Leash walking is not an issue since she only walks short distances and lies down. Once you figure out what is causing the pain, your vet can determine the best course of treatment. In addition, he will be walking, and will suddenly lift his leg up, and is unable to bear amy weight on it. And he is stil mobile without a limp. I completely understand what a challenge it can be to live with a grumpy old senior pup. For example, consider hanging a sign on your door that says Do not knock or ring the doorbell. You dont want your dog leaping up and sprinting to the door every time you have a visitor or delivery person. It is stressful enough to find out that your dog has torn his or her cruciate ligament. I feel like you may need to do some more investigation to get an answer. Her fur is also starting to grow back so that is helping as well. Do you know how much this is likely to affect her recovery? Hopefully the surgical site has healed enough that the trazodone is not necessary anymore. Start by doing several short (three to four minutes at a time) E-collar training sessions a day. If you think your dog might need to go to the bathroom, try a short leash walk. Both Daisys hind legs were lame and she was unable to stand. Do NOT do just one leg if he is having trouble on both. You can unsubscribe at any time. Dont forget to download ourAT-HOME REHABILITATION GUIDE FOR TPLO SURGERY. Can you tell me if this is similar to your dogs rejection symptoms? Other signs your dog is in pain include: If you are seeing signs of pain, please talk to your veterinarian. We are seven months post op and she is VERY active. I am sure this will be a ray of hope for Jennifer and others in a similar situation. Finally, a dog may also shake because he or she is feeling a bit chilled. This is a squishy pocket of fluid that often gets bigger for a few days then goes away on its own. He had to have TPLO surgery on his left leg on 22 Aug 2022, as well as a meniscus repair. Taking Your Dog to the Vet: 15 Tips for Success, 15 Tips to Stop Your Dog Slipping on the Floor, 10 Lifesaving Touches: Dr. Buzby's 5-Minute Dog Wellness. I got tramadol for Domino, and it helped tremendously. I am surprised you are seeing this issue 3 years after your dogs TPLO! Do you think hydrotherapy would help this late post surgery/is there a chance the hardware in her leg is bad? You only get one chance to help your dogs TPLO heal correctly. she showed no signs of improvement and would limp and not use her leg. I was told by the surgeon that the tear was bad & since she was limping it needed to be repaired to take pressure off the other knee & hips. Every dose includes up to 90+ fatty acids, including EPA, DHA & ETA, shown to have powerful natural anti-inflammatory benefits resulting in a more noticeable comfortable, happier & active dog. Night One at home was tough but manageable. I am so sorry your girl is having issues with her right knee just weeks after surgery on the left. We welcome your comments and questions about senior dog care. Rosies injury was a progressive onset, bad arthritis in both knees & diagnosed with hip dysplasia in both hips. He seemed to have made a pretty strong recovery from both. Your dogs leg will be sore, so expect hesitant walking. Get prescription saving tips and more from GoodRx Health. Wishing you the best of luck! Sometimes, other things indicate a potential injury, such as a popping or clicking noise when your dog walks. They can assess Miltons mobility and offer you the best exercises and ways to get his recovery back on track. Then it may change over time to purple or shades of yellowish-green. I understand your concern about your Husky and his mobility deficits since his TPLO surgery. Hi Nikki, Sorry for posting again. Wishing you the best of luck and a speedy and full recovery for Dakota. Jennifer. Dr. Buzbys ToeGripsinstant traction for senior and special needs dogs who struggle to walk on slippery floors. Haha! The latter is a common problem, which results in severe lameness on a back leg. Wishing your pup the best for a complete recovery. thigh bone). He is scheduled to have the surgery tomorrow morning. I did take two vacation days immediatley after her surgery, and my husband was on shift work. Complications post-op such as draining tracts are not common but still very possible. I did call his vet but was told to just watch him. The recovery process typically follows the timeline in the below chart. Is this lack of ROM normal this far out from surgery? Daisys surgery went very well. I have contacted the vet and I dont think they are understanding what Im trying to communicate. The top section of the tibia is then rotated backward until the angle between the tibia and femur is deemed . It is a huge amount of work to support the whole back end while the dog recovers. 