Preparing for TPLO

[CarolineS]

It seems that Dresden has a small tear in the cruciate in her right hind leg. We saw the orthopedic specialist on Tuesday and he is 90% sure this is her problem. I've got her booked to go in for surgery on March 4. They are going to do a scope first just to make 100% sure that's what's going on and if the scope confirms the tear, they will immediately proceed with corrective surgery. I chose a TPLO because Dresden is only 4 years old and is a very active dog.

Since I've got a few weeks before surgery, I'm trying to do everything I can to get her into a routine that's close to what she'll need to follow afterwards. She is crate trained, but doesn't spend much time in it these days. I've started crating at night and when I'm out and giving yummy treats in the crate. She's fine with that.

She won't be able to go out to the backyard to do her business because there are too many steps involved. I've been taking her out front on leash instead and getting her used to going there.

I'm going to fabricate some kind of a sling and get her used to that as well.

I don't know if she'll need an Elizabethan collar or not...she didn't bother her stitches when she was spayed, but I guess that's something I should keep in mind too? I doubt the huge collars the vet usually supplies would even fit in her crate! I know there is a smaller kind but can't remember what it's called...can someone help out my failing memory? LOL

Can anyone think of anything else I could do before surgery to make things a little easier on her after? I'm sure I'll have tons of questions after as well....any stories about successful TPLOs would be much appreciated at this point too.

[flyballmom]

Hi Caroline, Charleigh had both knees TPLO'd (a little over a year apart) and returned to playing flyball less that 6 months after each. (Not to mention hiking and swimming etc etc etc.)

Good going getting her used to taking potty breaks on leash.

I think the collar you're thinking of is called the Bite Not?, or something like that. I'd seriously think about it. Char never messed with any sutures she'd had before either, but she licked a raw spot on her first TPLO leg before I knew what she was up to. The LAST thing you want to happen is for bacteria to be introduced into her incision. As far as not fitting into a crate with an e-collar, will she stay in an x-pen? That's what I used and it worked great. I had one set up in the bedroom and one in the living room so she could be near me. I also kept her leashed to me alot so she could just "hang out."

Floors...are yours carpeted? Any slick areas (like tile or linoleum) she'll have to walk over? If so, pick up some cheapy non-skid mats or carpet runners at Home Base/Lowe's or whoever you have and put them down.

I used a canvas shopping bag cut in half as a sling. I only used it for the first couple days...I was a klutz with it and it REALLY annoyed her, too. I HAVE seen "real" slings at PetSmart, too, if you're inclined to have a fancy one.

Stock up on CHEWIES! Bully Sticks (expensive) and cow hooves (not so), kept us all from going nuts.

That's all I can think of for now but I've only had 1 cup of coffee.

[BostonRott]

Banja had the BiteNot collar instead of the E collar and it was WONDERFUL! We were given a sling by the vet, and only used it for a few days.

If you are unable to SAFELY (for you and the dog) lift her into the car by yourself (for follow-up appointments), buy a dog ramp, and get her used to using it now. She will be unable to jump in/out and you need a way to transport her for both follow-ups and emergencies. If you're not already using a crate in the car, get one (if it will fit) and start using it. No way better to trash an expensive surgery than to stop short with a loose dog in the car.

[spoteet]

I can't think of anything that Beth and Gretchen didn't mention. I was lucky with Sajan and his incision, he never bothered it. Be sure to get a few good nights sleep before the surgery. The first 2-3 days can be tiring.

Good luck with the surgery and recovery.

[2rotties2luv]

Caroline, I bookmarked the link below as I thought it might come in handy at some point. It has been given numerous times as a resource for dogs undergoing TPLO surgery. It's a reference of post-TPLO activities to help keep your dog occupied when they can't move around.

http://www.lauriebryce.com/tplo/games2.html

I wish you well.

[moondog]

Dresden is a lucky girl to have such a smart mom! Getting her used to the "routine" prior to surgery can do nothing but help her.

Here's a link to Bite Not collars - http://www.vetamerica.com/index.asp?...ite+Not+collar - I looked for a Canadian site, but didn't come up with one. I bought a full 16oz. of Goodwinol from this company but in the end, wasn't able to use it, and they took it back and gave me a very prompt full refund, so I can vouch for the company. You can also fashion your own, using a piece of medium weight flexible-but-stiffish plastic or corrugated cardboard cut to size and wrapped in a towel - then fastened with duct tape.

