# Luxating Patella Surgery was today



## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Well, my original post was leading up to this upcoming event,  found here.

Tawni cried all the way to Reno, 65 mile trip at 6:30 this morning. Poor thing, I could hear her tummy rumbling all the way because she couldn't have any breakfast. 
Got to the animal hospital and she started shaking like a leaf, she was terrified. Met with the surgeon, who was actually quite nice, he felt around her knees and confirmed that the right was definately in need of major surgery but he didn't feel the left was as bad, so yes, it was agreed a # 3 & #1 luxation. He said the right one would need extensive repair and he would take a peek at the left and do a little "preventative" care on it. So, I left my "concerned parent" list for him covering everything from watching her glucose level to her not wanting to eat. He sent me home, said there is no way I can take her home today, but call this afternoon.

Well, I have called. Surgery went very well, he said. He admitted though that he had made a huge mistake and was amazed when he opened up the better of the two legs. He said what he thought was grade #1 was actually a grade #3! He said both knees were just equally as horrible. He assures me that they are both well fixed and she will not have any issues ever again. 

He deepened the groove for the patella to sit in, then realligned the tibia, then reattached the tendons. This was done to both legs. He confirmed it was a hereditary condition. Forgot to ask if she had pins or not put in, will ask tomorrow.
I have to call first thing in the morning, he was mentioning releasing her after lunch time.

Stopped off at the store on the way home and bought a baby Pack-n-Play. Figured it would be quite useful for keeping her contained in. Have the x-pen too, plus her wire cage. Like the Pack-n-Play though, it has wheels so I can just roll her around the house!

Will post more when I call in the morning. And will post pics when I get her home.


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## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

Glad little Tawni came thru the surgery fine! I'm sure you'll both be so happy to be re-united tomorrow. Wil be praying she has an easy and speedy recovery!


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## LUCY N PETS (Apr 21, 2009)

Glad the surgery went well and hope she recovers quickly with no complications. It sounds like the vet was very thorough and did what was best for her. I am so happy for her that she can have a happy carefree and painless time now.

Lucy


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## Tanner's Mom (May 27, 2005)

Aw, I'm glad the surgery went well. It's tough when we have to be away from our babies, but she'll be good as new soon.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Oh, I'm so glad all is well and she can now recover.

You should consider getting a stroller for her. I used one when Claire was spayed and it made her life so much better. I could roll her everywhere I went and she just loved that! She even slept in it. In fact, even now, some nights she barks in her huge crate and wants to get in her stroller to sleep! I roll it up to the bed and she loves that! The stroller is particularly great because of its height. They can see things at eye level and I really think it makes them feel secure. 

We have the Happy Trails... http://justpetstrollers.com/


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## revakb2 (Sep 8, 2006)

Get well quick, little Tawni.


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## KAG (Jun 1, 2006)

Aww, I bet you'll be feeling so much better when you see her tomorrow. Get well soon, little Tawni.
xoxox


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Yes, when they do the tibial tuberosity transpositioning, there will be pins (or sometimes wires). Occasionally the pins later have to be removed, but it is a very quick procedure.


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## njdrake (Apr 23, 2007)

I'm so happy the surgery went well and I hope she has a fast and full recovery. 
Big hugs to Tawni. 
:grouphug:


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## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

Wow, Kathy, that was fast! I'm so happy to hear that Tawni is doing well after the surgery. I hope she has a quick recovery - the first few days are the worst but these little ones heal so quickly its amazing! Call me if you have any questions or concerns or just want to chat. 

Hugs to you and Tawni,


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Thanks everyone!!!

Funny, I was looking at strollers yesterday! We live in a very sandy area (Nevada desert) so was trying to find one with 4 wheels that has the tires you can put air in, not the hard plastic type tires.

It has been a very long day without the little girl underfoot. The big dogs are trying to figure out where she went. I made her a quilt today for the pack-n-play and also a wooly fleece blanket, something to pass the time.

I am going to bed now, will post in the morning when I hear more from the surgeon.