2 years later and now he has a cyst like looking sore on his knee. Our dog continues to favor his right rear leg by not fully bearing weight and doing some toe tapping. The reason a vet would do both legs is to minimize the total amount of recovery time. Hes just not himself. She was supposed to have the second one done a month later, but her 4-week x-rays showed that the bone was healing slower than anticipated due to too much activity at home. Any insight/ advice? TPLO surgery is a surgical method of correcting a damaged cruciate ligament in the knee. It is a good sign that your girl doesnt seem to be in any pain. You may end up with a dog who has arthritis and has limited mobility if the surgery is not done. So, no matter what surgical technique/procedure is performed, you are almost guaranteed to have arthritis form in the joint earlier than what would have happened prior to the injury. She has over the last week or so developed a cyst on the inside of her TPLO leg . My 130 pound Anatolian Shepherd had bilateral TPLO surgery 5 weeks ago. Automatically re-order your favorite She is being taken out 4-5 times daily, but we are still using the belly harness for a little extra help. Thanks for the good words Cynthia. The increased heat can cause your dog to absorb more fentanyl than normal, which can be dangerous. His left knee has healed up and his right knee hasnt been acting up. I hope you can find the answers you need to get your boy back to his normal active self. Yesterday I noticed a lump on the inner aspect of her right knee. I hate seeing him like this and I blame myself for this happening, but he was doing so well for the longest time and its been 5 months since he had gotten the surgery done. would walk to go outside. The cost of TPLO surgery in dogs varies depending on the region and who is performing the surgery. It is odd that she would start having trouble this far out from surgery after previously returning to normal function. I personally would not do both legs at the same time. Even if you have done everything right, complications can still arise and would need to be addressed. TPLO surgery is more costly than other surgeries. Vet recommended we do both at the same time. Ellie Mae, my 3 yr old Labrador Retriever who goes full throttle 24/7 came up lame and was found to have bilateral ccl injuries, 100% rupture in the right and 50% on the left. And it can be logistically difficult if you have multiple dogs who normally play together to run off their energy. Although the TPLO is a great surgery to repair a torn ACL in dogs, it is not the only option, therefore it is best to have a conversation with your veterinarian or veterinary surgeon and discuss which option would be best for your dog. I am not sure I can put her through another TPLO as she had a really tough time including gastroenteritis from the NSAIDs, pain meds, and was not eating or drinking well. But this can introduce thousands of harmful bacteria into the incision and lead to post-op infections. The recovery time for these two surgeries is similar, but dogs typically take a little longer to be fully comfortable after the TTA surgery. our dog had TTA surgery 4 weeks ago. cost considerations can also influence owners in electing to perform TPLO surgery in comparison to other treatment options. Be sure to use a barrier between your dogs skin and the ice, such as a towel. Sometimes these therapeutic modalities can also be helpful prior to surgery. Hi Fatima, Without examining him myself, I cant make specific conclusions as to why this is still an issue. They can also let you know what goals are realistic to attain and what to watch for should things not be progressing like expected. Veterinary Partner. Hoping all is well and your pup is back to living her best life. If it were me, I would ask for some follow up X-rays to see what is going on. UK: 1,750 - 6,000. She tries to jump up on as all the time, pulls at her leash and is a wild lady outside for bathroom time. This SHOULD be ok but if there is any way to reduce your dogs activity, I would highly recommend making some changes. When I leave the house and come back for example he bounces off that leg in excitement, he is off all his medication now. Were the surgeries performed by an orthopedic surgeon? Regardless of which surgery you choose the key to long-term success is in the aftercare ie. RETURN TO TOP, The cost of TPLO surgery can vary dramatically depending on who is doing the surgery, where the surgery is being performed, and what part of the country you live in. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) surgery corrects the injury and has a high success rate of restoring function to the knee. His own office is about 5 hours away and has rehab facilities, including an under water treadmill where she can exercise without all the weight of her size. Hi Cheryl, Sometimes this can be an issue with double coated breeds and is seen commonly if they are taken to a groomer to be shaved for the summer. I am hopeful your big guy can find some relief and get back to living his best life soon. Hoping all is well and the recovery process is progressing as expected. With that being said, certain surgical procedures come with lifelong changes that have to be made post-op to prevent reinjury. The cost for two seems almost impossible to fathom ($12,000ish). Thank you for the kind words and positive feedback! Our vet said that he may not need the second surgery because of the brace and how well hes responding to it once his other heals