Week 2, Day 1 - Staple Removal

What a great day. Hard to believe but two weeks have gone by since we picked Webber up after his surgery. Today we got to bring him in to the vet to get the staples removed. The vet tech said that his incision looked great ... no swelling at all, closed up nicely. The whole thing took less than 10 minutes and we were back on our way back home.

We did give him a Tramadol (the timing worked perfectly) about 1/2 hour before we left, so he was pretty calm through the whole procedure. But then he's a great guy!

Now we get to start physio ... Woo Hoo!

Week 1, Day 6 - Getting into Routine

It's my ramp, right?

Well, here we are a week later, and we are settling into a nice routine. The one big difference in our day post-TPLO is the 1-hour walk/run/play in the park. Webber is even getting used to the 6 ft. umbilical cord that he is attached at all times. Poor guy, he really wants to get at those rabbits. The brazen hussies are going so far as to lounge in Webber's favourite spot in the front yard, where everyone including Webber can see them. Ah, their day will come in about 8 weeks ...

On Thursday Webber will have his staples removed. Everyone is looking forward to that. I just hope it doesn't hurt too much.

You can see how well Webber is doing with putting weight on his surgery leg. Just amazing ...





After a long day, Webber is ready for bed ... Good night all!

TPLO Tips #4 - First Week

With all the beds we have for him, and he chooses to lie like this ... what a crazy guy!

Well, Webber has made it through and is doing just great now! It was a very draining week, on both of us.

Back to his goofy self. LOL

Just seeing the swelling and the amount of redness really upsets you. But it does go away and really quickly really. I would worry if you feel it is very warm.

ICING: Getting his leg iced 4 times a day. Well, I don't think I would like it either if someone put a cold pack on a sore, even if I knew it would feel better after the initial shock. What we did, it does take two:
a) Got him lying on the mattress on floor on good leg.
b) Steve holds his head down and encourages him with some treats
c) Raised the TPLO leg a bit a put a small pillow between it and the good leg.
d) Put a cold gel-pack (flexible gel) in a pillow-slip (that I sewed to fit).
e) Placed a towel on top of the TPLO leg and then another gel-pack on top of that.
f) Leave on for 10-12 minutes.
g) Remove carefully, as they are probably asleep at this point, :)
That way we ensure both sides of his leg were getting iced. Icing did work for us. We noticed a huge difference after the 10 minutes.

APPETITE & FLUIDS: Infection and additional medications may have caused Webber to stop eating and drinking, however in reading the OrthoDog forum, lack of appetite and not drinking seems to be a common problem. Tonight was the first night that he actually was 'excited' to get his dinner and ate it all w/o having to hand feed him. Even better he drank almost a full bowl of water w/o any coaxing. I was really more concerned with the liquids as I did not want him to get dehydrated, especially as he was fighting infection.

Eating dinner for the first time on his own.

Here's some things that worked for me, much of it I start feeding him from the bowl in my hand until he gets going and then he seems to get into the spirit of things:
a) semi-frozen home-made chicken soup
b) yogurt
c) hamburger/rice mixture with some broth in it
d) tuna with the broth in the can
e) we play a game with his kibble ... so he thinks it's a treat
f) watermelon, canteloupe, oranges
h) gator ade :) he didn't like the pedialyte
i) milk

Surgery Facts - Dollars & Cents

I thought I would like to put some information about Webber's surgery here for informational purposes.

1. The Surgery was performed at the Manotick Veterinary Hospital (in Ottawa) http://www.manotickvet.com/contact_page.htm . The surgeon was, with Dr. Dawn Young assisting:

Denis P. Philibert, DVM , Diplomate ACVS 1994
Organization: Mobile Surgical Specialist
E-mail: dphilibert@rogers.com
Veterinary School: University of Montreal 1988
Additional Degrees: University of Saskatchewan 1992
Internship: University of Montreal 1989
Residency: University of Saskatchewan 1992


Dr. Philibert was very responsive to my questions from me, and always replied promptly to emails which I sent to him. I had a high confidence level in him even before the surgery, and I was certainly not disappointed. Dr. Philibert did point out to me that the cost will vary from one clinic to another. He charges a fee for surgery, and then the clinic charge for the rest ( anesthesia, meds, radiographs, etc). Price will vary depending on each clinic. Generally it will be around $3000.