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## ilovemymaltese (Oct 9, 2008)

Praying for a speedy recovery! rayer: rayer:


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## lovesophie (Jan 28, 2008)

I'm glad her surgery went well!! I hope sweet Tawni recovers quickly. :grouphug: :grouphug:


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## phesty (May 30, 2006)

I'm glad to hear that Tawni's surgery went well. I'll be praying that recovery goes well too! :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I'm glad the operation was a success! It'll be a stressful few weeks and she's a lucky girl that she shouldn't have any more knee problems!!!! I'm chicken about taking Archie to a specialist, but one of these days.....except Arch has problems with all 4 legs  and they don't operate on the front elbows.


I use a pack-n-play in my bedroom for Ava to sleep in, it's big enough for her bed and a pee pee pad,
but it's a tad too wide to wheel around my house - I can't make it through some doorways. My friend used her pet stroller for her malt to recouperate in. You can get a nice jogging stroller that has large wheels - easy to push around the house.

Anyway, I'm glad everything went well and wish you both luck in the coming weeks.


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

Happy to hear that the surgery went well for your baby. Sending warm wishes for a speedy recovery. 

[attachment=55197:Get_well_bear.gif]


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## CeeCee's Mom (Sep 14, 2006)

Oh, I am so glad it is over with for your baby........I know you are lonesome without her. Now all you have to do is get her on the road to recovery!!!!


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

I'm happy that everything went well. I'm sure you are relieved that it's over. Get well soon Tawni.


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## drclee (Jul 16, 2008)

So glad the surgery went well! I hope she recuperates nicely. :grouphug: And gets well soon!


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## puppy lover (Dec 25, 2007)

It's a relief to hear all went well for Tawni. I wish her a quick recovery and many years of good health! :heart:


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

We're Back!

Called the vet this morning, he said she is barely eating from their hands so may as well come & get her. So, drove back up to Reno and picked her up. Funny, I took a small dish of food with us in the car. As soon as we got her in the car, she started to eat right away.  

To my suprise she has NO bangages on her legs whatsoever! I questioned that and he said she was going to do fine without them. Strictly no tile or linoleum flooring, carpet only. No running, jumping, playing, etc... the pretty obvious "don't do" list of things. Cage rest. She has 13 staples in one leg and to my best count at this time 11 or 12 in the other, and there are pins holding the tibial tuber. in place. 

No one at the vets seemed to have a clue when she went to the bathroom last. I know she won't poo for a day or two, but not sure about pee. She has been drinking a fair bit of water, but shows no sign of wanting to urinate. I don't want to take her out if she doesn't want to go. Poor thing can barely stand up! 
So any one got some input on how long before she should need to pee? (all our other dogs, including Tawni's last surgery, they all pee a gallon as soon as they got home!)

I was looking at the itemized bill, seems they did not do a pre-anesthesia blood screen before surgery. Our regular vet does one prior to all anesthesia, even basic routine teeth cleanings. Thought that was kind of odd they didn't do it, especially after I warned that her glucose level drops if she doesn't eat 3x day.

Nevertheless, she's home and quietly laying in her pack-n-play! Long road ahead for recovery.

Thanks for everyone's good wishes!









Tawni says "Mom, please make me some pant to cover my bare butt!"


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

QUOTE (malahusk @ Jul 22 2009, 03:36 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=808681


> So any one got some input on how long before she should need to pee?[/B]



Nevermind she went pee!!!! I was watching her laying in the play pen and suddenly she sat up all bright eyed and started to whine. I said 'outside' and her head tilted to the side & ears perked up. So , carried her outside, set her in the grass, and she took 3-4 steps and went potty! Looked like a wobbling drunk, but got the job done. :aktion033: When she was done, so were the legs, she just froze and waited to be picked up. So back inside we went, out of the 104 degree temp today! :smheat:


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Good girl! She may not need to defecate for another day until the food has moved through her system since she was fasted and didn't eat right after surgery. Sometimes it takes them a little bit to figure out just how to hold themselves to go. I'm glad she's home and resting well!


