that his spirit is suffering since he just can not be as active anymore... Will it change?
huggs and prayers to all those doggies that had thier surgery...and kisses,
please be oh so careful even months after surgery, stanleys just into i believe 4 months
he tripped the other day and vet had to come over he could not get up.he thought he injured his spine... for 4 days back to helping him get up and walk carrying his hind end...i prayed and cryed for him..they vet firgured he would not walk again...but put him on presidone for 5 days if after the 5 days if it did not work he said it was time...omg!!! so with all the love i had,,, i was outside,, stanley had one pill night before...i was in shock when stanley walked out the door..not the greastest but he got up by himself and walked to me...im soooo happy to say he is getting better..the vet is still in shock...i believe that with love and prayer now that miracles do happen
so i pray for all your pups out there as well.
keep them safe
hello everyone. Nellie is into her 10th. week post op. Just wanted to give an update....all is going well. her activity is still restricted, not as severe but still severe!! I worry about our pool, she and her sister love to swim and have been known to even jump the fence to get into the water! A higher fence if needed along with a stern No-No should work as we have totally changed how we play and walk etc for 10 weeks now. They have become accustomed to the "calmer" play.
I heard Nellie's leg click for about two weeks and it began about 5 days after her surgery. I was very aware of it and noticed when it disapeared and hasn't been back. I have to be honest, I think it has been harder "training" other family members to not get the girls so excited and to not allow running and my two's favorite: Spinning! I think they sometime's forget that we are in this healing process for the long haul and need to remind them that Nellie needs to stay calm. By this I mean, even giving her a biscuit or going outside...don't make a big deal out of it anymore, just open the door slowly and let's go! Not, "Wanna play, where's your baby?, or there's a cat outside" all which would in the past entice the spinning and lunacy. Overall, Nellie is doing well and I think happy that just as we found her when she needed us most, we helped her with her boo-boo leg and will always take care of her as best we can.
best wishes all.
Lilly our black lab had TPLO on May 29th and is on day 8 of recovery. Yesterday morning on our way in my thumb hit her stitches and she started to gush liquid. We took her to the emergency vet and they have her on antibiotics and did a culture to ensure that there is not a more harmful bacterial infection - the doc said better to be safe than sorry. SO I AM FREAKING OUT! I am praying that it is not an infection simply discharge that needs to come out. Please think about our baby! You all have made this easier for me being able to chat with people who know what I am feeling. Thanks.
Hi Marcie, I'm sure every case is different, but we heard that familiar clicking in our dog's leg after surgery too. We asked the surgeon about it, and he was able to replicate the sound just once at Tenor's post-surgery visit. He said it shouldn't really be clicking, but he didn't think it was anything to worry about. To this day (nearly a year later), his leg still clicks -- but we're actually not sure if it's his "healed" leg, or his other leg at this point.
Hi! My 8-year old boxer mix, Gia, just had TTA surgery May 28th, 5 days ago. She is doing very well, in fact, too well. She wants to be up on it and walking around all the time! She puts weight on it when walking slowly, but still picks it up when she wants to get somewhere faster. The swelling and redness have gone away totally. The only thing I am concerned with at this point is that I still hear a faint clicking in her joint whenever she sits or stands up from a sitting position, and sometimes when she is walking. Is this a major concern? Does this mean that it is not healing properly???
Thanks!
Heidi - My Katie didn't lick at all after her first surgery but did after her second. Like you I couldn't keep the e-collar on her. I ended up buying a more expensive blow up collar from petsmart that didn't block her vision. She hated but did lay down with it on and could walk with it on. For her bruising and swelling the best thing was warm compresses 5 minutes a few times a day and massage... Good luck...
3 days post op.. all healing rather well.. I have been using a Arnica Gel for his bruising and Traumeel liquid internally 10 drops / 3 a day. Also some Calendula and Lavender Oil mixed in some Scar Oil.. right next to the sutures and all over the outside of his leg to massage it in. . I believe it has made a big difference. He is not taking any pain Killers anymore..
Our dog just had his surgery and all is going fairly well. His sutures are holding and he is getting restless wanting to lick them.. I will not keep the colar on.. no way.. It just makes him only more unstable because his peripheral vision is reduced and he actually almost fell over.. So, any suggestions what else to do to keep him away from licking? I know you are not supposed to cover it up? But anyone used just a loose shirt sleeve during the night that can be slipped over the leg loosely and tightened on top and buttom.. Still air room,but he just will not be able to lick it? Any suggestions? Is covering up during the night only really bad? thanks for the help
Craig - Actually once he gets past the "quarantine" stage, you'll just have to keep him on a leash. I'd be very surprised if he wanted to do much since he had a bi-lateral procedure. Good luck.
My black lab just had both legs done on 5/27/2009. He had to get both done at once, and i am nervous as hell. the surgery went great, and the good thing is they are keeping him for two weeks to rehab the knees. From everything i have read, the first two weeks are the hardest, so i am really glad they are keeping him. He is 110 pounds and strong as a bull. I hope everything goes well without any complications. I am very nervous about taking him home!! Has anyone on this site had both legs done at the same time???
My dog has this surgery tomorrow 5/26/09 and I have been so worried not knowing what to expect. Thank you for taking this time and the photos.. I feel better having read and seen some of your fotos. Thanks again you really put me more at ease.
Lynnette, I can't thank you enough for this article. Our dog Blackie had ACL surgery and your site has helped me so much as to what to expect. More so than the vet had told us! THanks so much!!!
Tara
Hello Connie. I am praying and hoping for the best outcome for your guy Stanley.
Patty
Nellie Update. hello all. Thank you for helping us get thru this. Nellie is recouperating. We keep her confined and still. The Dr upgraded her to 5 minute leash walks rather than the leash..out the door...do your business Nellie....right back in the house scene! She stopped her pain medications on April 12th. They are only on an as needed basis. I have accustomed myself and so has Nellie's doggie sister to this new way of life ( no running, nor spinning) and there is not a ball or baby( toy) to be found around here except, they each have there special one they get to keep as they sleep with them.... always a Mom! It truly is a long process. If I take out those horrible, emotional first few days post surgery, I realize that we truly did prepare well for this. By getting our house ready and speaking via phone to actual patients of our surgeon, we made the right choice for us.
