Help! I need to prepare

[carche]

Hi,
Mia's surgery is Thursday on both knees. The vet suggested I leave her for the first 3 days to rehab her but she would be unattended from 6 pm to 7 am the next day, everyday. I did not feel comfortable with this so I asked the surgeon if it was ok to take her home after the surgery and then take her back in the morning for rehab to which he agreed. If any one has been through this process, I would really appreciate your help regarding the following:

1- Do I need to purchase a soft crate to bring her home in or can I carry her home 1/2 block (by car of course)

2- She sleeps with me now, will she be able to sleep with us or do I need to crate her?

3- What should I expect the first couple of nights?

4- Etc....

I really appreciate your help!!! Really anxious,

Chris

[PreciousPrince]

Only advice I have is to make sure she has a bath before since who knows the next time she can get one. I hope everything goes well!

[tamizami]

QUOTE (carche @ Feb 8 2010, 05:45 PM)

Hi,
Mia's surgery is Thursday on both knees. The vet suggested I leave her for the first 3 days to rehab her but she would be unattended from 6 pm to 7 am the next day, everyday. I did not feel comfortable with this so I asked the surgeon if it was ok to take her home after the surgery and then take her back in the morning for rehab to which he agreed. If any one has been through this process, I would really appreciate your help regarding the following:

1- Do I need to purchase a soft crate to bring her home in or can I carry her home 1/2 block (by car of course)

2- She sleeps with me now, will she be able to sleep with us or do I need to crate her?

3- What should I expect the first couple of nights?

4- Etc....

I really appreciate your help!!! Really anxious,

Chris[/B]

Good suggestion for the bath, and also a trim if she is in coat. We started physical therapy 2 weeks before the surgery, then waited until 2 weeks after the surgery to begin again, per our surgeon's instructions.

1. she needs to be crated at night and in a crate or hard sided bag for the trip home. instead of putting nice bedding in the crate, for the first couple of nights put a wee-wee pad. anesthesia can cause irregular potty-ing......hopefully they will wrap her tail before surgery so it will be wrapped for the first few days in case she has diarrhea. be sure to have canned pumpkin (not the pie filling!) on hand just in case - about a half or teaspoon full each meal should keep poo firm.

2. at night put her crate on the nightstand next to your pillow so she is still "sleeping" with you.

3. our surgeon insists on no visits the day of surgery and a mandatory night in the hospital. of course, this was a fully staffed ER hospital with 24 hour vets/surgeons on hand and hourly status checks by vet techs with pain medication administered every 6 hours.

4. the next afternoon i was able to go visit her and decided to take her home, altho the surgical center would have kept her another night. giving her pain meds is a little upsetting cuz you have to syringe it and she wasn't happy with that. the first night home i had wee-wee pads ready for her to go potty, but she tried to take a couple of steps towards the door to go to the potty box on the deck, so i carried her out there. you can use a towel or belt to help prop your pup up so they can eliminate more easily.

our surgeon didn't use casts, so be prepared to see scarey stitches. also, we were sent home with a soft-sided cone and those are way more comfortable for the pups than the hard ones. i did a photo diary here (sorry, its in reverse order), hopefully this will help answer your questions. good luck with your sweet baby!

[michellerobison]

I can understand the wanting to bring her home and to sleep w/ you. I would follow vet's orders. If her 3 days rehab is before surgery,I would do as they ask,pets can get very stressed going to the vet,imagine going 3 days in a row,poor thing would be freaking out. If she's there a couple days before,she will settle into a ruitine and be less nervous before surgery.

I understand the "no visits" the day before,our Amy used to get so scared at vet visits,he'd ask us to leave the room and she'd settle down a bit. If she saw us,she'd cry and fight more. It was more traumatic to have us in the room because she wanted us,so we'd step out for a couple minites,he'd finish the exam and we'd go back in. It was traumatic for us too,we'd feel bad,just leaving her for a couple minutes....

I would follow vet's orders,as much as it hurts to do so,missing her so much...I would crate her next to you for sleeping,I wouldn't want to take the chance to bump or even roll on her in the night and hurt her. I know it's hard. But better to have her near the bed than in it after surgery.

It'll be over before you know it and she'll be so much happier and healthier.
Hugs to your baby girl from the dust mop gang and myself.

[3Maltmom]

You know, I've been through a few patella surgeries, and all have gone in the morning, and picked up the same afternoon.