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## Tina (Aug 6, 2006)

Glad the surgery went well. They feel so much better after recovery. :chili:


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## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

So glad your little girl is home and doing well!!

When Missy had her knee surgery I made a little 'body sling" to help support her when she had to pee/poop. It took a lot of the stress of her leg when in that awkward position. I used a linen kitchen towel, folded lengthwise and then sewed edges and aded wide grograin ribbon to short ends for 'handles". 
I also used the sling to do 'therapy' when she could start walking more. That alon with doing 'massage' really helped her to heal well and acodring to vet she recouped in record time.
Photos: one of the sling. the other is Naddie 'modeling" though I noticed I had it 'inside out on Naddie.. 

[attachment=55214:IMG_1053.JPG]
[attachment=55215:IMG_1056.JPG]


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## lillykins (Oct 15, 2007)

is Tawni leaving her staples alone?
did they send her home with an e-collar?

I'm so pleased that everything went well with your beautiful little girl. 
I know you'll be an attentive mommy and ensure that she gets all the proper rest and rehab that she needs to make this transition.

I also think you'll be amazed at how much she'll play once her recovery is complete. 
Often the play diminishes very gradually and you never notice how different they have become until it comes back all at once.


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Well, it was a good night. She did pee 2x in the evening, once around 6 then again around 9 right before bed. She also went poo around 7. She was a little confused as to why she was not on the bed last night, but I put the play pen next to the bed so she did finally settle in. Whinned a bit around midnight - 1 am, but then went back to sleep. Was up at 4, she had to pee. Gave her a little food, water and her pain med (metacam) and she was lights out til 8.
Tried puting a sling around her waist to help her but she wanted nothing to do with it, just froze and wouldn't move at all. Without it, she wobbles 3-4 steps, does her business, then just stands still waiting for me to pick her back up. She doesn't bend her knees, so that is a good thing.
They did not send home an e-collar, but we have a few here already, plus a comfy cone. She hasn't bothered the staples, but I am watching her closely.
Right now she is in her pack -n-play in front of the tv watching "The Incredibles", she loves that movie, just stares at it the entire time! Much more alive today than yesterday, drugs must be wearing off from surgery.


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## Starsmom (Jan 31, 2009)

So glad your little girl is doing fine post-op. With so much illness here on SM, it's good to read someone is OK. :yes:


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## Moxie'smom (Dec 16, 2007)

glad she came through the surgery. Hope she feels better real soon.


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Well, it is day 5 and all is well. Tawni is getting around a little too well actually! When she goes potty she is no longer wobbly, walks good considering her situation. She still seems like she is favoring the right leg, I see her lifting it a bit when she's outside, it was the one that she hurt in the beginning of all this, so may take longer to recuperate? She is in the pack-n-play all day & night though, just comes out on leash for potty time. She is starting to get up and move around in the play pen, and stands up quite a bit now. Had to put an E-collar on her, she discovered the staples. I can already see 6 weeks is going to be tougher than I thought, especially as spunky as she's feeling now!
Here's some pics I finally got taken of her:


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

Ouch! :shocked: I'm glad Tawnie is doing so well. It must be very painful with those big incisions right where it has to bend. :Good luck:


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## tamizami (May 1, 2007)

Great to hear that she is moving about and feeling better so quickly! The more she starts to walk and move about now, the better she will heal and less scar tissue buildup. No stairs or jumping, but walking, bending and stretching the leg out is great. The hardest part is keeping them from the stitches. When do those staples come out?


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

Gee, I'm so glad to hear she's doing so great! That's awesome.