Carol...the first few days are an emotional roller-coaster...aren't they? I know about the stress with walking, yes, just keep telling yourself it will get better, it does. Keep with Dr's orders and severely limit activity. It is so hard on our other dog too yet, she still has her playmate and silly me actually thinks she understands what her Sis is going thru. Thanks all for your kind words. Best wishes to all and I'll keep updating. Patty
Jeannie,
You're welcome. I'm only relaying truth and sensibility. After 22 orthopedic surgeries myself, I kinda know what to do. Give Mulligan a pat for me.
stanley had his second set of xrays this am...he is now at 2 month and 1 week post op
he is still very slow at healing limps quite a bit and will not stand on his leg still.
we will be getting him into rehab soon.
i wish things were better but his tibula is healing and still slow at cartlage area slow,
i will not have this done again
Stuart,
I can't begin to tell you how much it helped to read your messages. It's been a week since surgery and all is going well. We are having the staples removed this Wednesday, no infection. Mulligan spirit goes from happy to lethargic so it is really hard to gauge how he is feeling.
Jeannie,
I'm so glad to read that Mulligan is doing well and that you're more confident about your decision to have the procedure done. Your good cheer, as indicated in your second message, will also benefit Mulligan. Once he gets the okay to become more active you'll think it wasn't so long after all.
Stuart,
Thank you for the encouragement. Mulligan got home yesterday afternoon was in much better condition then I had expected. Maybe too good, it is hard to keep him down. I am not sure who's going to gain more weight me or Mulligan. Just to keep him inactive I have to be inactive, sit on the bed (which we took down and put just the matteras on the floor)or floor..just bascially hang out with him. You're right about the internet it is packed full of good and informative information but on the other hand it can sure scare the heck out of you! Again, thank you for your input and support.
Jeannie
Jeannie:
It is perfectly normal for most of us to be terribly upset about our dogs going through this procedure. It is certainly not pleasant for us or them but it does get better! You will still be upset when he gets home and is groggy, in pain and can't move around too much and you have to watch every little movement, and try and get him to eat, and go to the bathroom. I wasn't sure if I would make it - but I did, and so did Alice. She is four months post-op now, and almost fully recovered. She had to have the surgery, there really was no option other than to have her hop on three legs for the rest of her life and cause more wear to the other back leg.
Sometimes I think we suffer more than our babies!
No, no, no, you have done the right thing. If you believe everything you read on the Internet you'd hide in your house and never come out. TPLO surgery is the most proven and effective means of repairing a dog's ACL/PCL tear, just like surgery for people is the best method to treat a torn ACL/PCL. Even though the surgeries are not the same, these surgical interventions correct a problem that won't just go away on its own. Think of it this way, if you have tooth pulled and it keeps hurting for six months, you're going to complain and assume that the oral surgeon or dentist did a bad job. But if you have a good outcome and the area from where the tooth was pulled is totally pain-free, would you still complain? No, no one would hear anything about it. How many people go onto the Internet to say what a good experience they had at the grocery store? Conversely, we do hear when someone had a bad experience in a grocery store. How many people fall into the former group (good experiences) as opposed to the latter (bad experiences)? You've done a great thing for Mulligan, and as his name states, he'll have a second chance with a good knee that he wouldn't have otherwise. Just make sure that his post-surgical care (completely confined or limit his getting up to a minimum - read about that on the Internet) is the most important aspect of his recovery. No running, no walking, and no jumping - it's hard for a puppy (two-years still qualifies, especially in a retriever of any breed) not to be his normal exuberant self, but he can't, at least for a few weeks. You're not being cruel by keeping him quiet, you're acting in his best interest. If read all of the posts on this site you'll find that most difficulties with TPLO occur after the surgery by a dog being allowed to be too active. Avoid that kind of activity and Mulligan will heal and be the same dog he was before his injury. And watch his food intake once he reagins his appetite - Goldens can gain weight quickly when they're inactive even for a few weeks.
We have a two year old golden retreiver that had his TPLO this morning. I am terrbily upset as I've read on the internet not to have this surgery done and that the recovery is less then desirable, what have I done to my sweet Mulligan. Can't stop crying just thinking about him and what we have done.
Katie is 1 week post op from her 2nd surgery and this one has been harder than the first. We were at my regular vet yestrday because the incision is not healing as well as after her 1st surgery and started oozing Wednesday. My vet wanted to see her in case had an infection. Luckily, the exam didn't show signs of major infrections but given the oozing the vet gave me antibiotics to be safe. Overnight the oozing seems to have gotten worse. I was so relieved last night and now I am stressing myself out again. She goes back to the surgeon next Friday. I'm doing warm compresses and hoping the antibiotics kick in...
Hello Patty! I hope your dog is doing better. My Sadie had the TPLO surgery on March 31 so she is just a few days behind your Nellie. I hear you on everything! I've been really struggling since Sadie came home yesterday (she is a Rotty/Aussie mix, 4 years old). She doesn't want to eat, and she is super picky about where she pees so she has been having to walk farther than she is supposed to (which stresses me out!) to find a good spot. And she only peed once today. I am having second thoughts about having had the surgery too, but the success stories do make me feel better. My other dog is SO sad and I too am sleeping on the living room floor next to her crate. Her poor cone bumps the crate and I know she is so uncomfortable. Hang in there - we'll get through this and they will thank us for it later! :-)
To everyone who has come to this site to learn of the experiences of others before taking the plunge with your boy or girl, I would say that the predictability of outcome is difficult; however, I would also say that finding a vet who has performed many, many TPLO surgeries is critical. Experience does count. If you live within a day's drive of a vet school and hospital take that drive because they're more likely to have done more TPLO surgeries (even surgical residents) than a local vet who may only do a few each year. Whoever the school surgeon is, she/he will have a perfected technique and a school's reputation on the line. There are a number of fine vet schools across the country and if you can use them, I would encourage you to do so. Sylvie had no complications, and has not had any recurring problems related to the surgery because (we think) the LSU vet school is simply filled with angels and world-class teaching vets. Research facilities are always looking for excellent outcomes because of their absolute need for success (good outcomes = research dollars). If you aren't within range, don't assume that all vets are equal (as I followed Stanley's case through Connie) and they all are of equal skill and knowledge. Ask lots of questions, especially, "How many of these have you done?" and, "Can you provide references from past surgeries?" There is nothing wrong or insulting about these questions - after all, we're talking about a general anesthetic and a serious implant surgery. Anyone can clean teeth, give injections, and trim nails, so to speak. Surgery is the same whether for you, a child, or your best friend and always to be taken seriously and as the last resort. Good luck to all and be positive. Oh, and your post-surgical care is one major key - keep your doggie confined and quiet no matter what it takes. In the end, you'll (both) be better off for it. Remember, you're not being cruel, you're giving your dog a new knee on which to run and play. The old one won't let that happen anymore.