Cost of Surgery (so far):

Cruciate Repair Surgeon Cost: $1950
Hospital Cost: $1038.40
Medications: $472.61

We will still have the cost of the 8-week x-rays, but hoping that is the last big charge.

Webber will also be doing:
3 Sessions of Hydro-therapy: $175.00 and
??? Physio Sessions: ???

Dr. Philibert recommended Carrie Smith at Osgoode Vet Services starting after his staples are removed. (2 weeks after surgery).

Week 1, Day 2 - Patience and Love

Well, Webber has safely passed the Week 1 point. Infection seems to be taken care of, and he is now on Tramadol for pain (1-3x day). He doesn't appear to be in any pain, and while he still doesn't have his full appetite back, he is eating some. Still not drinking on his own w/o coaxing. But we found that the watermelon is a great way to ensure he is getting some liquid into him.

We've been so lucky, that he is not bothering with the incision at all. He sniffs at it every now and then, but generally after I remind him to leave it, he does. No dreaded e-Collar for this guy.

We take a couple of little walks up the laneway now, at Webber's urging. He always did like to do his business as far away from the house as possible. Takes about 5 minutes and we usually do it twice in a day. It's great to see, and he is pretty tired after that little bit of exercise.

The beasts must be sensing that our 'watch' dog is keeping a low profile these days and they are getting bold in the yard. Good thing Webber didn't see this one, as he probably would have gone right through the window.

It certainly explains the reason for the blanket over the fort. Distractions for dogs are dangerous at this point.

Post-Op, Day 6 - We turned the corner

Today felt good! We both got out and enjoyed just sitting around. Me, reading a book and Webber, taking in all the sights and smells. It was perfect. You can almost feel the stress fall away as you watch him sit happily and walking slowly putting weight on his legs. Tomorrow will be the the one-week mark, and I will really need to sit back and collect my thoughts and think of all the things that may be helpful to anyone else going through this ... other than having large quantities of alcohol and sedatives on hand ... for you, not the dog.

But as you can see, Webber is really doing well. Me, well, let's just say I need to start dressing for the video moments. Ick! Is that really me?



I must say I had some good laughs on the forum today with 'Heart Attack Moments'. It was great. Just had to share this: From Dana and Shadow:

I took Shadow out in the back yard yesterday evening to do her
business. I wanted to go check the rain gauge hanging on the fence, but she had other ideas and planted her feet and pulled her head up and back. Her collar slipped right off her head - OMG!! So here I am holding a leash with nothing but an empty collar on the other end. Shadow was standing there and I had visions of her tearing off through the yard (and never being able to catch her). I panicked and hollered "WAIT" really loud at her and she just looked at me like "HUH??". But fortunately she didn't move and I slipped the leash around her neck - WHEW!!! Honestly, I don't think she fully realized she was free - I think she's been leashed to me for so long now (since mid-Feb) it just didn't register. But if there had been a squirrel or bird on the fence.....well, I don't want to think what would have happened.

Crystal - THIS is why I need that watermelon with the vodka in it!! ;)

Webber and I had our own story last night ... not nearly as funny but worth sharing:

We have about 2-1/2 acres, all wooded on the river. It is lousy with rabbits. Took him out last nite for what I hoped would be a peaceful pee, and there sat Peter Rabbit. It almost looked like the rabbit was giving Webb the finger. It took all my strength to keep Webber from tearing after it. Steve came flying outta the house in bare feet, ooch, ouch across the gravel and chasing after the rabbit throwing sticks at it. Needless to say we did not get a pee, and so had to get up at 2:00 AM to do his business. Grrrrr.

Well, the one good thing, Webber's back giving us our daily laugh.
We could always count on him for that, he's such a clown.



Webber with his big brother Derek ... what a lazy guy!

Post-Op, Day 5 - My heart soared

A final note, looking on the bright side. After a little rest, Webber wanted to go out. What he really wanted to do was play a little. He made me laugh as he laid on the grass and proceeded to roll on his back and wave his legs in the air ... all with what I'm sure was a big smile on his face. It was so funny. And our first laugh in a week. Not only that, he actually came in the house and sought out one of his favourite toys and brought it to me. Can I play Mom?