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

QUOTE (tamizami @ Jul 26 2009, 05:27 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=810170


> Great to hear that she is moving about and feeling better so quickly! The more she starts to walk and move about now, the better she will heal and less scar tissue buildup. No stairs or jumping, but walking, bending and stretching the leg out is great. The hardest part is keeping them from the stitches. When do those staples come out?[/B]


Dr said to remove staples next week, but the day he said, that only puts it at 10 days. I think I will wait the full 14 to be on the safe side. The incisions appear to be healing quite well, there is a little bit on the top of one looks and a piece on the bottom half of the other that still look a little tender, so 14 days should be sufficient time. She is walking more and more, we don't have stairs so that's a plus, but she is a jumper so it is going to be difficult keeping all 4's on the ground. So far, she hasn't made any effort to jump up, but time will tell. Already ordered 2 sets of carpeted stairs for her, one for the bedroom and one for the living room. That will be her new learning lesson once this is all over with.
Thanks for everyones good wishes, everyone has been very helpful thru this.


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## jadey (Nov 2, 2006)

Im glad Tawnie is feeling better and moving around.


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## Dixie's Mama (Mar 19, 2008)

I'm glad to hear Tawni is doing well and recovering nicely from her surgery. Kisses to you and your boo boos Miss Tawny. Dixie has a question. Did yur Mama git yu pants yet, Tawnie? I hopes so cuz yur backside must be cooold.
[attachment=55295:get_well_soon.jpg]


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

:HistericalSmiley: 

Miss Dixie, no mama not git me any pants yit, she made me a fuzzy monkey blanket to keep me butt warm. Mama always calls me her little monkey, so she found some soft fleece with funny monkeys on it! I really likes the blanket, nice & soft on my bare rear end.


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## lillykins (Oct 15, 2007)

QUOTE (malahusk @ Jul 27 2009, 10:02 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=810414


> mama not git me any pants yit, she made me a fuzzy monkey blanket to keep me butt warm. Mama always calls me her little monkey, so she found some soft fleece with funny monkeys on it! I really likes the blanket, nice & soft on my bare rear end.[/B]


Picture, please!!


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Geez, I feel sorry for her, she is sooo bored in the Pack-n-Play, and to think we have another 5 weeks (at least) to go! She sits and tosses her toy around, I had her watching tv earlier, she loves "The Incredibles", I think I know the words to the movie by now. Even with it being summer, her little bare bottom is like touching a raw turkey right when it comes out of the fridge! Got to keep her butt covered up, and keep her away from the air vents. 
She is getting around a whole lot better now, too. Walking quite a bit compared to last week, but still got to take it easy, no more than 5 minutes each time we go potty.
So, here's her covered up with the monkey blanket!


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Oh, forgot.
I trimmed her face & ears last night too so all the hair would fit in the e-collar better! Set her bed up on the table so she had somewhere soft to sit while I trimmed. 
Plus, it is Tawni's First Birthday today! What a way to spend it! We will definately make it up to her when this is all over with.


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## phesty (May 30, 2006)

Wow, Tawni looks great! Of course the "poodle butt" isn't super stylish, but it all grows back. It cracks me up that she watches the Incredibles, and I love that you've been playing it over and over for her. You're such a great mommy!!! 

Josie says: Your mommy got you a very expensive birthday present, new knees! And I'm sure she'll help you celebrate when you're feeling better!


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Well, it has been 11 days and we just got back from having our checkup. Dr removed the staples from her legs and poked around. Said the patallas are seating nicely  , but 2 more weeks of cage rest :smcry: , followed by 2 weeks of room containment, not full house until 6-8 weeks :shocked: . Easy for him to say! Tawni is ready to run now! She is so tired of being in the pack-n-play, you can tell she is getting highly annoyed :smpullhair: . She will stand up at the side of the pen and howl! At least when I go to take a shower, I take her in the bathroom and close the doors so she can wander around in there. There is carpet in the bathroom, so she won't slip on anything. She is doing very well, can't even tell she had surgery by the way she walks and trots outside at potty time. I am so amazed at how she is recupertating. And here I was a nervous fit over this whole thing!

On the way home from Reno, I stopped off at Lowes half way home, put her shopping cart cover and her in the cart and wheeled her around the store for 2 hours. Everyone was talking to her and petting her, so it was a nice break for her. Got her home, put her back in the pack-n-play and she is lights out with her toy! She is so worn out from the trip, poor thing.

