https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 01 May 2026 20:30:06 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-965014 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 20:20:25 +0000 tillma 965014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs green grass here is the physical therapy regiment we followed so you can see how much we were doing right away</p> <p><a href="http://ighvet.com/pdf/tplo_form.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://ighvet.com/pdf/tplo_form.pdf</a></p> <p>I cut back a little on her timed walks because we would let her get up and follow us around the house. She also needed to take stairs to get outside and the vet was ok with that too as long as she was supported with a towel under her belly. My vet was my SIL and the surgeon was from the top orthopedic group in the state so I trusted them :happy: My baby is doing great now and X-rays have shown excellent bone healing so it worked great for us! From what my SIL said it isn't the gentle activity you need to be scared of it is a sudden burst of activity like going after a rabbit or jumping on a couch. I think a lot of vets are in favor of confining dogs at first to prevent the possibility of this happening. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-964604 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 18:47:39 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 964604@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tillma: thanks! It's good to know that some docs are ok with walking right away because my dog did last time and will really want to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-964426 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 17:48:35 +0000 tillma 964426@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My pup is on month four of recovery from the same thing. I agree it was hard! We so got in over our heads with the recovery but we made it! My dog was also a danger to herself when locked up so we had to move in with my parents for the first week so I could make it to work. After that we left he unconfined in the living room and kitchen which she was happy with. My dog is 11 so much less active that a little one which helped. Our vet wanted us walking her around immediately (I know there are many varying schools of thought on this) so I let her follow me around the house like she likes to and that helped. We moved our tv into our living room so we would be there during the evenings and the companionship helped her stay calm. I would also take her outside on a short leash and let her lie next to me on the grass so I could watch her and she could get a change of scenery. We gave her frosty paws ice cream treats and peanut butter filled kongs which would entertain her. She would also sit a few feet from me and bat a ball back and forth- I think she knew she didn't feel well enough to leap after it but wanted to play. When all else failed to calm her down we did resort to Xanax a couple of times and that seemed to do the trick. There are also TONS of blogs written by people who have gone through this with their dogs too. I found them so helpful when I was looking for tips on how others handled it. Good luck! You must be a wonderful doggy parent to go through this twice :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-964285 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 17:03:57 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 964285@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaMoose: we did try that last time but it didn't work that well. The vet doesn't like to do it too long because it's also an appetite suppressant. I think we will keep the leash on 24/7. I just bought a large new pet bed. I think if we just focus in two-week increments we might be ok. Maybe? Ugh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-963951 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:34:37 +0000 MamaMoose 963951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: would your vet be willing to prescribe a mild sedative for her to stay on for a longer period? Sounds like she might need something like that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-963933 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:29:23 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 963933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah I'll try a large kong.</p> <p>@MamaMoose: She almost hurt herself more by being crated. She pushed the entire bottom pan out and bent the bars. We are going to try the room pen and see if that keeps her calmer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-963903 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:23:24 +0000 MamaMoose 963903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just went through TPLO. Kong with frozen PB was definitely a good way to keep him chill. But honestly we had to crate him a lot the first few weeks. I know it sucks but it's better to do that and be sure it heals properly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-963883 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:18:54 +0000 Happygal 963883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A kong with frozen food. One of the biggest Kongs you can find! I discovered mixing it with wet dog food works the best. Feed both of her meals in one of those (might be worth investing in two so one can be washed while the other is freezing.)</p> <p>Can she swim? </p> <p>Also, mental stimulation is what truly wears my dog out. I haven't used any of the puzzles for dogs, but there are quite a few and might be worth a shot. Maybe you can come up with some tricks to teach her that don't require much movement during that time, too. I'll continue to think about this for you!</p> <p>Good luck, and keep us updated! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-963819 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:00:40 +0000 pui 963819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs Green Grass: My Leroy loves chewing and they take a loong time to chew through things! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-963803 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 14:58:18 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 963803@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pui: yeah, i'll definitely do that. She gets really aggressive with toys, but I can get some special bones... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-963768 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 14:52:39 +0000 pui 963768@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe get some great stuff she loves to chew to keep her occupied and off her feet? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tips-for-dog-knee-surgery-recovery#post-963756 Thu, 25 Jul 2013 14:50:59 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 963756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My poor puppy is having her second knee surgery today (TPLO - they put a pin in her patella tendon to keep her kneecap in place).</p> <p>The first one was a bitch!!! She is a super active young dog. We are planning to confine her to our family room with a gate (on leash) but will not crate her. That did not go well last time. We need to keep her off the couches, so I'm going to make the floor really comfy and put stuff on the couches. </p> <p>The first few days will be okay because she'll be sedated, but afterwards is so hard!!! She's not supposed to be walking or off-leash for at least 6 weeks.</p> <p>Any tips? </p>