Dog has ACL surgery on Tuesday - prepare me!

[Tuffcookie]

Thanks! I am going to stop by the vet office today to confirm that I will need a ramp for the back steps. And ask if they have a sheet on recovery they can give me now, rather then on Tuesday.

After searching for something for our bedroom for him to lay on, I found a friend who was selling a metal kennel - a size smaller than the one we have for the front room. I will be meeting her today and we will be keeping that one in our bedroom for him to sleep in.

Having vacation so soon after his surgery is stressing me out, but I know that as long as my mother (our pet sitter) knows what to do and just takes things slow that it will be fine. (I am a nervous Nellie anyway - very high strung).

I would be the same way! After his surgery, whenever Hunter was not in his crate, he was on a leash, by my side.

TC

 

[rszdtrvl]

I picked up a sheet from the vet tech today regarding recovery.

It reads (in a nutshell) :

Strict rest for 2 weeks.
After that 2 weeks, short walks and manually flexing the leg for short periods throughout the day.

I can carry him up/down the back steps for the first few days for potty breaks. As soon as the surgery is over and he is home, I am going to order a pet ramp. With the 2-day shipping at Wayfair.com the ramp should be here as soon as he is able to get on his feet and walk outside by himself.

And a diet for my hefty hound is recommended (we are working on that right now).

 

[rszdtrvl]

I would be the same way! After his surgery, whenever Hunter was not in his crate, he was on a leash, by my side.

TC

I am tempted to have my mom do something similar to this. My problem is that my family just is not careful. Ya know? They just don't take care of things the way we do. I am nervous about many things with them (my mom and younger brother) but really have no choice unless we totally cancel vacation (and for the sanity of the entire family, it is not a good idea).

 

[Tarheel Tink]

We do a fair amount of ACL repairs at our practice and everyone has given great advice! I hope all goes smoothly with your fella.

The towel support while walking at the beginning helps in many cases if dog and/or owner need the assistance. Another version of this is using a fabric grocery shopping bag with the narrow sides cut (like a log carrier) so you have handles to hold. Hope that description makes sense; I am usually physically showing the owner.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Thanks for the shopping bag idea! I may have to grab one when I finish up my grocery shopping today.

The kennel I purchased from my friend would be great, IF he didn't have a leg that would be bandaged up. It is the perfect size for if I wanted to crate train him.

The kennel I purchased online is perfect! It is HUGE and ever since DH and I put it together he has been sleeping in it (during the day - at night he is still sleeping with us). He seems very comfortable in it - probably because of the size.

T-3 days and counting. Still scared, but my fear has to do with putting him under anesthesia, not the actual surgery or recovery (at the moment).

 

[rszdtrvl]

Surgery was today and he made it through like a champ. He did have a lot of arthritis in that leg, as well as a small chip out of his bone.

The vet said that with a lot of rest, he will be doing great.


So glad he made it through okay. I was not nervous about dropping him off for the surgery like I thought I would be. The entire situation was necessary and I did all I could.

We pick him up this evening, or earlier. The vet said that if Lou (the dog) was whining a lot they would have me pick him up earlier, LOL.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Glad he did well.

 

[WDWBarb]

So glad he did well!

 

[mamamary]

Glad the surgery went well.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Thank you!

 

[pumba]

Our Dalmatian had the surgery the last week of July and once in a while she still limps from it..
We kept her on the lower level of our split ...so it was closer to the back door to go potty..she has had to be on a leash for over three months..so she wouldnt run the back yard...then snow and ice came...she has slipped a few times and hurt it ..but not enough to require more surgery.
Keep your dog on a leash when you take it outside to go potty..
She still sleep on the lower level of the split..lsat night she opened the gate and came upstairs and tried to push me out of the bed...

we also had to put things in her way so she wouldnt jump on the couch or chairs ...remember to not let her do that too..

She is going to be ten in April and I am not sure I would let her go thru this again...it has been a long recovery...she still takes a once in a while pain med and also have her on glucosamine tablets..

 

[Amy]

OP - how's your dog doing now?

 

[rszdtrvl]

He is doing good. He kept taking his cone off so we went to the vet yesterday and they refitted it. Vet also looked at his area and said he had minimal swelling and his stitches looked good.