Will keep you posted on the next few weeks recovery process.


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## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

oh my gosh... look at her standing up on her two hind legs!... You'd think that would hurt her! She does look wonderful and does look like she's raring to go if given the chance LOL


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## lillykins (Oct 15, 2007)

QUOTE (malahusk @ Aug 1 2009, 05:57 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=812486


> Well, it has been 11 days and we just got back from having our checkup. She is doing very well, can't even tell she had surgery by the way she walks and trots outside at potty time. I am so amazed at how she is recupertating. And here I was a nervous fit over this whole thing!
> 
> Will keep you posted on the next few weeks recovery process.[/B]


oh YES! Please do! and don't forget the pics, too. I look for your posts every time I log on.

p.s. Don't you love how silky the new short hair (on her hindquarters) feels?


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## g8shot1 (Apr 3, 2009)

Hi, please keep updating this post, I'm very interested. Our pup may have to go through the same thing soon, both back legs.


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Well, here's the latest update.

It is now 3 1/2 weeks after surgery and she is highly pissed off that she is still in the pack-n-play! :smmadder: 
She is doing so good, she is trying to run when she goes outside to potty, but is on a leash so doesn't get very far. She is doing well walking around the yard, we go for a 10 minute potty break 3x day, but also gets another 30 minutes out there wandering around sniffing, without any problems. For the past week she has been playing quite actively in the pack-n-play, tossing her toys around (I think more out of anger than anything else) I know it would drive me crazy being cooped up that long :smtease: so it must be horrible for her. She has figured out if she tosses the toys over the edge, I will come pick them up for her. So now as soon as I put them back in the pen, she tosses them right back out and just looks at me with that little smiley face. If I don't come running at her every demand, she stands up and howls! Little brat! :heart: 

The legs look very good, I can tell they are a bit straighter than before, which I didn't really notice anything wrong with them before surgery, but I can see now there is a difference. Scars are minimal, and healed nicely. I can feel the pins in her legs, but it is only a 1/2 mm maybe? Vet said too when he put the pins in, he also went around the crest with wire to make sure the piece didn't pop off the pin in the future. Hair is very, very slow at growing back! I have been puting her bed on the grooming table, then setting her up there to sit down while I comb the half bodies worth of hair. The past few days though, I took the bed down and put her up there and made her stand for the 5 minutes of combing. She is doing very well. When I take a shower, she is trotting around the bathroom, then when I'm done I open the door and let her trot around the bedroom area. The past few days I went into doggie dress making mode, so set up a baby gate in the hall so she could move around the back 2 rooms for a few hours while I was in there sewing (2 dresses & a coat in 2 days!). That gives her enough room to pick up the walking pace to a good trot, but not enough room to full out run. I keep an eye on her the whole time, so if she starts to get too wound up, I make her calm down so she doesn't over do it. She has had no issues at all, no squeeking sounds of pain from her, nothing what-so-ever. The worst part is when her Daddy comes home from work! She hears him pull in the driveway and just starts whinning, crying, barking, and jumping! Yes jumping, in the pack-n-play she is frantically hopping up & down :new_shocked: . So, hubby takes off his work boots outside :biggrin: , so he can run straight in the house to see her right away so she will stop jumping around . At least the pack-n-play floor has some "give" to it and is sort of like her bouncing on a trampoline instead of a solid hard surface. Plus it is lined with a blanket and pillows, so it is a soft area when she bounces. Boy, she got us trained, didn't she!!! :wub2: 

Bought her a stroller, the Jeep Rubicon by Pet Gear, tires actually have air in them and looked like it could withstand our poorly maintaned county roads. It will be here Monday so I can at least put her in that now and wheel her around the neighborhood for a change of scenery. She'll enjoy that a lot! Didn't get one sooner because I wasn't sure about the road vibrations bothering her legs right after surgery.

Tuesday will be 4 weeks, so the vet said she is allowed to be confined to a room at that point, out of the pack-n-play. Still no running & jumping, but can at least get some good excersise. Then she is free to go at 6 weeks. Even then at 6 wks, I may just extend her area to include 2 rooms, then 3, then full house at 8 weeks maybe. Just to be on the safe side.

