It’s official. I have a bionic dog. 1 Day post op TPLO ACL Repair, and she’s already trying to get me to take her on a walk. To be clear she is definitely in pain. Swollen leg, a huge incision ( I definitely wasn’t prepared for), and a cone of shame won’t keep her down apparently!
Here is how I prepped:
- Planning is my thing. I always have a plan and usually two secret backup plans. It’s my best coping method for anxiety.
- The doctor told us no jumping, running or strenuous activity. My logical solution? Put all of our mattresses on the floor. Yes, I’m writing this blog post on the floor with my little cone head on top of me. Baby gates are up in the living room to prevent her from walking on the tile floor, or jumping on the couch. Chicken wire is up around all of our built in yard furniture, and there are extra rugs in my room to add traction.
- Icing bendel’s leg was a priority, so the ice packs are in the fridge ready to go. Roast Beef and Cheese were bought to mask the insane amount of pills she has to take, and I bought a soft cone incase she hated the plastic one.
Here is everything that went the opposite of how i thought in the last 24 hours:
- I expected to pick her up half drugged. Wrong. She basically ran out of the vets office like a horse out of the gate at the kentucky derby. This dang dog even wanted to look out of the car window!
- She has now also decided to boycott taking pills. We’ve had to resort to shoving them down her throat and feeling absolutely awful while she runs away from us.
- She refuses to lay down unless I am laying with her. So naturally I’ve been in bed since 4:30pm.
- The cone. Oh my god the cone. She hates it and has no idea how it works. She has literally knocked into EVERYTHING.
Overall I think the hardest part of this will be keeping her calm. Pray for us for the next 2 weeks while her incision heals and we get the all clear to start physical therapy!