hello and thank you Sue, Connie, Tara and Patricia for your kind words and encouragement. Nellie is much better and has started the long re-coup process. For anyone else going thru this....the first few days are the hardest, filled with much emotion, questions, and anxiety. I wish all the best and hope that your babies thrive! I'll keep updating to chart her progress..and Mine! I am still a nervous wreck.
Thanks,
Patty
Thanks for the update Connie. Healing may be slow but it's the right direction. Stanley's gone through a lot and is fortunate to have someone like you to take care of him.
hi stuart,
stanley had a pin removed bout a month ago for the brokin bone..and was xrayed he was not healing as he should..80% he is at 20%
he goes back again soon for xrays again..to see how it is healing now. april 5th will be 2 months.he is a lil better and walking on it some but we are still very carefull with him still help him out side with towel,i will keep informed
Hi all, I am so pleased to hear so many positive responses to the tplo proceedure.
I had my 2yo staffy in for a tplo nearly 12 wks ago and she still seems to limp on it a little and wondered if anyone else had experienced this. If she wants to run she will there's no doubt about that.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Patty,
Hang in there! This will pass and your dog will recover, believe it or not. I can most definitely empathize, I did not hold up so well when my dog went through his surgery two months ago. It is an awful thing to have to go through--I can't imagine having to do it again. But it is looking like we just might have too :(.
Just remember, your stress can certainly be felt by Nellie. I was no help to Bosco during his ordeal...no doubt about that. I really think it was way worse for me than for him! For his first week, I slept with him and he would only eat chicken. But now, he is back to normal, as will Nellie be in due time!
Best wishes Patty!
hello everyone and thank you so much for your kind words. i am still crying my eyes out. Nellie has been sleeping all day, no eating just some small sips of water. The Dr said my description of issues is all normal.....One day at a time.... I am taking this second by second, it is heart wrenching....Thank you so very much and I will update.
Patty
Hi Patty;
Know how you feel. My 8 year old, Alice, had the surgery on December 3rd. She also would not eat for a little while, but then LOVED the beef, chicken, turkey stuff in the baby jars which I fed her from a spoon! As for her meds, I put them in Greenies Pill Pockets, and sometimes she would take it that way. If not, I just had to put it in her mouth at the back of her throat and down it went! She will feel better with the pain meds, although groggy and not her usual self.
It's tough to watch our babies go through this, but the alternative is also not a good thing. The hardest thing for me after the initial couple of days was taking her out and keeping her from hurting herself. She is mostly recovered now, but still has difficulty using that leg to launch her jump up on the bed or couch. However, it has just been slightly less than 4 months, and she is doing better than I had been led to expect. It is still early days in the recovery process!
Hang in there - it will get better. If you have any nagging doubts don't hesitate to call the surgeon's office.
Patricia
Patty - I am so sorry you baby is not eating and in pain. My Katie had her 1st surgery 8 weeks ago with good success, she had minor swelling and I put warm compresses on the swollen areas and did some massage. The swelling went down. Sounds like hers was minor compared yours but it may help. She is at the surgeons as I write this having had her 2nd TPLO surgery yesterday. She had a couple minor complications this time so I am anxious to see her and hope she is okay. they tell me she is doing good this morning. Good luck, I would definetly contact your doctor about the redness and swelling. Some of both is normal, but if you feel like it is extreme call. Also look for seeping at the incision, that is a definite sign to go back to your surgeon.
Connie,
I've been thinking about Stanley ( and you) and how he is doing after the doctor's visit in Feb. I'm very sorry to read that his recovery hasn't gone well, but time, just as medicine, can heal even the most seemingly dire circumstances. Our neighbor's dog had a rough recovery (irresponsible aftercare by his parents) but has come back after nearly a year to where he was previously, despite their stupidity. It was all we could do to not strangle them for such bad behavior - but they have a similar attitude about themselves so maybe there will be some justice down the road. Please don't despair, Stanley can overcome this in his own timeframe. I wouldn't use that vet again though except for trimming Stanley's toenails, and even that's a maybe - why should you hand over more money to this person?
hi patty i feel your pain...we said if we had to do it over again we wouldnt...my stanley is 8 years old...big boy..he is 7 weeks post surgery and not the same dog...but i hope the best for u and your doggie its a long road...huggs
great story, thank you. Our dog Nellie, a 9 yr. old belgian malinois had the tplo surgery on March 25, 2009. We picked her up 24 hrs later and she is now home. She has a pain patch on her back, she refuses to eat anything and won't take her rimadil nor her other pain pill. I will be calling the dr this morning. her leg is very red and swollen....its breaking my heart seeing her this way and her sister (true sister) is so very sad for her. We are doing all that we can for her. To avoid the stairs, her Daddy is sleeping downstairs next to her so she can feel safe.
I am feeling so sad for her right now and wondering if we should not have made her get the surgery.
Thank you for posting Tenor's story. My dog Mocha goes in for TPLO surgery tomorrow and I'm very worried. Not knowing what to expect. It was comforting to read your story and hope that Mocha isn't in too much pain after surgery.
