THE FIRST TWO WEEKS 

Primary goals for weeks 0-2: 

• Have a completely healed incision  

• Prevent stiffness by promoting early and frequent episodes of weight bearing 

 

• Day 0-3 after surgery: 

  • Let your pet rest – They just had general anesthesia and surgery, they will be exhausted and groggy.  

  • Aim to assist your pet up to a standing position and walk around their recovery zone every 3-4 hours.  

  • Go outside for bathroom purposes only, up to three times daily. You should be using a sling or recovery harness (for larger dogs) during this time. There are no duration walks yet. 

  • The plastic collar MUST always remain on – There is nothing more horrible than waking up and seeing a completely open incision. No matter how good your pet is, they will chew at their incision because it is itchy! 

• Day 4-14 after surgery: 

  • Begin your pet’s weight shifting exercises (for unilateral surgeries) and assisted weight bearing exercises. These should be performed for 10-15 seconds every 1-2 hours, during the waking day that you are at home (I.e., you should not set an alarm in the middle of the night or come home from work for these exercises). 

  • Go outside for bathroom purposes only, up to three times daily. You should be using a sling or recovery harness (for larger dogs) during this time. There are no duration walks yet.  

  • The plastic collar MUST always remain on  

 

Two-week check-in:  Send a photo of your pet’s incision, video of them walking and detailed progress update (as it relates to the points mentioned above) to Dr. Lynch. 

• Progress updates should include the daily exercises you are performing (frequency and duration), walk duration and frequency, any potential set-backs you have encountered and how you feel your pet has been progressing.

 

Allow up to three business days for response – Do not continue to recovery weeks 3-4 until you have been directed by Dr. Lynch or his nurse to do so.  

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