I'd also set up an x-pen wherever you happen to be, so she can still be with you, and that is something you can do now, too. I know everyone uses crates during recovery, but it sure seems to me it would be hard, not to mention painful, for a dog to turn around in there, especially during the first days after the surgery. I'd be tempted to create a flow-through crate with a door at each end myself!

Here's wishing Dresden a successful surgery, no bouncing off the walls, and much patience for you, LOL!

[miccmill]

We are also preparing for a TPLO in March. We have a van and have been practicing getting into the crate with a ramp. Right now she thinks it's great fun. She would charge right up into it if I didn't slow her down.

Many thanks for the links. I had no idea about the Bite Not collar and will be happy to use this. I was dreading having to use the ecollar.

[CarolineS]

Thanks, everyone, for the great replies. I am so relieved to hear that there are dogs out there playing flyball after TPLO!

I hadn't thought of the nonslip matts, she'll definitely need them to get from the living room to the family room because the kitchen inbetween has a vinyl floor. I never seem to throw away old rubber backed matts and I think I even have one that's about 6 ft long somewhere. I knew they'd come in handy one day! LOL

I won't be able to lift her into the car myself, having done a number on the tendons in my own arm , but I will just have to book followup appointments when my husband is around to help me lift her up. I'm not sure if I want to show this dog a ramp! We do agility just for fun and the thing she has the most trouble with is the A-frame....not because she's afraid of it but because she gets so excited when she sees it that she leaps on to it and tries to leap off the other side. Jumping is one of Dresden's favorite activities.

Usually Dresden travels in a harness attached to the seatbelt in the back seat of the car, but I can just manage to squeeze a large crate in back if I put the seats down. I assume crating, as opposed to seatbelting, is the best way to bring her home after surgery?

I have an x-pen but I'm just not sure how well that would work. My old Maggie is a bit of a bull in a china shop and I'm rather worried she might bang into it on the way by or try and entice Dresden to play through the bars! It's going to be a very hard juggling act to make sure that neither dog lacks for attention during all this. I will do what I have to do obviously to make sure Dresden heals but I'm not looking forward to having to use gates, etc to keep them away from each other. For those with multiple dogs, are there any hints about dealing with more than one dog during this time?

As far as crates go, I have a vari-crate she can stay in in the living room when I'm at my desk and at night. She really likes it and feels very safe in it so I'll use it part of the time. I'm going to see if I can borrow one of those all wire crates from a friend...they do open at both ends I believe and she can use that in the family room which is where we all usually are in the evening. I am planning a lot of on-leash time just hanging out with me too.

They sell slings at the vet's so I think I'll buy one there. Even if it's not something I use for her, it wouldn't hurt to have one around for Maggie if she ever gets to the stage of needing a little help up and down stairs.

I'll look for a BiteNot collar and reread the lauriebryce website. Okay, I'm starting to ramble...I think I'm concentrating so hard on getting ready to take my mind off the fact my poor little dog needs major surgery...oh well, at least I'm doing something constructive.

Thanks again for all the advice and I know I'll be back with more questions.

[SABELLESMOM]

Great ideas everyone! Glad you chose the TPLO. They do seem to work better for the large breeds. My firend had on on her boy Blue. I was able to opt for the more simple ACL for my elderly Cocker Spaniel. They recouperated together, so to speak. Both are doing as well as before they each had surgery. So we are both very happy.

I don't see why you couldn't still use the seatbelt harness for traveling. Lifting her into a crate would seem more cumbersome than putting a harness on and putting her in. Will she be able to use the sling to help you get her in? (My Cocker walked on 3 legs, but then, his surgery wasn't as involved)

I'll be thinking about her in March. Good luck with everything.

[BostonRott]

Originally Posted by CarolineS

I won't be able to lift her into the car myself, having done a number on the tendons in my own arm , but I will just have to book followup appointments when my husband is around to help me lift her up. I'm not sure if I want to show this dog a ramp! We do agility just for fun and the thing she has the most trouble with is the A-frame....not because she's afraid of it but because she gets so excited when she sees it that she leaps on to it and tries to leap off the other side. Jumping is one of Dresden's favorite activities.