She's my baby girl and the most important thing in my life.
Tammy - How is Brandy doing??? Katie is a little over 4 weeks and trys to jump and run everytime I take her out of area. We have x-rays next Friday to determine how well she has healed and when we are going to schedule the next surgery. I hope all is going well with Brandy...
Abby, my 6 year old yellow lab, had TPLO surgery on Monday. Today is 48 hours from surgery and just noticed the "fluid sack" on the side of her leg towards the foot on the inside. I'm really concerned about it because it seemed to come very fast. She doesn't seem bothered by it, but it's still concerning me. The doctor's office is closed and I was hoping someone could lend some advice to calm by nerves. Is this normal? Will it go away on its own? I plan on calling the doctor tomorrow. I just hope he fluid doesn't get worse overnight.
HI Connie,
How did the doctor's visit go on the 17th? Well, I hope. I've been thinking about Stanley and you.
I know it is so hard to watch... Sammy is my old guy but you really wouldn't know it sometimes. Katie will be at 3 weeks tomorrow. I feel very lucky, so far she has had only one very minor issue (some redness around one of the stitches that is now gone). We go back to the surgeon next Friday for her to check the area and then two weeks later for the 6 week x-rays. I am in Atlanta, GA... How is Brandy doing? Are you at the 1 week mark yet?
Tara- Your comment, "Last night he stood outside just barking at the back door wanting her to come outside. When I came out he got a ball and started running around wanting me to chase him like she would normally do," almost made me cry! I can just picture that since our yellow Lab, Tapoica (who is 4), loves to chase Brandy (who had the TPLO surgery) when we play ball. Tapioca is a career-change (service guide) dog who was taught not to chase or play ball. It took a lot of work to get her comfortable with even chasing Brandy when we played ball. Now, she's lost, like Sammy. I have been taking "T" out for a long walk in the am, hoping that she will burn some excess energy since she is gaining weight from lack of exercise. This is a really hard process to watch, isn't it? The pack dogs are so confused...are you at the 3 week mark today?
We are in WA..how about you?
Tammy - What surgery did you end up doing? Sounds like surgery went well???? It is hard on Sammy, If I have Katie out laying by me he wants to play. The other day he came over with two toys and dropped them on her and in a split second she had one and jumped up to play with him. I freak saying Nooo... Poor Sammy goes off thinking he did something wrong while I get Katie back down on her bed. Nights are getting better, I did sleep on the couch for several nights early on but now she is letting me go upstairs and isn't waking me until about 6 (previously it was 3 so 6 is good). Sammy follows me upstairs so that allows him to have a little one on one before bed and in the morning. Friday is 3 weeks. I should find out at week 6 how soon the doctor wants to do surgery on the other knee. Part of me hopes sooner, so that the date of full recovery is sooner. I just feel bad about the 2 rounds of 6 weeks complete confinement so close together... I think I feel worse than she does though... She has been a trooper. And so has Sammy, although he is really missing his friend. Last night he stood outside just barking at the back door wanting her to come outside. When I came out he got a ball and started running around wanting me to chase him like she would normally do.
Tara-You mentioned above that you wished you could sleep on the floor with your dog who had TPLO surgery. I don't know if you can, but my husband and I have been sleeping on the floor, downstairs, with all 3 of our dogs. Brandy, who had the surgery, feels better (I think) and the other 2 dogs get a little more attention too. I know it's hard on your Sammy...our other 2 dogs are very jealous of Brandy and try to wriggle in when we are cuddling her etc. They don't understand what's happening and it's heart breaking, isnt it? BUT- every day we get closer to Brandy's full recovery (although another 3 -4 months of this could wear on us all). I think we are going upstairs tonight to sleep in our own bed...woo hoo!
Connie
I'm sorry about your upset and I understand and can empathize with your situation. I'm also sorry to read that there were cracks made in the tibial plateau. I would ask the vet what his surgical procedure was that could have caused so much collateral damage. I'd also get another vet to examine Stanley. Good luck today and I hope you get good if not great news.
hi scott,
im so upset now
this is what vet said exactly on paper,stanleys knee was opereated on, a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy was performed ..there were a few minor complications as discussed(fracturing of the fibula and a cracking of the tibal crest-neither should present problems for him.
im so confused and upset.
he will be here on the 17th and if he thinks stanly is not where he should be at he wants to xray.
tks connie
Connie,
Please take the worth of the following for what it cost (nothing) and in light of the main problem that is now resolved with the TPLO. When you wrote "he had one of the long thin bones ..." who is the "he" you are referring to - the Dr. or Stanley (Stanley wouldn't break his own bone while anesthetized)? I know that it's Stanley's leg but how does a fibula "get" broken during surgery when the tibia is the bone in question? How much bone was excised from the tibial plateau? The head of the fibula is below the line of the tibia. Only enough bone removal is required to allow for the prosthetic device. I found this anecdote online:
"[W]hen I took her back after 10 days to have the post surgery x-ray, her fibula was broken in the leg that had the surgery. My poor girl had been strugging around for 10 days post knee surgery, with a broken fibula! I was heartsick to say the least. Luckily I had been taking her out with a towel/sling under her belly, so she hadn't [sic] been putting hardly any weight on that leg during that time. But STILL. The Dr. was horrified as well, and kept her that very day to go back in, put an internal brace, a bone graft, and an external brace that was screwed in through her skin into the bone. Turns out she has the softest bones the Dr. had ever seen and he had to make sure there was enough stability for the knee and fibula to heal. By the time we were done with Dr.visits and all the internal and external braces removed -- it actually took almost the entire summer."