so we thought there was no harm in trying. Thankfully, this often resolves in a few days, and there are dosing strategies to make it less profound. Without examining your dog, myself, it is hard to know for sure why he doesnt have full use of his leg. As mentioned before the best-case scenario is that you find a professional canine rehabilitation facility in your area and set up an appointment for soon after your dogs surgery. Hello. The recovery for TPLO surgery was easier than the broken leg. Ellie is now 2 weeks out from surgeryshe is over being confined, wants to run and play and tells me about it daily! The vet required her to be crated for about 3 weeks, only be taken out on leash, not allowed to get up and run/walk around until she had healed, then its a series of short walks until they are back to normal, which is about total5- 6 weeks. How are things today? Am I just wishful thinking and should just bite the bullet and get surgery on his other leg? I understand your concern about your pups chances at returning to normal function post-op. Sometimes this can be avoided if the affected leg is exercised in the right ways such as stretching and passive range of motion done at home. For dogs, injuries to the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) a ligament that helps hold the knee together are common. I posted on a few days ago but Im not finding the comment. I have 4 children with three of them attending university right now. Without examining her myself, I cant say for sure what the cause could be. Encore Mobility combines the powers of green lipped mussel for dogs and New Zealand deer antler velvet for dogs. I understand how much work this is when you have a large dog. Easily change the products or shipping She doesnt seem to be in pain, but is not willing to let me massage her leg. For 4 months after the surgery, dont let your dog run, jump, play roughly, or climb stairs. She has some bruising and has developed fluid sacks around her hocks, which we massage constantly. Dogs and Knee Surgery: Understanding TPLO Surgery - MedVet And a full recovery can take up to 6 months. Now in existence for over 20 years, the surgery has proven itself time and time again, to be an extremely effective long-term solution for addressing this injury in dogs, providing quicker recovery and superior long-term results. The leg can definitely still recover without the exercises being done. I recommend creating your dogs recovery space in an area of the house where he or she normally hangs out. Hi Carolyn, I hope you find out that Happy is doing well. You are doing a great job. Is the end goal to make the trembling go away? That way, should you need to open the door, you can have your dog on a leash first. Almost 3 weeks into antibiotics and the cyst like looking sore is gone but there is still a noticeable lump left. I applaud your for advocating for your Labs wellbeing. Thats a lot for anyone to go through in such a short period of timesounds like your girl is a fighter! The cost for 1 is astronomical ($6,000-$8,000). I live in a very remote, rural location and the surgeon comes to the local vets office about once every 4-6 weeks. She is eight out of ten: lethargic.. She hasnt had pain meds in three days, BTW. Ive started to do joint flexes and extensions of her knees, ankles and toes 4 times a day after heating pad application. They can let you know if your pup is progressing normally or if they need to intervene in some way. The mental activity also tires dogs out, so dont underestimate its magic. Most dogs benefit more from surgery or physical therapy. I do think it would be best to have your vet take a look at your dog prior to the 2 week recheck. I have discussed this with my vet and they just gave me more pain killers but I do feel something is more seriously wrong. Since I havent examined your pup myself, I cant make specific conclusions. It might be a good idea to have some routine lab work checked or discuss the possibility of an abdominal ultrasound with your vet. Typically, treatment involves warm compresses. Realistically, I would much rather have post-op patients walk slowly and carefully than charge around like crazy. When she first gets up she still tends to knuckle on her right foot. Snuffle matsThese fabric mats or balls have pockets, flaps, and tassels where you can hide small treats. Brooks, W. (2021). Next, the surgeon manually rotates the separated piece of the tibia to change the angle at which the top of the tibia and bottom of the femur meet. Too much activity can prevent bone healing causing a non-union or complete lack of bone growth in the cut/fractured area. After scouring the internet and talking w/two family friends who are vets, we decided on TPLO. Our dog came from a breeder there. I hope you can find the answers you need, and you receive good news at the recheck. lampshade, that is put on dogs after surgery. At our last appointment (8 weeks post) he told us some favoring at times could be normal during the process of slowly returning to normal activity (maybe too much activity too soon), but we had none. My 80 lb GSD mix had bilateral tplo about five weeks ago and Im concerned his progress is slow. When i allow her to walk faster, she seems fine however as soon as i pull back and make her walk slow, she seems like she struggles. Wishing you both the best! Since its summer in Australia, if you could send some of that warm weather this direction, that would be great! TPLO Surgeons Fee - $974.40 - Price veterinary surgeon charges to perform TPLO operation. My dog had a TPLO on 11/7 so she is about 2.5 weeks out. It appears that in my dogs case, one caused the other. The surgeon said this was the absolute best option to let her live her remaining years pain free and healthy. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). I am not sure if this is a complication from the TPLO or if there is something else contributing to these symptoms and complicating matters. I think having both stifles done at the same time places a lot of stress on your dog, Im not sure where you live but I am in AUSTRALIA Queensland my American Bulldog had tore his Ligament (left) right off the bone so I went to a specialist who , performed TPLO my dog was walking in 1 week small walks 18 months later he Ruptured his Right stifle and had TPLO with same recovery rates. She just wasnt making much progress. Youll have to partner with the specialist to decide what the goal of therapy will be. If he is still struggling in this area you might want to take a look at ToeGrips! If not, it could be helpful to see a specialist to have things checked out. Try turning on a video of dogs at the dog park, zoo animals, squirrels, or whatever else your dog may enjoy. I took to giving 4 mo puppy treats to Domi (even tho hes 8 or 9!) A common but usually harmless gabapentin side effect is sleepiness and an unsteady gait. Khuly, P. (n.d.). Or work on the leave it command. Did her x-rays look normal? The bone cut is called an osteotomy. Dog Surgery Recovery Stories & Information | Best Dog Joint Supplements Hi Jennifer, He has been weight bearing with limited limping the whole time. Good luck and best wishes! When a dog tears its ACL, every time the dog goes to stand or put weight on the leg, the femur slides/rubs on the back of the tibia. It is completely normal for him to not be putting much weight on the leg only 1-week post-surgery. I am the one who wrote for advice as my germanshort-haired pointer was recommended to have both knees done. Being around you makes your dog feel more secure and it also makes it easier for you to keep an eye on him or her. So you may want to take someone with you to your dogs discharge appointment and/or have someone available once you get home to help you get your dog in and out of the car. However, im unsure about where she should be at the moment in terms of progress. Hi Nico. HELP! Our bishop had ACL surgery recently. GoodRx is not offering advice, recommending or endorsing any specific prescription drug, pharmacy or other information on the site. I am hopeful Paddy will go on to make a full recovery. Without treatment, they might adapt to the injury. I dont know your circumstances, but if you live in a more populated location, there may be rehab available close to you. I pray your boy will continue to heal and have many happy days ahead. Like all of us, we would be filled with sadness should we lose her early. I am also doing very, very gentle touch and a sort of reiki/super gentle massage. Not very good odds. You dont have to go to a specialist for this. Make sure you are honest about your concerns. With some preparation ahead of time, careful adherence to the discharge instructions from the orthopedic surgeon, and a good measure of patience, Im confident you and your dog can get through a TPLO recovery together. Teddy recovering in the wards, the evening after his TPLO surgery. They have since grown back. RETURN TO TOP. I do think it is a bit odd he is not fully weight bearing after 4.5 months of recovery. They may need to take some x-rays to evaluate the surgical site and plate. Also, here is a link to another article all about braces for dogs: The Dog ACL Brace: 5 Surprising Answers to the Question To Brace or Not to Brace This is where his or her people are and where he or she feels comfortable. So, the knee can definitely heal without the exercises, but she may have only partial mobility of the joint once she is fully recovered. If it wasnt reinjured, the clicking sound could eventually go away. Her knee is also still pretty bulky which I am assuming is normal at this stage. She is walking on her leg most of the time, occasionally lifting it when standing. A torn cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is a common knee injury for dogs similar to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries for humans. Anyone else had problems? He allowed me to do the passive range of motion to his knee, but did not seem to have much feeling. I will say that I tend to recommend them in very few cases. My Lab had bilateral TOLO surgery in October and has had really irradiated skin ever since. Sirius had bilateral TPLO - both knees operated on at the same time. Then you can gradually increase how much exercise your dog gets until he or she is back to normal activity levels.