Caroline, Banja was all but ready for her Agility debut when she tore her CCL. Teaching her the ramp was not a problem. The Aframe leap is completely different than teaching a dog a ramp, and quite honestly.....that's a weak excuse. Put her on a leash, give her 2" of leash to walk on and teach her that she will go up the ramp slowly. It's really not rocket science. Judi has mentioned before that most Rottweilers HATE being lifted and see it as an insult. I would agree strongly with this sentiment. Also, don't know if you've ever been severely injured, but usually the patient prefers to do the moving themselves (if at all possible) rather than having someone else lift/move them. A) They feel more in control and B) they know EXACTLY how whatever they're doing feels and can adjust appropriately.

All it will take is one 5 second lift and a flail in the wrong direction and you're going to be re-doing her leg again. Don't ya think training a dog (especially one as smart as a Rottweiler) to walk calmly on a ramp is a bit more sensible??

What will you do if something happens and your husband isn't home and she needs an emergency trip to the vet?? Buy the ramp, train the dog.

Usually Dresden travels in a harness attached to the seatbelt in the back seat of the car, but I can just manage to squeeze a large crate in back if I put the seats down. I assume crating, as opposed to seatbelting, is the best way to bring her home after surgery?

Crating is FAR safer for the dog. A seat belt harness allows a lot of movement and offers less protection. A crate keeps the dog more confined, and God forbid you get in an accident, it's much better protection for that injured leg, then say hooking the foot in the door handle and re-injuring the leg (as the dog flies about the back of the car from impact forces).

I have an x-pen but I'm just not sure how well that would work. My old Maggie is a bit of a bull in a china shop and I'm rather worried she might bang into it on the way by or try and entice Dresden to play through the bars! It's going to be a very hard juggling act to make sure that neither dog lacks for attention during all this.

Simple solution: if you can't be there directly to supervise, Put Maggie in a crate. Or confine her elsewhere in the house. Again, teach Maggie that she's not to be near the Xpen.

Honestly, it seems like you have an excuse for everything, or a reason why it won't work. Banja healed from her TPLO while in heat, in a house with another intact, in-heat bitch, an 8.5yr old male who IS a bull in a china shop and we had no problems. You need to look at the picture and figure out what is best for the dog and how you're going to accomplish that, instead of just looking at how life is now, and how much this is going to complicate life.

As to returning to sports, Banja is 5mos post-TPLO, is running Excellent level agility courses (even though she's a Novice dog), handled the courses from AKC nationals with no problem and is coming out in her first trial next month, at 6 mos post-TPLO.

It can be done, it's not hard, but you're going to have to buckle down, put the excuses away and take care of business.

[CarolineS]

Originally Posted by BostonRott

Honestly, it seems like you have an excuse for everything, or a reason why it won't work.......
It can be done, it's not hard, but you're going to have to buckle down, put the excuses away and take care of business.

Nice to see you haven't changed any in my absence from this board, Gretchen, and are still handing out your own unique brand of encouragement and help.

Even though I haven't been around here much in the last few years, I think you know that I have always done whatever needs to be done for my dogs; Maggie's continued good health in spite of her severe allergies and IBD are a testament to that. Most of my comments were just me "musing out loud" on possible problems I might encounter, not excuses for not taking a particular course of action. I have every confidence that Dresden will come through this just fine under my care.

[fbkeays]

When Misty had her TPLO, Fizbin was about 8 months old. He and Duncan went boarding at the ranch for the first week that Misty was home. After that, there were always two barriers between the "boys" and Misty. Misty had her own "bedroom" (x-pen) in the family room. When she was in the family room, they were babygated in the kitchen or outside. They never got closer then 12 feet to Misty for 3 months (she was slow to heal).
My husband built her a ramp to bypass the steps into the backyard. One of the most helpful things was the fact that Misty new what "left" and "right" were from carting training. After surgery, she was very unstable and she had moderate ED. So we let her figure out how to get around as much as possible. I didn't want to do anything that would put her off balance. So when we had her on lead, instead of leash checks to let her know what direction we wanted her to go, we used verbal commands.