It was a wonderful end to the day!



*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Webber has developed some kind of infection. I think we have caught it early, but it has not started to respond to the new antibiotics. Worst of all, he is firm about not wanting to eat or drink anything.

Just back from the vet, and a bit of good news. (BTW: It's really nice to go to the vet and not have to pay. Guess we paid enough for the procedure.) His temperature is back to normal and the heat in his leg has abated. Pretty sure now that he was starting an infection, but we caught it early. The vet thinks that the ABs are causing him to stop eating and drinking, so we are going to stop the clavamox for tonite and see if he eats/drinks something tomorrow. I sure hope so, it's driving me mad.

We got some watermelon, and with some enticing he got a few good size chunks down before he lost interest. It's something, but I guess with this type of trauma, ya gotta grab onto the little things. Watch for every improvement.

When we were leaving the vet, Steve was walking behind us, as I helped him down the stairs outta the vets, and he noticed that Webber actually was trying the leg out. Not a lot, but again something.

Iced his leg when we got home, and definitely the swelling is going down and certainly it is less angry looking. He's bagged out right now.

Maybe, just maybe, the first hurdle is over.

Post-Op, Day 4 - A Milestone Achieved

Finally a good solid poop! Well, Webber is toughing it out. Probably better than I am. He's not comfortable, that is obvious. But Halleluiah! the Rescue Remedy (thanks Grace and Maeby) seems to be working. From Grace:

I think adding the Rescue Remedy to his water is a great idea. People have had great results mixing that with an additional flower remedy -- Impatiens.
It's supposed to help them be less irritable and impatient (hence the name?). I bought mine from Whole Foods. Also, remember that flower remedies work by FREQUENCY, not DOSAGE. So if you feel that he's still irritated or anxious, give him the RR a few times throughout the day. You can even add a few drops to a treat and give it to him that way. And put some on your hands and pet his head and especially his ears, and tell him how much you love him!

I've been putting on his ears and giving him plenty of love, and he's just laying there content to have us curl up beside him.

Webber going down the ramp:



What joy at seeing Webber poop, LOL. I guess necessity is the mother of invention. He got plenty of lovin for this one, just shows you what they can do on 3-legs:

Post-Op, Day 3 - TRUST YOUR INSTINCT

It's a beautiful day here. Too bad we are a little preoccupied with Webber. Ah, who needs it ... the summer that is ... doubt I'll get to see much of it. Too bad I couldn't figure out how to get him down to the river to sit and rest down there. I could catch some zzzzs in the hammock. Oh well, he needs me more than I need the nice weather.

Always "TRUST YOUR INSTINCT, IDIOT!" If you think something is amiss, chances are it is ... you know your dog better than anyone else. Thought something was wrong, and I guess there is. Just home from the vet.

She took his temp and it was high. She feels there could be infection
(s) starting. So, she changed his antiobitic from Cepalexin 500mg (2
2x day) to:

Clavamox 250 (3 3x day) and
Baytril 150 mg (2 1x day).
And she replaced his Fentanyl patch with a new one as she thinks he may be in some pain and it is probably wearing out. She is concerned about oral pain meds since he had blood in his stool the day before surgery which might have been caused by the Deramaxx.

He's resting now, and I'm going to catch up a little myself.

P.S. Thanks for the beautiful flowers Abbey and Lynn (& family). It was so sweet of you! Boy are we going to miss you guys!

Post-Op, Day 2 - A LONG HARD DAY FOR ALL OF US

This pretty much sums up our day today ... It was tougher on Webber than us, I think. He was pretty uncomfortable. I was feeling that something was not right and called the vet ... bringing him in on Saturday to see what is up.

Symptoms: Leg around incision is hot, swelling in ankle, trouble getting up and down. Mental note to self: Should have a thermometer to take his temperature.

TPLO Tip #3 - Swelling & Bruising

What the vet may not tell you: Swelling, redness and bruising are all normal so unless your pet seems really bothered by things, in fact it will probably get worse in the next day or two. Don't be surprised if he gets a pouch of fluid/swelling around the ankle area in the next few days. It will be there for about 2-4 days, then should go away on its own. This is something that's normal, and definitely can freak you out! Continue icing 5/on, 5/off for 30 minutes to help with the healing.