He is walking on it a bit. Mostly meandering around the backyard looking for the perfect potty spot. We are not leashing him outside (yet) because he is not a hunter/darter. His ramp comes today and starting tomorrow he will be leashed outside because he will need to get used to using his ramp to go outside/inside.

He has a couple different dog beds - one is a flat foam one and one is a donut shape with higher sides. He likes them both, and can hobble to both of them.

He yipped when I picked him up out of bed this morning to go potty but it was because he was sleeping on the surgery leg and I know it had to be a bit painful to have it moved. I wish he would sleep on his left side so his surgery leg was up!

He is on 1/2 tsp. of Miralax for each meal right now, as he is having a bit of poo issues. As per my neurotic self worrying about it and the vet gave his okay. I think the medicine is making him a bit constipated.

All in all, he is doing great, I think. His recovery cage is put away, as he has a cone on his head and cones and cages don't mix. Plus, he was close to impossible to get out of his cage.

We are all hanging in there - he is a trooper!

And I am booking my massage for my Las Vegas vacation today - I think I have earned it - lugging a 45 pound (oh - and he started a new diet yesterday too - his weight needs to come down to help in his recovery - he is a chunky Beagle) dog around for 3 weeks (with more to come - I am sure!).

 

[Tuffcookie]

OP, They look so pitiful with the cones on! I went thru a lot of cones during our recuperation period!

When the ramp arrives, you will have to train him to use it. Hunter got the hang of it by offering treats. I would hold the treat over the middle part off the ramp. When he steps on the ramp to get the treat, walk beside the ramp to the bottom, still holding the treat, so he has to walk down it, completely, to get the treat. In no time, he will have no fear of using the ramp.

TC

 

[Amy]

Glad to hear he's doing so well! Our dog had both knees done (18 mos apart) and it was always a shock to see how much they had to shave him! He's a black lab mix, so all black with a white chest, and seeing that black hair gone and white skin underneath was so weird!

And I like the clear cones now! At least the poor dogs can sort of see where they're going instead of bumping into everything.

 

[mamamary]

OP, They look so pitiful with the cones on! I went thru a lot of cones during our recuperation period!

When the ramp arrives, you will have to train him to use it. Hunter got the hang of it by offering treats. I would hold the treat over the middle part off the ramp. When he steps on the ramp to get the treat, walk beside the ramp to the bottom, still holding the treat, so he has to walk down it, completely, to get the treat. In no time, he will have no fear of using the ramp.

TC

Our lab was afraid to use his ramp at first too. We had his built about a week before surgery. We had to keep putting treats on it.

 

[rszdtrvl]

We had a proud moment last night - Lou walked from the front room to the kitchen on the carpet path I made. About 20 feet or so.


And today he has done the same thing twice - once was from his bed to the kitchen when DH was making little smokies, and once a few minutes ago from his bed in back of the couch to the front of the couch because he wanted to watch tv with DH.


He is slowly starting to walk on his own and I am so happy!!

 

[rszdtrvl]

Another update :

He is doing great! Getting up on his own now, and wandering around the house when he feels like doing so. Still resting a lot, which is mandatory for the next week (2 weeks post surgery is supposed to be a lot of resting.)

He is still being carried up and down the stairs, but we are working on ramp training him, starting with just walking across it in the house.

He yipped today, because he decided to use his surgery leg to scratch with. Apparently it didn't hurt too badly, as he used it again to itch his ear.

He is confined to the cone whenever he starts licking his stitches still - he is healing nicely!

Stitches come out in a week - hopefully by that time he will be going up and down the steps by himself with his ramp.

As soon as stitches come out, we need to train him to sleep in HIS bed in our room, instead of OUR bed. That should not be a fun task..... He loves sleeping with mommy and daddy.

Trying to keep this updated, in case someone else has a dog with this surgery and searches on the forum for information.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Another update :

He started using his ramp today and so far so good!

He is harnessed and on a leash, and goes down the ramp great. It takes a bit of coaxing (so far) to get him back up it, but he gets up it by himself too!

Right now we are rewarding him with a treat (he is dieting so he gets a 5cal. treat) when he uses it to get back in the house from a potty break.



He is using his leg like a champ, and I seriously can't wait until he gets those crazy stitches out on Monday!!

 

[stacy~**]

Thanks for continuing to update this. Glad your guy is recovering quickly...I would love another update.

My Corgi mix is having surgery tomorrow. Nervous and scared. Just want to be on the recovery side of things....