Containing Post-Surgery/HELP!

[sandramast]

Cooper needs to have Surgery on his back knee (traditional method) and the Vet said he would need to be segregated from our other 3 dogs, taken outside on a leash to eliminate, no doggie doors, etc. for 6-8 weeks!!!! How on earth does someone do that? We bought a dog ramp to use with our fifth wheel but can we put that up to our bed so he can still snuggle at night time and mornings?

Besides crating (we are not too keen on crating) does anyone have any ideas? Baby play pens? Baby gates? How do you keep them from wanting to jump on their favorite chair?

What has been your experience in reality?

Any help is greatly appreciated! You have no idea........

Coopers Worried Mom

 

[Oscar's Mom]

Oscar has been through 2 knee surgeries and yes it is hard to keep them down. One knee was TPLO and the other was traditional repair. The traditional repair was a harder recovery. He wouldn't even use the leg for weeks. We don't have any other pets though so I don't know about that part.

As for keeping him down we pretty much stayed with him as much as we could. That meant when we were home one of us was sitting by him all the time. This way if he did act like he was going to get up we could stop him. We did this for about 2 weeks. After that we allowed him to slowly walk around a little bit. We honestly didn't confine him as much as we were told. We did do leash potty breaks for 6 weeks though. He got new chew toys and bones. We moved his bed by the window so he could look outside. He loved that. He was whiney but we got through it......twice.

If you have any other questions just let me know.

Myra

 

[mmichaelson]

I have no suggestions, but I hope your baby heals quickly!!!!

 

[sandramast]

Thank you for you advice and good wishes. I sort of knew that what the Vet wanted and what is truely practical in "the real world" are two different things. HOWEVER, I certainy don't want Cooper reversing his surgery and needing to go back in again...not sure we could swing double the cost.

Did Oscar go up or down any inclines (ramps) during recovery?

 

[nanabear/Ore.]

Mack has had 3 of those confining knee surgeries and I agree the "traditional" was much harder to come back from, has never been as strong and pain-free as the othere knee (he had a TPLO 6 months after the traditional). He also tore the meniscus in that traditional repair and had another surgery for that (but he got over it more quickly than either of the other two).
The most important advice I can share is to join the yahoo orthodogs board

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/orthodogs/

Mack did have a ramp to go down the two steps to the backyard - in hindsight he didn't need it, he quickly learned to tri-pod where he wanted to go.
We took the guestroom bed apart so that he and I could sleep together on the floor and both be comfortable. I rested better, didn't worry so much and I know he was comfortable.
Babygates are invaluable and we blocked off small areas of the family room with furniture so he was confined (without crating) to a 6ft X 6ft area.
For boredom we took him for rides (he's very good in the car) spent a fortune on chewies.....rawhides, raw bones and bullstix to keep him occupied.
I have a picture somewhere of one of his first post surgery days. He was still miserable and I was still hyper-alert that he was going to hurt himself. I turned around to get my coffee and when I looked again - he was in my husbands recliner. I let him stay and made sure I helped him down when it was time.
If you take your questions to the yahoo board - you'll get lots of help, empathy and suggestions. Good luck.

 

[Oscar's Mom]

No, Oscar did not use a ramp. Out to our backyard is only one step and the rest of where we kept him was one level.
You will be surprised at how well they can move with 3 legs. Oscar got pretty fast.
The hardest part is about 4 weeks or so after surgery and he felt good and couldn't understand why he couldn't just get up and walk around.
There are a couple pictures in my gallery of Oscar after his TPLO surgery. I don't have ones of the traditional posted but it looked about the same only the incision was longer.

Take it day by day and you'll make it through. Good luck.

Myra

 

[Muttluvr]

What has been your experience in reality?

Apollo had TPLO surgery on his knee in January. For the first 8 weeks post-op I put the mattress in the spare bedroom on the ground and Apollo and I slept there while my bf and Foster slept in the normal bedroom (my bf wasn't too impressed, but... oh well!). During the day I tried to crate him, but after the surgery he developed SA and the entire time I was at work he would sit and pant and drool. Since that wasn't working at all I moved him into the computer room and put a folded wire crate on the couch so he couldn't get up on it. He liked to stand at the window and bark at people so I shuttered it so he couldn't see out.

I bought a ramp for the SUV, but only used it once. I hated it! Even to this day I just lift him in and out of the car.

When we went back to the regular bed, I bought a ramp for him to use to get on and off of it.

I also recommend the group that nanabear listed. That group was a lifesaver for me at times.

 

[nanabear/Ore.]

You will be surprised at how well they can move with 3 legs. Oscar got pretty fast.
The hardest part is about 4 weeks or so after surgery and he felt good and couldn't understand why he couldn't just get up and walk around.

Myra

That was one of the hardest parts of recovery from the traditional repair. As I remember, very soon after surgery we were to take him on very short walks as part of his physical therapy - tightly controlled, onleash. As soon as he started feeling better, he got the "zoomies" and could get around quite normally and quickly on 3 legs. The problem with that is that they are to USE that bad leg, gingerly and carefully so that the muscles don't atrophy. It happens quickly (atrophy).
It was less than 6 months that he blew the other knee.....was it because of the weakened traditional knee and putting an additional burden on the "good knee"? Or would it have gone anyway?
You'll get through it.....but you better stock up on Miss Clairol for all the gray hairs you're going to get!
One other thing....and one of my pet peeves. If you have a hard time cutting his toenails - insist it be done while he's under. The nails grow so fast on the booboo leg because it's not getting normal wear and tear from walking, running and playing. Trying to cut the nails and worrying you're going to hurt the sore leg is no fun.......