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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Cruciate support thread

55 replies

FiveHoursSleep · 28/11/2016 22:24

I know there are a few of us with dogs at various stages of recovery, so I thought I might start a specific thread to help the days go faster.
Our boy is day 5 post op. He is a 3 (?) yo rescue ( lab/ husky X) from Ireland and started going lame after lying down about 8 weeks ago. He had a TPLO on both hind legs last Wednesday and is in a crate/ on a lead for the next 6 weeks when we have an appointment for Xrays on the 4th January.
Right now he's having 5 minute walks a few times a day ( sheet said up to 4 walks but surgeon said as many as we want as long as they are slow and quiet and on lead). He's not eating much but he has pooed twice.
He has no sutures to come out so we've managed to avoid the collar of shame so far.
He can home with a pain patch which came off today, he finishes his antibiotics tomorrow but he's got at least another week of pain killers to go.
He seems very comfortable walking although he's obviously sore when he gets up and sits down.The big difficulty is keeping him quiet even in the crate.
What stage are your cruciate dogs at?

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Bubble2bubble · 05/12/2016 11:11

Oh gorgeous Kinky dog! :)
Agree Groovester, confining them is incredibly tough. Ddog can do the saddest eyes in the world, though it's also amazing how he has adapted.

Groovester · 05/12/2016 11:16

Oozing = pooping! Grin

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 05/12/2016 16:37

LOL at oozing. Sort of the same thing.
Our dog is starting to get sick of being in a crate. We let him come on the sofa with us on a lead sometimes, for a change of scenery.

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Bubble2bubble · 11/12/2016 19:47

So ddog is six weeks post op and doing amazingly. Been on a few nice lead walks and all's going well.

So today I let him out for a wander in the garden. Someone was walking past and he ran to the gate.....

I am pretty sure he's wrecked his other kneeSadSadSad. He's holding it off the ground to walk.

Vet tomorrow.

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 12/12/2016 23:51

Oh nooo Bubble :(
Everything crossed, even legs.
We are three weeks in and our boy is allowed 15 minute walks 4 times a day. I've got a ramp so I can take him out in the back of the car for a change of scenery.
I tried lifting him but he doesn't like it and flings his legs around. A couple of time he was on 3 legs for a bit afterwards but he discovers he can walk on 4 eventually.
Let us know what the vet says.

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Bubble2bubble · 13/12/2016 08:08

Well yes, he's ruptured a cruciate on the other side.
In for x-rays this morning.
I think the vet was nearly as gutted as me !

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 13/12/2016 13:04

Oh arse :( It doesn't seem to be uncommon unfortunately.

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Bubble2bubble · 14/12/2016 10:49

So he's going in tomorrow for his second op. :(
Vet said he may have been OK for a while on painkillers as it doesn't seem as bad as last time, but realistically he will need it done at some point.
Had we been really busy over Christmas I might have put it off, but the fact is we are at home the whole time and having the kids off school will make it easier as they can spend more time with ddog as well.
Just dreading it :(

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 14/12/2016 16:08

Oh what a pain, but I suppose at this time of year it could be worse.
Will he have another TTA?

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Bubble2bubble · 14/12/2016 17:09

Yes, going for TTA as the first one has been such a success.
Everything crossed that it can go well again.

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 14/12/2016 21:17

I'm sure it will be fine but It's such a long road to recovery isn't it? And you can't explain to them what's going on :(

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Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 16/12/2016 10:15

How did it go, Bubble?

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Bubble2bubble · 16/12/2016 13:54

He's in there now :(
They ordered something they needed for the op which should have arrived on Wednesday but didn't ( blaming Christmas post ) so it had to be put off....
Bless him , when I took him in this morning he was all pleased to see the nurses he knows and trotted off with them, happy as anything.He is such a nice boy.

Bubble2bubble · 16/12/2016 21:34

They planned to keep him in overnight, as last time, but at 7.00 this evening the vet phoned and said ddog was standing up wagging his tail at him and suggested I could bring him home if I wanted to!
We didn't let him walk, but carried him to the car and then into the house so he's pretty comfy in his pen beside the Christmas tree and seems happy to be home. I am certainly much happier with him here than thinking about him overnight in the vets :)

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 17/12/2016 00:31

I'm glad he's home where he's meant to be and hope that he recovers well with his family around him.

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Bubble2bubble · 17/12/2016 08:51

How are all the other cruciate op dogs getting on? Xmas Smile

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 20/12/2016 13:23

Hows the patient Bubble? Almost 4 weeks in and our dog is starting to sit more easily. He's also very bouncy if not watched :(

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Bubble2bubble · 20/12/2016 19:10

He's amazing thanks!
Had to ditch the playpen already as yesterday he was just using it to jump up...So we're back to letting him wander in the house while it's quiet. He is a lot more confident this time round, possibly because his other knee is repaired and pain free, so he's really walking quite well.
He has a bit of swelling around his ankle which he didn't have last time ( although last time the vet said they usually expect this ), but has a post op check tomorrow morning so hopefully all will be fine.

Fivehoursdog must be pleased with himself :) Just two more weeks...

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 20/12/2016 21:22

We were warned about the swelling too , but it didn't happen.
Bloody FiveHoursdog got out into the garden this afternoon and did a zoomy lap!! Gave me a heart attack but he doesn't seem to be too sore this evening when we went for an evening pootle.

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Bubble2bubble · 20/12/2016 21:49

Aaagh....nerve-wracking, if only you could tell them!

In fact I have told ddog several times that if he wrecks one of his £1700 knees I will cry, but he just looks at me with the sad eyes again.

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 21/12/2016 11:41

LOL. FiveHoursDOg still okay this morning. Maybe slightly stiffer, but walking, sitting okay.

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Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 01/01/2017 18:49

How are the cruciate dogs doing?
We are off for Xrays on Wednesday and I'm hoping we might be able to let our boy off lead soon.
He's still a little lame LH but I'm hoping a bit of hydrotherapy and some muscle mass might help.

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Bubble2bubble · 01/01/2017 22:15

Pretty good here, paws crossed...
His second recovery has definitely gone much faster and he is much more confident this time. It feels like he has been SO long confined to the house now, but at least the nice thing over the last couple of weeks is that the rest of us have been lying around the house a lot as well!
He's managed not to put on any weight at all ( I have weighed him every time we've been at the vets ) - must be just one of those dogs.

If fivehoursdog's x ray looks ok will he be allowed short lead walks do you think?

Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 02/01/2017 20:50

He's been having short lead walks all the time. Is up to 25 minutes on Wednesday- up to 4 times a day.
The first week was 5 min walks and it's gone up 5 mins a week per walk since then.

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Original poster
FiveHoursSleep · 04/01/2017 16:09

Back to the vet for Xrays today. All is well but we have another 4 weeks of lead walks before he can go off lead :(

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