Re: [pyrnet] TPLO

She came home to me after four days at the vet with 30 staples closing the incision and a pain patch as well as pills if needed. She had two plates, fifteen screws and a lot of swelling. She tore the patch off twice so we switched to just pills, but even so she was toe touching almost immediately. I leash walked her and kept her quiet in her crate when Charlie (my other pyr) was home, but took Charlie to daycare five days a week to wear him out so Sweetie could be out of the crate and laying quietly near me all day. We really stuck to the recommended shortest walks possible for the first few weeks and very gradually increased the length and frequency of the walks. We walked on grass not hard pavement. When the surgeon cleared her for more activity and suggested swimming, I was able to find an dog physical therapist who has a continuous flow pool. The first visit was horrible. We got her into the pool with the therapist and she hated it. She had a flotation jacket on so she could not sink but she swam like she thought she was drowning and splashed a tremendous amount of water out of the pool. Two five minute sessions were her limit. Second visit was not much better, but on the third visit she suddenly understood how to swim and the splashing stopped. After that, I cannot say she looked forward to this (although she really did like the therapist) but she got into the water and did her job. She gained a great deal of muscle strength in the affected leg that she had never had. She gained a lot of endurance and muscle all over. By the end of the eighth session, she was swimming against the maximum current for 25 minutes then taking a five minute break and doing it again for 15 minutes more. As a result she has regained more strength and motion than the vet thought she ever could and walks (and runs) quite well. She does all the normal dog things and plays rough with Charlie whenever she wants.