I also found a TPLO study of 600 dogs and only one had a fractured fibula (head), so it isn't a common occurrence . I'm not certain that a broken fibula is a normal byproduct of the TPLO and that it's "alright" as you were told. This may be the cause of Stanley's lack of confidence in weight-bearing on that leg. I'm sure you've seen limping dogs in casts from broken legs so I don't imagine that it's too different with Stanley except that he likely isn't in a cast because of the staples. It's good that the doc is making a house call - he owes it to Stanley from my point of view. Ask the vet if he's going to put a cast on Stanley when the surgical wound heals enough. Try to keep your guy as quiet as you can so the bone break can heal and I know he'll be fine. I guess I'm just disappointed that the vet isn't being quite forthright in regard to Stanley's fracture, possibly to spare Stanley (and you) from another surgery for the external fixation. Were I you,though, I would have some questions for the doctor.
my dog stanley is 11 days into recovery we are concerned because he still does not use his leg.our vet is coming over to remove staples he said he is a bit concerned bout him not wanting to use it still...even a bit
he ad one of the long thin bone break during surgery but its suppossed to be alright that it happins...but he did not want to add the six screw because of bone breakage,,,im so worried any one else have this experiance??
Tammy I did the TPLO because my doctor said that she did not recommend Extracapsular for dogs over 50 lbs. I don't know about your lab but mine weighs 78 lbs. That being said if you click on the link to Tucker's story above they did the Extracapsular repair even thought he doctor recommended against it.. Good luck.
I've just finished reading most of the comments here and it has been very helpful. We recently found out that our 10 year-old (turning 11 on 2/20)Chocolate Lab tore her ACL. We've been researching and calling multiple vets and we have been told that there are 2 types of surgery that will work for her: The TPLO and the Extracapsular ACL Repair. The difference in cost is significant ($1000.00) and we obviously want our "pup" to be well cared for but which is better? Has anyone done the Extracapsular? Brandy's surgery is set for Thursday, February 19th, so any advice or information would be helpful.
Best to keep them separated. Sounds sad but it's best. I'm so surprised that some people write that they couldn't use the e-collar, couldn't stand to see their dog just lying there etc. etc. Wouldn't this be best in a short amount of time with great results than the alternative. So many operations go wrong due to our (human) errors. Let the dog alone, rest, recoupe as they soon get used to the new rules. Our dog is only at week 3 post op and we keep him on a tight leash as he already wants to run and jump. He's confined in the kitchen when I'm in there, laundry room alone when I'm out and on a leash with me through out the house so he doesn't go after the cat or try to run. I would and will do whatever it takes to aid in this success. My guy is only 4 and I want him to be able to play and run for many many years. Also, one person said they fed their dog treats, extra food etc. because they felt sorry for the dog. The worst thing is extra weight at this time obviously. Lets be smart people. Do the best you can and cut back of the food a little especially if you want to give them a bone or kong to pass the time.
You're exactly following the correct protocol to ensure a safe and healthy return to normal for Otis. And I'm sure the movies and wine are helping his spirits too. Are you monitoring his movie watching while you're at work? Probably not.
Katie is at one week today. Which means according to my doctor's instructions 5 more weeks of confinement for her. The problem then is that she will be evalutated for how soon to do surgery on the other knee. Today I am working from home and I took her other bed out and laid it next to where I am working so she is not in her small area. She still is forced to stay still but at least she feels closer to me. I wish I could lower my bed and have her sleep near me. Unfortunately my bed is upstairs which is also a problem as her small area I've blocked off is downstairs. Doctor says no jumping or stairs for at least several weeks after the 6 weeks of total immobility. That of course is after the second surgery so that is month's away at this point. So far her spirits are good, I just hope it lasts. I have another dog Sammy who is 10 and he is struggling to understand. He follows us when we go outside and lays close to her quite a bit. Sometimes when I have her laying by me he tries to get her to wrestle around and doesn't understand when I tell him no... I am not sure who this is harder on, me, Katie or Sammy....
This website has been so helpful, I figured I would try and help others and include some info about my TPLO experience. I am one of those dog owners who's pet is crazy hyper, and has a high tolerance for pain. The day after surgery my pup Otis was already toe-touching, and 3 days after he was sit-hovering in his crate(sitting so that his butt was not actually touching the ground)- I panicked and immediately called my vet. My vet reassured me that as long as I take it easy and monitor him, he should be OK with putting pressure on his knee when he is ready. In our efforts to limit Otis as much as possible (we are 2 weeks in at this point), we made the following changes to his routine:
-He stays in a 54 inch crate during the day while we are at work- he hates it, but it is the safest place for him right now (we placed it on a mattress box under a window so he can look out and watch traffic)
-We blocked off the livingroom rug area with gates and our sectional couch so he can hang out in the controlled space while we are at home
-We use a "gentle leader" when taking him outside to go to the bathroom....it directs his head and prevents him from using his leg to pull in the event he sees any squirrils he wants to chase
-We dropped our bed down so that the mattress is on the floor (spoiled dog I know, but the bed is actually much more comfortable now). At night we place Otis's bed (thick orthapedic) right next the mattress, which makes him feel closer to us when he is sleeping on his bed
My feelings are that you can only do your best with the recovery process, and that no matter what your efforts are benefiting your dog more than if you didnt have the surgery. If you are preparing for this type of surgery, stock up on kongs, marrow bones, and rawhide (movies and wine also doesnt hurt haha)
Hello Everyone. My dog's two week 'anniversary' of his surgery is today. It seems the jail time for dogs with this surgery varies quite a bit. We are not to let our dog enter rehab (sounds kind of funny) for a total of eight weeks! Seems like forever. Thankfully, he is finally becoming more himself and the worst part is hopefully over. Now to keep him still. . . .
My dog Katie had TPLO surgery this past Friday on her left knee, she is also going to require this surgery on her right knee as soon as she is ready (approx. 6 weeks). I was fascinated with your story as I have been told total confinement for 6 weeks, not stairs, not jumping, no running nothing. Then at 6 weeks I can start introducing excercise to rehab the left leg until we do the next surgery and start all over. I am wondering if you have any advice since it seems you were able to let Tenor do a lot more than my vet recommends a lot sooner. I am really confused.. Thanks
Lynnette,
Thank you for taking time to document Tenor's surgery and post care. Bruiser, my 4 year old Black Lab had surgery 6 weeks ago yesterday and your writings of Tenor's progress at 6 weeks reassured me that Bruiser is right on course. Today is x-ray day and I an anxiously waiting by the phone to hear from the vet.