All done by a specialist, with directions for home therapy. I have not had a problem. I just worry, that some may not
be able to take on the cost, when it may not be needed. Thus, the dog, not getting his leg/legs fixed.

My home therapy, with LBB, was really nothing other than making sure he was confined, with limited leg movement.
Although limited, it was very important he did have enough room to use the leg (somewhat). No cast, as they do want
some movement, which in and of itself, is therapy.

LBB thrived. So did the others.

I also have, a very dear friend, on this forum, who had doubles done, with the same care, and advice, I've followed.

I really don't want people to think the cost, and care, is soooo much. Of course, always follow your heart, and instincts.
If the money is too steep, then please get a second opinion from another specialist.

Edit to say: My Opinion is through my experiences only, and some may be worse off than others. But, yep, I've been thru
a few high grades, which are now awesome. If there is something I am missing, then feel free to let me know, as I do not understand
why the expensive therapy/vet stay, on a high-grade patella, yet we've been through high-grade patella surgery, and years have gone by.
Is there a chance, without the therapy, their will be a problem years from now? Just curious, as I'm only looking out for the best of my dogs,
the rescues, and owners, who are facing this. It is soooo common.

[bellasmummy]

Hiya

Im really no help to any of your questions but just wanted to with Mia the best of luck and let you know we will be thinking of her (and you of course too ) xx

[Snowbody]

No advice from me either. Just sending love and thoughts and prayers that it goes well.

[donnad]

Sending prayers for your baby and a speedy recovery.

[cuevasfam]

I can't give advice either because I'm in the same boat as you (only Ruby is having 1 leg done). She is in surgery now and I don't get to pick her up until tomorrow. My vet did not mention "therapy" but did state that she will need to stay pretty quiet and confined. She won't have a cast either because they do want her moving her leg a little.

Anyway, my prayers and happy thoughts are with you... Good luck and keep us posted.

[MalteseJane]

QUOTE (3Maltmom @ Feb 8 2010, 11:39 PM)

You know, I've been through a few patella surgeries, and all have gone in the morning, and picked up the same afternoon.

All done by a specialist, with directions for home therapy. I have not had a problem. I just worry, that some may not
be able to take on the cost, when it may not be needed. Thus, the dog, not getting his leg/legs fixed.

My home therapy, with LBB, was really nothing other than making sure he was confined, with limited leg movement.
Although limited, it was very important he did have enough room to use the leg (somewhat). No cast, as they do want
some movement, which in and of itself, is therapy.

LBB thrived. So did the others.

I also have, a very dear friend, on this forum, who had doubles done, with the same care, and advice, I've followed.

I really don't want people to think the cost, and care, is soooo much. Of course, always follow your heart, and instincts.
If the money is too steep, then please get a second opinion from another specialist.

Edit to say: My Opinion is through my experiences only, and some may be worse off than others. But, yep, I've been thru
a few high grades, which are now awesome. If there is something I am missing, then feel free to let me know, as I do not understand
why the expensive therapy/vet stay, on a high-grade patella, yet we've been through high-grade patella surgery, and years have gone by.
Is there a chance, without the therapy, their will be a problem years from now? Just curious, as I'm only looking out for the best of my dogs,
the rescues, and owners, who are facing this. It is soooo common.[/B]

I am with you on this one. Alex had a torn cruciate ligament. They fixed that and the patella. I got him in in the morning and took him home in the afternoon, done by a specialist who came to our vet clinic to do the surgery. I had a kind of gel to rub on the inside of his ear for the pain, had to wear a glove on my finger to do it as not to be affected myself by the medicine. At night we put him between us in the bed. We didn't do anything special during the day, just made sure he was not going to jump on anything. His leg was bandaged. The next year we had to do his other leg and this time the leg was not bandaged. This is far better. I think they get over it quicker that way. After surgery they have to get used to the bandage and then when they take it off, it's getting used to the leg all over again. I almost cried when they took off the bandage and he tried to put his leg down. This did not happen the second time. We never did therapy. I don't think confining them completely is a good thing. They want them to start using and putting the leg down as early as possible. All in all it takes about 6 weeks to complete recovery. Alex is now 13-1/2 years old, you would not think he had surgery on his back legs. There was no therapy and I gave supplements only for a short while. Stopped because I didn't believe they were really helping.