Also, you may hear some clicking/popping noises when he's walking for a couple of weeks. A lot of people have heard them, but don't know what causes it, but it seems to goes away after a few weeks.

Post-Op, Day 1 - WEBBER IS HOME!!

Well, after a long night, we went to pick Webber up at the hospital. He was pretty happy to see us and certainly b-lined straight for the door. I can't believe how calm he is, he's sleeping now and was OK when I iced his leg.

Prescriptions: Cepahlexin 500 mg (2 pills, 2x/day)
Left Fentanyl patch on (he's not crying anymore, BTW)
Did not want to give him Deramaxx just yet, as there was blood in stool on Tuesday morning.

He does seem pretty comfortable in his 'house', and we both are right beside him on the couch, where he keeps one eye on us.

Surgery Day - It's Done!

Well, step 1 is over. I bawled like a baby, as soon as the door closed behind me this morning. OMG, can you believe how much you can love these guys. (I'm sure I am preaching to the choir). I can't tell you how relieved I was to receive that call from the surgeon, Dr. Philibert (who is a very nice man, very patient with an over-anxious mom, LOL).

Webber has come through the surgery fine and is just starting to wake up. Here is the results of his surgery:

They did x-rays before the surgery, it showed swelling and indications of tear, but could not confirm via the x-rays.

Diagnosis: He made a small incision and confirmed that Webber has a partial tear of his cruciate ligament.

He continued with the TPLO.

He confirmed that we made the right decision in going ahead with this surgery.

Prognosis is excellent. As we have caught it before it was completely torn, there is a good chance that, with the re-angling of the tibia it will ensure that will not continue to stress the ligament, and even heal. And in fact, he has better chances of a 100% recovery and it should not be as difficult since he still has some strength in the ligament ... we just made it better.

There was some arthritis already formed, and he will always have that, but it was not much and should not be a concern.

A much relieved Crystal, but I still need to wait to get him home tomorrow. A glass of wine tonite, I think to celebrate and numb ...

TPLO Tip #2 - Fentanyl Pain Patch

For dogs undergoing surgery, many/most veterinarians use a fentanyl patch before and after surgery to reduce pain so that the morphine is in the system before the pain starts. The patch can reduce the amount of injectable drugs and anesthesia required, and instead of staying in the hospital for recovery and injections, dogs may be able to go home sooner with a fentanyl patch. This way, they can be more comfortable recovering at home.

There are a couple of good research articles about this at www.dogaware.com.

Many Vets use a patch that is too strong for the dog and thus creates side effects such as whining and disorientation.

Ask the vet when it is put on, if your dog continues whining, if you can remove it using rubber gloves (and dispose of properly, as it is highly toxic). Just know that the meds stay in the system for up to 24 hours and the dog might continue whining even when the patch is removed. Watch out for any breathing problems, shaking, excessive crying, sometimes a little bit of a rash even from the adhesive...or
anything that concerns you, call your vet. Generally they take time to absorb into the system...and time once the patch runs out or is removed to wear out. Can be up to 24hrs.

Might be a good idea to ask if you can have some alternate pain pills (Tramadol) on hand if the pain patch needs to be removed.

Fentanyl Pain Patch - 75 MG

It's 6:30 AM now and Webber has been crying since about 2 AM. Could this pain patch be the problem? Could he possibly know that there is something about to happen. Oh, my little one, if only I knew what to do.

Day before Surgery

Getting all prepped. Off to the vet to have his pain patch put on. The vet asked me to get a T-Shirt for him so he wouldn't bother at the patch. LOL, so I custom fit him with his very own Ottawa Senators shirt. Not bad for a puppy. LOL.

D-Day minus 2 - Check out my fort!

This week is the big one ... Surgery is on Wednesday, June 13th. Well, at least it's not Friday the 13th.

We went for a pre-op assessment at the hydro-therapy pool. It was a little scary but I think we got the hang of it. The pool is very warm and I'm wearing a life jacket. The technicians were really nice and I got plenty of treats. Funny, now they want me to go in the pool. They'll be sorry ... LOL.I go in on the 12th for them to apply a Duragesic 75 mcg patch. Apparently it helps with the pain during and after surgery if it is my system for a day before.Mom's ordered all kinds of things ... two 4 x 4 pens (not bad, as you can see I'm checking it out pre-surgery), one for the living and one for outside when it's a nice day. Two new memory foam beds. Two ramps, one for the car and one for the pool. Boy am I one spoiled puppy. I got to go for a swim in the river today. I really like it, but it hurts and I only go for about 10 minutes then I bring Mom back to the house where I can lie down.