Overall, I am impressed by her recovery on this. As Becky (Lillykins) knows, I was a nervous wreck! The best investment I made was the $49 pack-n-play from Walmart! It has been the key lifesaver in all this. Yes, it is a pain in the rear to move from room to room, but it does fit thru the doorway by laying it on its side and pushing the bottom in just a little(like an 1"), so you don't have to fold up the whole thing each time you want to change rooms. I think that may be why she is recovering so well also, there was room for her to move around. I was able to put her food & water dishes in one end of it, and a pillow for her to lay on in the other half. If she had been in a cage, she wouldn't have been able to walk in that at all. Plus, the vet didn't bandage her legs, so she was forced to use them right from the beginning. Thought it was odd of him to not bandage them, but now it makes perfect sence. 

*g8shot1*- first bit of advice, buy a pack-n-play! Walmart had them for $49. Place a small blanket over the bottom flooring of it to cover the vinyl bottom. A standard sized bed pillow fits in exactly half of it. I would put a flannel pillowcase on it, to add the extra warmth and have another little blanket nearby too. It is 78 in our house (and 100 outside), which isn't cold, and Tawni gets shivers with no hair on her rear end. She actually spends about half the day and all night covered up! Also get a water bowl that has the wide non-spill base so they can't knock it over in the crib. 

*lillykins (becky)*- THANK YOU for getting me thru the jitters!


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## Hunter's Mom (Dec 8, 2008)

QUOTE (malahusk @ Aug 1 2009, 06:57 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=812486


> I stopped off at Lowes half way home, put her shopping cart cover and her in the cart and wheeled her around the store for 2 hours. Everyone was talking to her and petting her, so it was a nice break for her. Got her home, put her back in the pack-n-play and she is lights out with her toy! She is so worn out from the trip, poor thing.[/B]


We went to Lowe's the other night and we were talking to a few of the staffers and they said that they love it that the company allows dogs in the store because they look forward to seeing all the different dogs come in. They are located 2 stores down from the Petsmart so they get a LOT of dogs! What type of cart cover do you use? The ones that I find are made for kids and Hunter's little legs would slip through the holes.

I am so glad to hear that Tawni is doing so well - her pictures are adorable and I know that she is really thankful that her mommy takes such good care of her. Please keep the updates and photos coming.


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

QUOTE (Hunter's Mom @ Aug 14 2009, 01:14 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=817706


> QUOTE (malahusk @ Aug 1 2009, 06:57 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=812486





> I stopped off at Lowes half way home, put her shopping cart cover and her in the cart and wheeled her around the store for 2 hours. Everyone was talking to her and petting her, so it was a nice break for her. Got her home, put her back in the pack-n-play and she is lights out with her toy! She is so worn out from the trip, poor thing.[/B]


We went to Lowe's the other night and we were talking to a few of the staffers and they said that they love it that the company allows dogs in the store because they look forward to seeing all the different dogs come in. They are located 2 stores down from the Petsmart so they get a LOT of dogs! What type of cart cover do you use? The ones that I find are made for kids and Hunter's little legs would slip through the holes.

I am so glad to hear that Tawni is doing so well - her pictures are adorable and I know that she is really thankful that her mommy takes such good care of her. Please keep the updates and photos coming.
[/B][/QUOTE]

It is the same as the kids ones, but no leg holes. I bought a pattern to make it, pattern is Simplicity 2984. So, I made a thick fleece one for winter and a lighter weight for summer months. The first one in winter took me about 5 hours to figure out how to make it, I was very new to the whole sewing idea. This last one only took just over 2 hours.
Here's a pic of the winter fleece one, taken back in January.










The pattern fits all the shopping carts, but on the Lowe's carts, I use their built on kids safety buckle to keep the kids seat half way hooked to the handle bar, then put my cart cover in. It gives her a lot more room to relax in the bigger section of the cart. The cover doesn't quite stretch far enough to go all the way around that level, but works great if the kid seat is half way up.