Your article has been very helpful and reassuring while not being overly medically laiden.
Again, Thank you
James
Hello - we just found out yesterday that our 8 year old Lab's recent limp was a result of torn ACL and required the TPLO surgery to correct. I'm sure we'll have more questions but we are a little freaked out right now. We found the posts here very helpful!! Thank you so much!!!
The issue I worry most about now is that we have 2 dogs where only 1 will have the surgery. What is the best way to have the other one not rile up the patient?
My beagle Buddy had his surgery 10 days ago. I was very worried about him. He shook when ever the meds wore off or if he was tired or cold for about 7 days. Then it tapered off. Today for the first time he is more himself and I am having a hard time keeping him from running and jumping. Take heart, your dog will improve daily. My best wishes for a great recovery for your dog.
Wiilie is a Wheaten/Poodle mix. He has had the surgery to both hind legs. The first time, he whimpered and moaned when he came home. He did not put his leg down for almost two weeks. I was an emotional wreck. He recovered eventually only to injure the other hind leg. Besides the cost of having another surgery, I dreaded having to deal with his pain. Well, he seems to have recuperated with great speed. I do watch him constantly to keep him from running and leaping. Take heart, you dog will get better. When I look at my credit card statement I then look at Willie's brown eyes and know it was money well spent.
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for sharing your stories.It provides reassurance to those going through the same situation. My dog Bosco, a wheaten terrier, had surgery five days ago. This has been harder than I ever imagined, since Bosco is such an intense little animal. I know wheatens are by nature 'high strung'--Bosco certainly fits that bill. He can't seem to push himself against me or my husband hard enough, as if by doing that we can take away the pain.
I am feeling the stress of seeing him this way, today he panted and was shaking what seemed uncontrollably. I have been in close contact with our vet and she will be giving us another pain medication that has a bit of sedative in it. It seems as though Boss, cannot fully relax. When I read the stories above of other dogs sleeping--I only wish my dog would do the same. Although as I type, he is napping which is a first for today. He came home with a fentanyl patch on--which made him quite squirrely and we had to take it off a day early. The fact that he has to be penned up, as well as the pain and the change in his life--I am thinking he needs a therapist (it's either him or me haha).
Anyone else out there with wheatens who have had this surgery? Any suggestions on how to calm them down?
Thanks for the forum!
Tiffany-
Yes, Steele's in some discomfort, but with your love and keeping him as inactive as possible for a while he'll recover in a reasonable time. Don’t let him dictate what he wants to do- it's the owner/parent who must make those decisions. Dogs will hop around without thinking about the consequences, because they can't. Keep Steele quiet 24 hours a day, confined if you have to, and keep him on a short leash when he's outside. Our neighbors' doggie was given his head after surgery and was soon back at the vet's while our girl was placid and didn't move around and her recovery was smoother. Our neighbors' dog is still given to some limping 18 months post-surgery. It would be more painful for you to see the results of poor aftercare than denying your boy's normal instincts to run around as if nothing has happened. You should be pleased that he came through the surgery just fine, and so what if he can't be his normal puppy self for a couple of months. You’ll slowly introduce more exercise – if there is a place with sand (beach?), take him there in a few weeks. It’s a helpful therapy if he’s given walks on/in sand. Best of luck and remember you did a great thing for Steele.
Willie's recovery the second time around has been easier. Before the first week was over he was walking on the operated leg. We are taking longer walks and his appetite is hardy. He is able to walk up and down stairs. I placed an ottoman at the foot of the bed so he is now able to get up and off without assistance. I keep watch when he is outside. I've placed large potted plants alongside the neighbors' fence to keep him from leaping. Prior to the surgeries, he would run and jump over the terraces in the yard. I may have to rethink the landscaping to prevent this. I am relieved that he is recuperating.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. We just picked up our dog, Steele, from having the TPLO surgery. I am already a pathetic mess over the situation. He just looks so pitiful and I can't stand to see him in this state of being. After reading your story I know feel hopeful that we will get through this recovery period.
Willie had his second surgery in Dec. I was distraught. However, he has recovered much sooner this time. He was putting his leg down within a few days. Yes, it has been a major expense paying for two operations. Other owners of Wheaten Terriers that I have met on walks have share similar stories about their dogs having multiple surgeries on their hind legs. I have my fingers crossed that his front legs remain strong.
Thank you for your suggestions. An update. Alice is doing very well. I stayed in the family room with her for two nights, and then let her back in my room, and helped her up on the bed and she was very happy. Now she hops up at night, and down in the morning with no problem. The days I work she has been going to her doggy day care and stays in the sitting room with her caregiver. She wants so badly to go out in the back yard by herself but she is not allowed to do that as she races around chasing critters etc. She is putting the leg down for short periods of time, but is happy to hop on the three legs and does fine. She is scheduled to go back to the vet next Monday for xrays and checkup, but I think it will be positive. It was difficult the first two weeks but not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Just hoping the other leg doesn't go before the pet insurance kicks in! It was a terrible struggle paying the $4,000 cost, but there was no choice.