8 weeks of doing nothing is going to be really hard on me, but I think harder on my pack.I'll let you know how it goes and what we end up doing ... pictures too, but nothing gross as I'm sure I won't look my best.

Ramps

A new ramp for the bedroom, you just know Webber is going to want to sleep with his Mom.
We made this ramp. Be careful if you use carpet, we found the outdoor carpet we bought to cover the wood too slippery and so added old car mats.

TPLO Tip #1 - Checklist in Preparation for Recovery

Make a TPLO friendly home.

Large Towels (inexpensive) to cover bed - can be washed.
2 fluffy comforters - can be washed
A walkabout belly band or sling (can also use a towel) to assist in walking if needed and getting in and out of car.
Soft gel ice packs (or frozen corn/peas, can be refrozen)
Heating pad
Extra water bowl, non tip for x-pen
Made and froze Chicken soup (broth with noodles and carrots) in meal size containers
Made and froze lean ground beef (cooked) and rice mixture in meal size containers
Canned plain pumpkin if needed to get them pooping
No knock signs for doors
4 x 4' x-pen (he's a large dog and was never crate trained, it'll be big enough for me to get in as well and sleep with him)
(I actually got two of these, cause they were a great price, and I'll put the other one outside for the nice days when we both want some fresh air - check out CDN site: www.treasurecoast.ca )
54" Memory foam dog bed to ensure he's as comfy as possible
2 kongs which will be filled with either yogurt or baby food (frozen) to keep him busy.
Anti Septic wash
Bag Balm (http://www.bagbalm.com/) for scar once staples are out.
Ramp for the front stairs outside, ramp for car
Baby gates (still have from puppy days) to block off stairs and areas of the house where it will not be safe for him to go.
E-collar to keep him from licking
Halti head collar so he doesn't pull
Taking a daily temperature-if increased as 102 will catch most infections ASAP. A digital rectal thermometer is inexpensive and the easiest to use
Vasoline needed too

Extras:
Looking into Arnica and Symphytum (Comfrey) homeopathic remedies to aid in healing process. But be sure you ask your surgeon and vet about possible adverse reactions drug interactions. They may not want to risk it.
Rescue Remedy

Great book called "The Veterinarian's Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs"

Life jacket for dogs, so I can get him in the pool once he is in stage 2 recovery (will be used after for boating on the river)

Webber in his favourite spot looking like the little prince he is.

How it all started ...

Well, it's hard to say really. Being a 3-year old Weimaraner, Webber loves to run hard in the fields. Quick starts and stops, and turns on a dime. Might have been a slip on ice in March. Who's to say, all we know is in April, after visiting the vet for a lame back left leg, Webber has been diagnosed with a Cruciate Ligament Rupture.

Symptoms: 'Toe'-touching, hesitant to put weight on leg, limping after laying down for awhile, falling down when running.

How it was diagnosed: Initial physical examination indicated some swelling, recommendation CM for 3 weeks and then re-evaluate. At the end of 3 weeks, it had showed improvement, but when he did any exertion the lameness would return. Went in for X-rays under anesthetic, which indicated a partial ligament tear. CM for another 3 weeks and anti-inflammatories. At the end of it all, we could not deny that it was not going to get better on it's own.

TPLO surgery was one of the options, and the one most favoured by our vet. They say that for a large active dog, it has the highest success rate.

After extensive research and joining forums, both of us agree that this is the best chance for Webber to return to his former active self, albeit after an extensive recovery period.

Pre-TPLO ... Summer of 2006 Videos

Just a couple of videos to showing Webber in action ...

Here in his first Agility competition. He did much better than I did as his handler.



This one is aptly titled: Webber the Hunter ... you'll see why ... LOL

Pre-TPLO ... Favourite Photos

A winter day walk in the woods Hunting in the fields
Lounging on a Sunday Afternoon

Webber in Agility

Webber at 5 Months old