Your pet may be permitted to get their anti-anxiety/sedation medication one hour after they get home post-surgery – Please ask your primary veterinarian to confirm this is permitted

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ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS

• If there is a bandage, keep it clean and dry; check it twice daily for dampness, soiling, bad odors or slippage, check the toes for any increase in swelling, and monitor for any signs of discomfort by your pet. If you notice any of these signs, notify your general practitioner.

• If there is no bandage, check the incision twice daily for any increase in swelling, drainage or missing sutures (NOTE that some swelling is expected for a few days after surgery). If you see those signs, call your veterinarian. Apply cold compress, through a cloth, to the incision for 10-15 minutes 2-3 times daily for 2-3 days after surgery, to reduce swelling.

• If there is an adhesive band-aid (white sticky bandage) covering the incision, then this may stay on for up to one week. If it is still in place one week post-surgery, or if it begins falling off, then please remove it gently (you may get it damp with warm water to help remove it).

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ACTIVITY - General

• Ensure that you have set up an appropriate RECOVERY ZONE, as detailed by your pre-surgical resources.

• IT IS EXTREMELY important to keep your pet under VERY STRICT CONFINEMENT for 8-10 weeks. Keep your pet in a large kennel or a small room without furniture or steps when not supervised, on FLAT NON-SLIP FLOORING. He/she may be inthe house with you, or go outside for elimination, ONLY if kept securely on a short leash. Prevent jumping on or off furniture or going up/down steps. You may sling a bath towel around your pet’s waist for getting in or out ofcars or on steps. Keep him/her on a leash at all times, indoors and outdoors.

•  FREQUENCY of movement is most important to your pet’s recovery and preventing stiffness – It is more beneficial to go for ten walks that are 2-3 minutes in duration compared to one or two walks that are longer in duration

• Keep your pets walking pace SLOW – If your pet is not placing their foot on the ground during the walk, then you may be going too fast. SLOW IT DOWN. NOTE: Stairs are NOT permitted unless specifically directed and approved – If you have a large pet and cannot safely carry him/her, then do NOT attempt to do this. Contact your primary veterinarianfor guidance

•  NOTE: MUST be kept on a leash at all times, INDOORS AND OUT, for 8-10 weeks

• NOTE: MUST keep the protective coneon, until suture removal or incision evaluated and confirmed to be healed

• NOTE: MUST not run, jump, play, get on furniture or go off-leash until permitted by Dr. Lynch.

• NOTE: Ensure that there is no loose bedding in your pets recovery zone – This can get caught on their leg and lead to complications.

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ACTIVITY –TPLO or fracture

• Starting three days post-surgery, begin assisted weight bearing and weight shifting exercises indoors in your recovery zone. These exercises should continue for 8-10 weeks, and be performed at least five times daily.

•  Your pet may go outside with your assistance only for bathroom purposes until the incision has healed.

• Two weeks after surgery, you may begin going for 2-3 minute walks on a FLAT NON-SLIP surface 3-5 times daily. Each week you may add up to 2-3 minutes onto your pets walk duration as long as it is tolerated (not sore or limping after walks). By week four, do not exceed 10 minute walks 3-5 times daily. By week 8 do not exceed 20 minutes walks 2-3 times daily

•  Professional physical therapy may be started 6-8 weeks after the operation. Contact your primary veterinarian before beginning professional physiotherapy for approval. Do not do any limb manipulation unless instructed by a professional.

•  NOTE – BILATERAL TPLO: For the first two weeks post-surgery, your pet MUST be assisted with a harness or sling at ALL times. You are required to perform assisted weight bearing and walking therapy at least five times daily (five repetitions of 10 seconds), beginning three days post-surgery. Monitor your pet’s harness, if being utilized, to ensure there are no rub sores (inner thigh and side of tail especially). It is advised for you to upload a photo of your pet’s incisions every two days until healed.

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ACTIVITY – Patellar Luxation

• It is imperative that your pet is ONLY allowed on a FLAT NON-SLIP SURFACE and is not permitted to jump.

• Starting three days post-surgery, begin assisted weight bearing and weight shifting exercises indoors in your recovery zone. These exercises should continue for 8-10 weeks, and be performed at least five times daily.

•  Your pet may go outside with your assistance only for bathroom purposes until the incision has healed.

• Two weeks after surgery, you may begin going for 2-3 minute walks on a FLAT NON-SLIP surface 3-5 times daily. Each week you may add up to 2-3 minutes onto your pets walk duration as long as it is tolerated (not sore or limping after walks). By week four, do not exceed 10 minute walks 3-5 times daily. By week 8 do not exceed 20 minutes walks 2-3 times daily.

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ACTIVITY – Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO)

• It is imperative that your pet is scheduled for PROFESSIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY beginning at two weeks post-surgery

• You must perform passive hip extension exercises starting three days post-surgery. With these exercises, you will slowly lift your pet’s front two paws off the ground so that they are standing on their hind two legs, on a flat non-slip surface, thus encouraging them to extend their hip that had surgery and place their operated limb on the ground. They are standing in one place for this (do NOT have them walk while performing this exercise). This must be performed at least five times daily (five repetitions of 10 seconds)

• You may begin going for 2-3 minute walks on a FLAT NON-SLIP surface 3-5 times daily, beginning three days post-surgery

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ACTIVITY – Ulnar osteotomy

• It is imperative that your pet is ONLY allowed on a FLAT NON-SLIP SURFACE and is not permitted to jump.

• Starting three days post-surgery, begin assisted weight bearing and weight shifting exercises indoors in your recovery zone. These exercises should continue for 8-10 weeks, and be performed at least five times daily.

• Your pet may go outside with your assistance only for bathroom purposes until the incision has healed.

• Two weeks after surgery, you may begin going for 2-3 minute walks on a FLAT NON-SLIP surface 3-5 times daily. Each week you may add up to 2-3 minutes onto your pets walk duration as long as it is tolerated (not sore or limping after walks). By week four, do not exceed 10 minute walks 3-5 times daily. By week 8 do not exceed 20 minutes walks 2-3 times daily

• Schedule bandage changes with your primary veterinarian every week, or as needed based on cleanliness of the bandage. The bandage will be in place for 4 weeks minimum.

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RECOMMENDED RETURN VISIT SCHEDULE

Schedule the following recheck evaluations with your primary veterinarian:

• In________day(s) for bandage or incision inspection (if applicable)

• In TWO weeks for suture removal and healing evaluation(if applicable)

• In EIGHT weeks for x-ray

  • If x-ray reveal appropriate healing and your pet has appropriate clinical progress at this time, then your pet may GRADUALLY resume normal activity over the SUBSEQUENT FOUR WEEKS. Stairs and off-leash activity are the LAST activities to be resumed and must not occur before 10 weeks unless directed otherwise

  • If x-ray does NOT reveal full healing, or if your pet is not progressing clinically as expected, then schedule an additional recheck evaluation in four weeks after getting specific advice regarding any exercise modification or physical therapy required

  • Rechecks requiring X-rays will require sedation; therefore, do NOT feed the morning of those appointments.

  • Recheck appointments, sedation, X-rays and other intervention will be an additional fee at the discretion of your primary veterinary hospital

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PERSONAL PROTECTION WARNING

Infrequently, a patient may show an increase in defensive behavior, such as biting, after surgery. During recovery from surgery, especially the first two weeks, HANDLE THE PATIENT WITH EXTRA CARE. DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO COME IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE PATIENT.  AVOID PROXIMITY OF YOUR FACE TO THE PATIENT.