It is ALWAYS best to keep you dog confined to a crate ( not a confined area such as a slipper floor.) Dogs are den animals and even if they seem restless since they've never been in one...it gives them peace and they will adjust. I've done it with all 3 of my dogs..the bulldog just got her acl surgery yesterday and she sleeps like a baby and I take her out maybe 4 times a day..as she doesn't go potty often..just every 12 hrs. And she comes out to eat and drink and than back to bed. Some people cannot leave their dogs alone for 30 days like I have to and believe me, it is hard..but if surgery is something you do not want to go through again for the repair if something goes wrong from leaving her loose....a crate is definitly the best choice! Hope this helps and good luck :)
My 5 yr old border collie mix just had acl surgery on Tuesday. Today is Saturday. She is pathetic. We are currently having a hard time with her eating. She don't want to eat. She finally ate a couple of hamburger patties last night. She won't touch her regular dry dog food. Just turns away from it. We've tried cat food(someone told us it is smellier and she might eat it), baby food, cooked chicken, and hamburger and rice all to no luck. A lady who raises labs told us to make sure she don't get dehydrated and to go to the store and buy some Pedialite (stuff they give to babies) Its just a water with electrolites to keep them from dehydrating. She tolerates the E-collar. I'm not sure if she sleeps with it on though. She is crated during the night. Has always been crated at bedtime since she was a puppy, so thats not a problem. Its just the collar she don't like, but I know she will lick the stiches if she isn't wearing it when we can't be watching her. Maybe you could get a large area carpet for that lineoleum for now. It would be best if she is on a carpet area as to not slip. Our Leia also wants to get up on the sofa like she used to, so we put stuff on the sofa so she can't get up there. I also took an electric blanket and spread it out and put some other blankets down on the floor and she likes laying on the warm blankets while we are watching TV. I also tie her leash to the coffee table so she can't get up and walk around. She is ok with that after awhile. Its going to be a long 6 weeks, but I'm hopeful it will be worth it. She was limping badly before the surgery for 2 months while we were trying to scrape together the money.
Good Luck with your lab.
My 7 year old lab mix has to have surgery asap. The cost is daunting, but we will figure it out. My main concern is that for at least three days a week she will be by herself during the day because I have to work (especially now!!). She has never ever been crated, and will be restricted to the family room (which has linoleum). She has her doggy bag in there, but likes to get up on the couch too. Her doggy door will be closed so she can't go in and out. She has NEVER been able to be walked on a leash, and until now has gone to a doggy day camp where she runs and uses up her energy.
I am really scared about how I can keep her from hurting herself. She was a very scared, timid rescue dog when we got her at 11 months old. I have never wanted to force her to do anything which makes her uncomfortable. She has never worn one of those collars either.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you very much for sharing your story.
My golden retriever Chica is on her 5th week of recovery from TPLO surgery.
My dog Willie is recovering. Willie is a 50 pounds Wheaten Terrier mix. He is still hobbling around on three legs. We go for very short walks which tire him out. After three weeks, he had his staples removed and the vet prescribed a liquid anti-inflammatory for the swelling. Willie has good days and bad days. Sometimes, he's very energetic and hungry and then he might be lethargic and indifferent to food. He has been climbing the stairs to get upstairs and attempted to jump on the bed. I lift him up. On our walks, he is still reluctant to put pressure on the injured leg. I have noticed that if we walk slowly, he will gingerly lower the leg.
I watch him constantly. Reading about the recovery of other dogs who have had the surgery has been extremely reassuring. I think the vet needed to prescribe medication/tranquilizers for owners who hear their dogs whimpering and moaning when they are first brought home.
Anna Maria,
Just to be safe, watch her carefully for signs of an infection (staph). I just got out of the hospital (again) after picking up the infection during my spinal fusion surgery a week before. They had to go back in to clean out the infected tissue, and now I have a sponge, vacuum, and an open wound, ande am taking very expensive antibiotics. These infections are becoming more prevalent in human hospitals, so I wouldn't rule out a case at a vet's surgical room and after care. I'm not trying to be an alarmist, but our dog Sylvie just had the normal redness around her stitches and her leg was not really warm to the touch. You might check her temperature and keep a log for a few days; that way you'll know how she's doing and the vet can have some information that you can report over the telephone. Again, I'm only offering a word of caution, and hopefully she's just healing well and my concern is a total waste of time. Best of luck with Kacie.
Thank you so much for sharing your story! My Akita, Kacie Jones, just had her TPLO surgery 3 days ago, and it's been a rough ride so far. She is 7 years old, but has never been "calm" a day in her life. Getting her to sit still has been nearly impossible. She is supposed to wear the collar 24/7, but she absolutely refused to lie down for mroe than 20 minutes at a time--no sleep at all. Finally, after a day and a half of that we took the collar off and she lay right down and went to sleep. Now our plan is to keep it off as long as someone is right next to her during the day, and then put it back on at night for bed. My family is all taking turns "sleeping" on the floor with her to make sure everything is ok.
She started yesterday with the bright red (with a little purple) all over her leg, which I thought was bruising, but it was so bright. Plus it was warm to touch. It made me feel so much better after reading that your dog had the same type of bruising (and swelling)and that it is normal.
Anyway, thanks again for posting everything. I'm sure I will return to your site over the next 8 weeks for information and reassurance!!
Ha! I agree. It is a lot harder on us than it is on them. :) So far so good though! He did have to go in to see the vet prior to schedule due to some swelling. I thought it seems like a lot but after a good "feel around" the vet isn't concerned. It is just due (most likely) to overuse. And it wasn't that much I guess...we aren't used to any!
Cringer is healing so well that he got to have his stitches taken out ahead of schedule. He is putting about 70% of his weight on his leg but since we aren't even a month out yet we are still being kill joys when it comes to doing much of anything else.
We are so happy he is healing well!
Hope everyone else experiences something similar! :)
Hi Jeff, (I tried posting this reply on YOUR site first, but got an error message "forbidden"... so I'm posting it here. Hope you check back!)
Thanks for sharing details and updates about Barlow's recovery from TPLO surgery. It REALLY helps those of us who are going through the same thing.
As you read on my site, our dog is doing great after his TPLO surgery. He too has the dreaded arthritis though. And he's got a lumpy area that doc said is a buildup of scar tissue. Doc said it should've gone away after the 1st week post-op, but it didn't -- it got worst. Fortunately, it doesn't hinder his abilities in any way, and he only sometimes "babies" his surgery leg.
He's about 3 months post-op now and doing GREAT. He's back to his old self of jumping in and out of the Jeep :o) Cheers to Barlow!
Good to hear everything has been going great for you and Tenor. My dog, Barlow, the one with the "wrap" your article links to, just celebrated 1 year post-op. Although it has not always been smooth sailing, I am happy to report that he is playing with 4 other dogs today, running around our friends ranch. Now if I could just figure out how to get a black lab puppy to quit eating the furniture ;) .... Cheers and good luck!
