TPLO checkup

Oops, this was put in drafts on 1/31/13

Duncan had his incision check today. They were slammed, so we got our information second hand from the tech. The surgeon didn't feel any swelling, and Duncan's got good range of motion. So far, so good on the road to recovery.

He's now cleared to wander the first level of the house, take the stairs (slowly) to the basement, and use the treadmill we have in the basement for his rehabilitation walks. If we had sidewalks, if the neighbors didn't let their aggressively territorial animals roam, if I was healthier and more stable on my feet, we'd do it together. I figure I'm good for 3 ten minute walks a day, and then we'll have to supplement with treadmill time. As it is, he's the dog who'd go trotting down the stairs and park himself on the treadmill, so I think he'll enjoy his rehab walks.

He's been enjoying his frozen meals, frozen cucumber, carrots and other low-cal treats. His fur is growing back. He's no longer Naked Butt, he's Stubble Butt.

He's very happy with his progress. He's been peeing with his weight resting on his TPLO side, trying to run during his potty walks (He's gone from wandering on a 10 foot leash to getting about 3 feet of slack to work with), tries to get us to play fetch with him, and tried to jump into the truck for his checkup. I'm so glad I was worried about his shoulders and put the time in years ago to teach him to step from the seat to the floor to the running board and then out, as it means we have a chance to support his rear as he leaves the vehicle.

One month out

Duncan's up to 15 minute walks outside, and ten or 12 on the treadmill depending on when the head bob starts to happen. He can't compensate and walk in curves on the treadmill, so he uses his TPLOed knee more there, and it seems to tire him. He's had some morning stiffness, but he seems content with how his leg works. Of course, I'm still not sure how much of this is him over-using his right leg, so he's still restricted on many things.

I can see he's still losing muscle on his left thigh, so we haven't yet hit the point where he's using it enough to bulk up. I wish I knew more about standard times and how this should be going. I'm not too worried yet, and he seems to be using it more as the days go by.

Judging by the warnings that he wouldn't really start to use his leg until six weeks out, and he's been using it since a couple of days after the surgery, he's too stoic for me to trust I'll see when he's in pain. I think this means he's doing well, but again, I'm not sure.


Strider, having seen Duncan on the treadmill, wanted a turn. I've started leaving him in a different room, as he's so excited he bark/screams about his turn. I worry about my hearing with his big voice. His first time was a minute on leash, and he was all excited and happy. Second time, I let him do it off leash, and he was stomping the front engine compartment to make it go faster. He was on about a minute and a half, having a grand time. He's too young for this to be a large part of his exercise, but it's nice to know he has no fear of the machine.