By Bosquebay
Once the x-rays confirmed the presence of adequate bone healing, the rehabilitation regime began. During this time, her activities gradually increased in order to stretch the surgery scar tissue and strengthen the knee muscles.
Her degree of activity gradually increased as long as she remained comfortable at all times. Again, no explosive activities such as running, jumping, or playing were allowed.
During weeks 9-10, activity is comprised of progressively longer walks on a short lead.
We increased her walks to 1/2 mile to see how she would respond. She seemed fine so we gradually increased the distance every few days as her comfort level permitted.
Remember, if your pet appears to be uncomfortable with the increased distance, cut the length back to the last distance they were comfortable with.
By weeks 11-12, I knew we were going to make it.
We put her on a long lead allowing her the freedom to trot back and forth, increasing the use in of her legs. We found the distance was harder to judge, so it was important to monitor her comfort level.
Like her, we were getting very excited about her progress.
She could be off lead with a little activity. She needed to be under our voice command, with no other dogs around, no ball playing, Frisbee catching, or other distractions.
It’s crucial to avoid any activities where your pet’s full concentration is thrown into the activity without any regards to their body.
After week 12 unrestricted activity is allowed, and life returns to normal.
Additional time is required to help rehabilitate atrophied muscles and range of motion in the knee(s).
Our girl had her surgery in April, so it was a long hot summer for her being a Husky/Chow mix.
Because both back legs, her back (where they did the epidural), and her front leg (where they inserted the IV) were shaved, she looked like a bad poodle cut gone wrong.
As extra preventative care the long-term use of a cartilage-protecting drug like glucosamine and chondroitin 1,000-1,500 mg, is highly recommended, along with fish oil too.
What a bunch of wonderful doctors, assistants, and PT workers. We couldn’t have asked for better treatment for her. It’s been eight months now and you’d never know she had both knees replaced. All activities are back to normal and she is loving life.
In late July, she was given permission by her Physical Therapist to do what she loves best – go on the jet ski and camping. We had our girl back.
By Bosquebay
In the last segment on healing from TTA Surgery, we covered icing down your dogs knee(s) after surgery. This will cover exercise, constipation and pain relief.
For pain relief she had a Fentanyl pain patch located on her foot, which was removed after five days. Then she started taking anti-pain medication.
Constipation with the Fentanyl pain patch is a potential side effect, so we gave her canned pumpkin and this brought much relief.
• Discourage your pet from licking at their incision(s). Licking may lead to chewing and your pet may remove sutures by doing so.
• Knee movement will benefit the rehabilitation process and should be encouraged. We began range of motion exercises of her knee joints as soon as she allowed manual manipulation — directly after ice packing.
• You should schedule an appointment with your surgeon about 10-14 days after surgery. This is to confirm tissue healing and for suture removal. X-ray’s are scheduled at eight weeks, to confirm bone healing.
• Short walks of less than 1/4 mile, at a slow pace, are acceptable for the first four weeks. Always use a leash and belly sling. Do not let your pet take any stairs or steps without the support of the sling.
• Starting with weeks 5-8, she could walk 1/4 to 1/2 mile. And as long as she wasn’t sore after these walks, we performed them multiple times throughout the day.
The doctor imposes these instructions during the bone healing process to secure the surgical results. Still, no free activities are allowed until after healing has occurred – which is confirmed by x-rays.
Now the fun really begins and the rehabilitation process starts in earnest.
The first eight weeks were a long road, but our girl was such a great patient – we were very proud of her.
She tolerated the icing of her legs, never licked her incisions, and she understood she wasn’t allowed to run and play.
To judge her comfort level, we watched to see if she got excited about more activity. Did she seem stiff? Did she complain? If so, we had to reduce the amount of her activity.
But by this time, I have to tell you, she was ready to go!
At this point, we hooked her to a recliner near her bed in the living room, and this is where she hung out while we were home.
By Bosquebay
Let’s go step by step through the first three months following your pet’s surgery.
But first, it’s important to remember that our girl had bilateral TTA surgery – meaning she had both knees operated on at the same time – and this isn’t very common.
So let’s get started…
- The first and most critical step in your pet’s recovery is keeping them confined during the first eight weeks after surgery. Although there is less than a 4% likelihood the tibial tubercle may fracture during the early postoperative period, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
There are basically three options that are allowed:
- You can typically have your pet in the house under your (or someone you trust) immediate control, on a carpeted area, with no play.
- Keep your pet in a dog crate, especially if they’ll be left unattended.
- And the option we used, was using two dog gates in our entry way, creating a fully carpeted pen. This gave her the ability to interact with the family and gave us the ability to watch her closely.
Plus, it helped with taking her outside to relieve herself, preventing her sister from interacting with her.
I can’t stress enough the importance of following the surgeon’s instructions to a tee.
We used a harness when we took our girl outside. This especially helped because for the first four weeks following surgery she required support with a belly sling to minimize stress on the surgery sites.
- It’s also recommended, for the first eight weeks after surgery, to reduce your pet’s food intake by 10-15% to prevent excess weight gain.
- The use of ice packs — 15 minutes, three times a day for the first three days — is highly recommended.
Inflammation and swelling are usually worse the first 2-3 days following surgery.
We iced our girl down with a frozen bag of peas wrapped in a towel, every two hours almost 24-7. She rarely had swelling and when she did, it was minimal.
Cold therapy helps reduce tissue swelling and decreases the sensation of pain.
Next post we will cover the first four weeks after surgery.
I have been in the Dog World for 35 years. Owning my own Dog grooming business, kennels, and shot clinic. I have owned horses, sheep, dogs, and birds. This is Bailey and BJ the loves of my life.
Once the x-rays confirmed the presence of adequate bone healing, the rehabilitation regime began. During this time, her activities gradually increased in order to stretch the surgery scar tissue and strengthen the knee muscles.