Great to read about Cringer's successful surgery. I hope you are also successful in keeping him quiet and/or confined so that he may heal properly because it's as important as the surgery itself. I think it was harder on us (believing we were making her miserable) than on Sylvie. Good luck the rest of the way to a complete recovery.
Lynnette,
Just wanted to thank you for the great site! My dog Cringer just had TPLO surgery last week. Of course you try to educate yourself on options, etc. before making a big decision like this and then get all the information that you can once you have BUT it seems there is ALWAYS room for more good information. :) Especially where this is concerned because there are so many variations from dog to dog.
Our dog is only a little over 2 years old so we are facing a huge challenge of keeping him "quiet". He is a big guy and his Ecollar is HUGE which is making it hard for him to use Kongs or bones because he likes to hold them with his paws. We are just doing what we can do for now though as we don't want all of this to be for naught.
Best of luck to you and Tenor! Hope things continue to go well. Oh and we hear you on the concern about the other (aka good) leg. We are watching Cringer's like a hawk! :)
Wow... THANKS for letting us know about the downsides of too much activity (even when it may not seem like much at all). You've definitely opened my eyes to the precautions.
We basically took the approach "he's a pretty low-key dog, so he'll know when too much is too much for his body." However, I now realize that may not be the best thinking. We're still comfortable with taking a middle-of-the-road approach though. Some docs say 8 weeks no activity period. Some say a few weeks of no activity, then gradually work up to more activity. We were somewhere in the middle.
He has been walking lightly on it for weeks now (today is 6 weeks post-op) and putting more and more weight on it as time goes by.
He even belted out in a full out run FAR too early once when some kids were playing near the fence in our yard & he felt compelled to chase them. Now, after reading your story, I would/should have been more concerned about that. (This actually happened twice. It was scary, but appears that no damage was done.)
Our dog seems to be doing great at 6 weeks post-op and you can't even tell where he was shaved anymore, though the fur isn't quite as thick as normal there yet.
He's NOT using the leg fully yet, though it seems like he could if he wanted to. There's no tenderness to the touch, just muscular tightness from not being used at this point (is my 100% amateur guess).
There is a definite bulge where the plate is on the inside of his knee. And there's a bit more "chunkiness" (not puffy, but solid) to the knee itself, compared to his other knee. Then again, hard to tell apples to apples, cuz there's a lot more fur on the other knee.
He LOVES to have that leg rubbed -- fairly hard -- from high up on the hip... down on the back muscle of the leg itself... and all the way down to the toes. I'm still leary of getting any too near that plate though.
I remember one of my early "signs" that his leg would probably be okay was when he stretched out the toes on that leg -- because it felt so good to have that leg rubbed.
Today, he frequently stretches out that leg completely on his own -- without incident. And he'll stand on it all day long. Plus, you can see that he's resting more of the "pad" (rather than just the toe) on the ground as time goes on. He won't use that leg if he wants to get somewhere fast though.
I've been taking him on Jeep rides and walking him on the leash (10 minutes tops) every couple of days just trying to get him used to using that leg again. He's in no pain, but I don't want to overwork him at this point -- since they say 8 weeks is that magic number.
At this point, the only thing I'm nervous about is his OTHER knee requiring TPLO soon. No signs yet, but just the stats, and the fact that he's been SO overusing the good leg for so long now are what worry me.
So that's my update :o)
...Please keep us posted on your dog too!
Hi, Lynnette,
My three year-old yellow lab, Captain Jenkins, had TPLO surgery a little over two weeks ago. He had his staples removed today. It turns out that his tendon is inflamed, possibly from a little too much activity, and there is some fluid around the knee. I knew something was not right last night when he didn't put his TPLO leg down and was limping. I think he got excited when my other dog barked last night and he may have put all of his weight on his TPLO leg. I didn't see it happen, so I really have no idea. Things were going so well, too. I was/am really bummed. Fortunately, my Ortho vet took some x-rays today and the plate and screws are fine. Nothing catastrophic, just a minor complication, but I have to call my vet in 3 days to let them know the status. My ortho vet is a really nice, genuine person, so I feel really comfortable with him treating my dog. It just looks like my dog was getting too much activity too soon. I found that hard to believe since he only goes outside on a leash to use the bathroom 2-3 times a day, but I have been letting him wander outside on the leash for 5-10 minutes and there are many hills in my front yard that he has to walk up and down. It looks like I have to scale back his activity and keep him even more restricted. I realize that we are only 2 weeks out and the vet said 8 weeks of very little activity, so I just need to lose my guilty feelings about having to keep my dog in his "jail cell", which is a small room that is carpeted and has a baby gate in the door so he can see me. I must admit these first 2 weeks have flown by, so hopefully the next 6 weeks will, too, with no other complications.
I'm looking forward to an update on Tenor when you have the tim.
My 3 y.o. female Boxer was just diagnosed w/ a partial tear to her ACL. I'm exploring all my surgery options. I actively show her in confirmation and want to do everything necessary to insure she still has a show career. It has been very helpful reading the information here!!
Our dog, Sylvie (12 yo balck lab/Golden x), had her TPLO surgery two and a half years ago and has done fine, except that she's become more sedentary and has had a lot of muscle atrophy. This was more a result of the brutal heat here and it would be cruel to exercise her in it, not to mention me. But, we had her surgery done at the LSU Vet School and it cost $1,700 and another $300 for physical therapy. (It's very expensive compared to local vets, so I'm sort of surprised that you paid so much for the surgery.) We used CareCredit (GE Money) available through the vet and it's a no-interest (for the first year) package. Someone else asked what to do if the cost is prohibitive, so this might be one way around it.
Thanks so much for the great info. Our dog Jasmine just had TPLO done on Tuesday, July 28. She is progressing o.k., but not as quickly as your dog. The info. you gave and how you handled situations has been very helpful. Thanks for going through the time and effort to put up your site!
Lynnette,
This is an excellent article and so many good tips and a hoarde of information.