Something you found helpful after CCL Repair surgery

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Rocco's Mom

Super Boxer
Our boy Rocco is having Knee CCL Repair surgery (TTA procedure) next week. I am wondering if there is anything you found helpful after your dogs surgery that the doctors didn't tell you. Obviously leash, ramp for car, confinement being best and pain management. Wondering if there is anything other than the obvious you found helpful in your dogs recovery.
 

Gatorblu

Boxer Insane
I thankfully haven't had a dog go thru this, but I will tell you somethings I hvae read. Get toys that work your pup's mind. It will help with the boredom of being confined. Frozen kongs are good for a treat. Just get some plain yogurt and mix some of his favorite treat in there, put it inside the kong and freeze it. My dogs love apple and peanut butter on theirs. I will also save the crumbs from the bottom of a bag off treats and add that to yogurt and freeze it. There aree some great puzzle toys too. I would shop around online for the best price. Sending lots of postive, healing (((vibes))) to Rocco!
 

chrystel

Boxer Insane
hmm
I am at the 3rd TPLO.. on 2 dogs... partyicon

Snatch just had his second TPLO (2nd knee) on September 21st.
So he is a little more than 3 weeks post surgery.

So let me think...

*Ice packs are great. They recommend 2 days ice then 3 days heat. Heat actually doesn't work good with Snatch, so I only do ice. (Whatever works with your baby)

*Touch. Don't be afraid to touch the leg. Massage going up to help bruising/swelling/hemathoma. Snatch looooves when I massage his hip. I think his hip gets sore because he babies his knee...

*Physical therapy. At 2 weeks post surgery, you can start range of motion exercises and 5 minutes walks. At 4 weeks, you can start physical therapy.

*Range of motion exercises are important. Streching and bending. See what the physical therapist tells you to do :)

Oh... also:
*pro collar - or any blow up ecollar (instead of the lamp shade). Snatch loves his. He uses it as a pillow :) and it doesn't get stuck on furniture ;)

*Trim his nails. He will walk wayyyyyy less and his nails may grow super fast. Grown nails are harder to walk on ;)

*Sliced american cheese to hide the pills ;)

*Plain non fat yogurt. The meds tends to mess up Snatch's tummy. Also antacid (Pepcid AC 20mg) 1 pill twice a day to help his tummy with the Rymadyl.

*First night home. UGH! Good luck! Snatch kept waking up. I think it's the IV during the surgery but major pee drama! He pee'd his bed. Then woke me up several time during the night to go pee.

*Yoga mats. Got cheap ones at Ross/Marshall/TJ Maxx. Even target has $9 ones. I put yoga mats on my floors (sleek surface)

*I put the dog beds in my room at night so he doesn't have to stay crated at night.

*I make sure I put the baby gate on my bed so he doesn't jump on it...


Sorry for the random list..

Just make sure he stays calm. it's the hardest. No pouncing. No stairs of course. ... Let me know if you have more questions :)
 

EAO76

Boxer Insane
A sling (or large towel) to loop under his belly to help support him/ lift his back end when walking. This helped us get him down our 3 stairs when we would go out to the back yard for potty breaks.
 

Widges

Completely Boxer Crazy
I second the massaging of the whole leg. Billy got an infection and his leg swelled massively - it was at least 3 times the size!! Even with his infection he LOVED a massage.

Ramps - to go in and out for toilet breaks.

Stair-gates - everywhere, to help contain him but as I only have 1 dog I didn't need to keep him crated.

Good luck.
 

Rocco's Mom

Super Boxer
Thank you to everyone for all of your well wishes and fantastic suggestions. We are one week and a day post op. Rocco is doing very well better than we expected actually. The first night was rough for sure like you said major pee drama because of the epidural he actually began to develop a uti combination of the stress and not being able to get up and go. He is prone to these when stressed so I wasn't surprised. Over the last week he has been putting weight on it occasionally lifting his leg to pee and in the last couple of days we have allowed him to do the stairs on leash a couple of times a day. It has been hard on everyone especially Rocco because we have moved his home and all his things into our family room. This allowed us to take him out through the garage and avoid all of our back stairs. We have been pretty much living down here with him as well. Husband and I taking turns sleeping down here with him kids eating, playing and dressing with him as well.

He has had a tendency to lick his incision from time to time I did try the pro-collar but he hated it so much I was afraid he was going to injure himself trying to get it off. His leg was really swollen as soon as we started massage and a short walk it went down is days and looks pretty much normal size now. I have been icing when he will allow some days he's for it others no way. We are down to one tramadol twice daily and two rimadyl. He has arthritis so vet thinks we'll always have to give him the rimadyl.

So far uninterested in things he'd usually love like marrow bones from the butcher, kong and I even bought him a rawhide which he hasn't had in years hasn't touched it.
So overall healing well we go Saturday to have the stitches removed and 8 weeks for a follow up x-ray. Thinking of moving our life back upstairs now still confining with the baby gates and such just think he'll be happier up there at this point.
 

Gatorblu

Boxer Insane
I am so glad he is doing well! I just want to caution you on Rimadyl long term. It can be very hard on the liver and kidneys. If he is prone to UTI's I would try to avoid it long term. It shut my dogs kidneys down and I almost lost him. We use tramadol when needed for his arthritis, plus daily glucosamine/chondroitin supplements. He is 11 1/2 and is managing well this way. A combination of fish oil and vitamin e work well too. Fish oil is a natural anti-inflamatory which is what Rimadyl is.

I wish a continued speedy recovery for Rocco!
 

Rocco's Mom

Super Boxer
Thanks for the caution about the Rimadyl I will ask about that Saturday when we have the stitches out. We have been giving him the supplement Dasuquin for a couple of weeks now and will check into fish oil. Anything I could do naturally, I'd prefer it rather than long term meds!

He has been licking the top of his incision alot yesterday and today which is making me crazy because it was healing so well. UGH!
 

chrystel

Boxer Insane
So glad to hear good news about your Rocco.
Be careful. He can develop an infection if he licks. If he can't stand the pro collar, just do the regular ecollar
Infections are HORRIBLE. Trust me :(
My dog Oxford had a BAD infection after knee surgery. Lasted from November 2010 to May 2011!! many different antibiotics were tried, in February 2011 they had to go in there to remove all the surgery hardware. A mess!!!


I second the caution on Rymadyl.
I think joint supplement like joint max + fish oil + vit E are a better option.

My other dog Snatch is 9 years old. He had ACL surgeries in 2010 and 2012. Surgeon remarked "severe arthritis" in both knees, at each surgery. That doesn't bother him AT ALL. He never acts painfull in his joints. cool2icon

So maybe the surgeon noticed arthritis in the joint, but maybe the way it is placed doesn't bother Rocco ;) I would keep the hard meds like Rymadyl a last resort kind of thing ;)

I hope all goes well when moving back upstairs!! lovicon
 
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