TPLO POST SURGICAL INSTRUCTIONS
1) Your pet has an incision:
You should check your pet's incision daily and take notice of any changes in its appearance. A certain amount of redness and swelling are normal for many incisions, but a noticeable increase in the degree of redness, pain, swelling or discharge should be reported to your veterinarian. It mayor may not be a problem. Your pet should not be allowed to lick or chew at the skin staples. If you find it is impossible to stop your pet from doing this, you should come to the, hospital and obtain an "Elizabethan" collar, which is placed around the neck to prevent the pet from getting at the incision.
2) The skin staples can be removed in 2 weeks by your veterinarian. It is very common to see a lot of swelling and bruising of the leg for 1-2 weeks after this surgery. This will resolve by the time the' skin staples are removed.
3) Orthopedic Exercise Restriction:
Your pet needs to be confined indoors and should not be allowed to jump, run, use the stairs or "rough':"house"., When taken outdoors to urinate and defecate, your pet MUST be confined to a leash, and once body eliminations are completed, returned IMMEDIATELY indoors. If your pet is to be left alone, he/she must be confined to an area in which he/she cannot hurt him/herself, e.g.: a small room or cage. This degree of confinement is especially important during the WEEKS following surgery. It may take several days to 3 weeks before your pet begins to use the leg.
4) Give medications as directed. It is very important to give this medicine with food. If you see any vomiting, anorexia, or bloody stools, stop the pain medication immediately.
5) In 10-12 weeks, please call your doctor to schedule recheck x-rays to assess bone healing. Your pet may spend the day at the hospital and should not be fed the day of the appointment (water is ok). If the bone healing is adequate at that time, we can then slowly start exercise rehabilitation.
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