Another TPLO surgery

[Amandasmom]

Amanda has torn her cruciate ligament so I have an appointment January 6 with the vet who did both my other dogs knees. I'm trying to get Amanda to walk while lifting her back end with a towel to support her leg. Well Amanda doesn't want any part of this. She puts the brakes on and will not move. So I carry all 80 pounds of her up the stairs. I turn around to grab the gate, she runs back down the steps. I carry her up once again and this time I block the entrance before she has a chance to run back down again. I think I'm finished my workout for today. I have a feeling it's going to be a long winter.

[Traci]

Yikes, Jan 6 is the soonest you could get her in surgery?

I would try to deter her running up/down stairs, this can't be comfortable for her, and is probably quite painful.

[Amandasmom]

I have put up gates all over the house to keep her off the steps. She doesn't seem in pain. She is happy with her tail wagging. It's usually pretty hard to get an appointment at Tufts. When Remy had his first TPLO surgery, it took 7 weeks to get an appointment. But the surgery turned out great. I really like this vet and I know he's worked on Bernese mountain dogs before. So I'm willing to wait for him.

[Amandasmom]

Traci, what is your view on pain meds? I spoke to Amanda's breeder just to let her know what was going on. I mentioned that I was having trouble keeping Amanda quiet. She wants to play and I want her to sit quietly. The breeder suggested I cut back the pain meds. She said a bit of pain has its purpose - it makes them realize that pain means stay and rest more. Any thoughts on this???

[Marty]

Not a Vet, but I have bulgings discs and a pinched nerve in my back, and my Doc does not like to give pain meds, just anti-inflammatories. Mask the pain, do too much, and risk more injuries.

[Traci]

It depends on the dog, the activity level and of course, your vet's advice because he knows your dogs better than anyone.

Not knowing what pain meds in particular you're giving, would be hard-pressed to advise. If you're referring to valium or torbugesic, for example, both usually only take the edge off, with little to no sedation effects. You can also ask your vet about temporary NSAID's but only he can advise you, (and NSAID's can cause gastric upset).

If you feel Amanda is overly active and rambunctious, then call your vet and ask about adjusting her current pain meds dosage.....otherwise, the best thing to do is try to restrict rigorous activity (no stairs if possible), no jumping, etc. I realize that's hard to discourage for a dog, but try to keep it at a minimum. You need to prepare her anyway, she will need recovery time post-op.

[Amandasmom]

Thanks, she is just on deramaxx. I've been getting her used to being confined to one room. She tends to be on the nervous side. I realized it was cruel to confine her to the bedroom that has the fish since she is afraid of fish. So I have been locking her up in the kitchen. It will be a long 16 weeks. But it will be worth it in the end.