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## g8shot1 (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks for that advice, I'll keep the playpen in mind. 

I've been nervous since I was told about her legs. I guess the question isn't if, but when. I think or hope that the surgery will greatly improve her quality of life in later years. Tashi turned 8 in April. We've had her for only seven months but she quickly became the central figure of our lives.


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## lillykins (Oct 15, 2007)

My goodness, what a terrific follow-up story! THANK YOU for keeping us posted.
This will be an excellent reference for others who wil undoubtedly be faced with this surgery.

I'm so pleased it's all gone so well. HURRAH!

p.s. We'd all LOVE a pic or two of Tawni now: the shaved back half with its new, silky hair, and the front half with all that spunk and cuteness!


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Ok, we are now at 4 and a half weeks, Tawni has graduated to a room now with a baby gate on it and only in the pack-n-play to sleep at night. She is so much happier! :yahoo: 
It is amazing, she is bouncing around, trying to run but not very successful because the room isn't big enough! She has one of those runs where she is going so fast her butt looks like it is in front of her :HistericalSmiley: It is much better now because we can go in there and play gently with her, so that makes her a lot happier. She is able to at least see out the window when she wants, and bark of course at things going by. I finally gave her a bath yesterday too, and a little trim. Her last one was right before the surgery. She didn't smell, but she was starting to look dingy, not shiny. Didn't want to wash her any sooner because I wanted to make sure she was ok about standing up for a while, and she did great. The hair on her butt is starting to grow back, very slowly, only about 1/4" so far and wavy. I keep trimming the hair on her back so hopefully another month it will start to blend in.
Her Jeep Rubicon Stroller arrived and she loves it! :wub: So at least she can get out & about instead of cooped up the next few weeks. Didn't want to put her in it any sooner, wasn't sure how her legs would react with the vibrations of going down the road. I carry her around quite a bit, but she is so darn heavy, 11 pounds starts to feel like 50 pounds after a while! We got another round of 100+ degree temps this week :sweatdrop: :smheat: , so will go out & about in the early mornings.
Overall, she is doing great! Although the time is going by very slowly, she is having a very fast recovery. 










Wavy Hair:










Her new Jeep:










Tawni & her big 110# sister:










She loves her Doggles sunglasses:


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## malahusk (Mar 22, 2009)

Well this will be the final comment on this saga.

It is now 7 weeks (on Tuesday anyways) since surgery and Tawni just had her last doctor visit and was fully released from his care. :biggrin: 

He said her knees are as good as new and there is no slippage whatsoever. She may return to full activity, running, jumping what ever she pleases with no restrictions! 

At 5-6 weeks we let her out of her "room" and extended the babygate to include the den and living room, but not full house. She was much happier, got more room to run without going 100mph with her butt in front of her! Bounced around a bit with her toys and such, learned to climb her new stairs to the couch, etc... Now at 7 weeks, she is back to her normal self like nothing ever happened. Hair is growing back more & more, will bathe her tomorrow and trim her again a little to blend in the rear half, other than that we are good as new, if not better. 

Thanks to everyone who has been there for us and I hope this 4 page saga is usefull to anyone else who is facing this operation.

:ThankYou:


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## g8shot1 (Apr 3, 2009)

Thanks for the detailed update! I've wanted to read about the experiences and timeline.


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## Terry36 (Jan 21, 2009)

I'm glad everything turned out well for you and your baby!


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

I'm so happy that all turned out so well!!!!! That is wonderful!!


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## lillykins (Oct 15, 2007)

thank you SO MUCH! I have enjoyed every post in this thread.
and I love that you have a happy and successful ending.

:aktion033:


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## Terry36 (Jan 21, 2009)

I'm glad everything turned out well for you and your baby!


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## Maidto2Maltese (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks for all the updates and so happy your little girl is all recouped!!! Your updates are very helpful ...and encouraging for those having to face this with their little ones!!!


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