# Samantha had her TPLO surgery



## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I am glad she is doing well so far. 
Toby had TPLO on October 6 last year, made a full recovery, no problems so far. He had complete bone healing after 8 weeks.
Good luck and any questions will be gladly answered!


----------



## gottaBgolden (Jan 16, 2008)

*I do remember the other thread and followed it closely because Lucy was/is in the same boat. She had her surgery March 26th, alittle over a week ago. She had the "extracapsular" procedure. We opted for that because quite honestly we could not afford TPLO at this time. Our friends have a Lab that just had both legs (TPLO) done back to back. She is doing great! Lucy also had the kneecap "realigned" at the same time (which was the cause of the ruptured ACL since the kneecap was always out of place it gave no stability to the joint which put too much stress on the ACL). She is doing well and starting to feel better which is making it harder to keep her quiet. Good luck in Samanthas' recovery and keep us posted.*


----------



## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

Our Goldens are very resilient and I'm sure Samatha will heal quickly, but it's sure hard to see them immediately after their surgery as they look so frail. She looks like she's getting nothing but the best of treatment...here's hoping for a quick recovery.

Pete


----------



## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

gottaBgolden said:


> *I do remember the other thread and followed it closely because Lucy was/is in the same boat. She had her surgery March 26th, a little over a week ago. *


I hope Lucy continues to do well! 

Yes it is going to be hard to keep her quiet. Right now she's keeping herself pretty still, but I did get up to use the restroom earlier (she was sleeping so I didn't see any harm in leaving for a minute) and came back to find her on the couch :no:! I was able to help her down with the sling and now have the cushions from our loveseat on the floor with a blanket over them to allow her a more comfy place without the need to jump. Our living room has been completely torn apart to accommodate her, haha. 

She's still getting used to the e-collar. I'm able to take it off when I can watch her but must put in on when I can't since her bandage is now off and she's expressed some curiosity in her sutures. I feel like we have a baby at home. Between the middle of the night meds we're all functioning on naps right now.  

Passive Range of Motion pt is going well and my only concern right now is that she still has not pooped. Her first meal was 4/3 at 10am as she wouldn't eat at the vet but did as soon as we got her home. She's eating and drinking just fine... just no poop. The vet isn't too concerned yet because of all her meds but told me to call tomorrow if she still hasn't gone. 

Thank you again to everyone and I will keep you all posted.


----------



## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

Sending prayers and best wishes for fully and speedy recovery.


----------



## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

Samantha is doing well but I have a question about pain meds and when/ how to taper them off. 

Her initial (and as I'm currently following) prescription is as follows (TPLO surgery was on 4/3):

Cephalexin, 500 MG/ 2 capsules every 12 hours
Caraprofen, 75 MG/ 1 capsule every 12 hours
Tramadol, 50 MG/ 2 tablets every 8-12 hours

I've strictly adhered to all dosages, including Passive Range of Motion and Ice. My question is, when should I taper back the Tramadol from 8 to 12 hours. I've been giving it every 8 and have a follow-up appointment on Tuesday. Samantha is definitely gaining her energy/ strength back... should I start to taper it back to 8 hours now?

Hoping that the vets on here and those that have been there before can help. Thanks in advance!


----------



## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

May Sammy have a full and speedy recovery.


----------



## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Hi, about the meds, Samantha will need pain meds for more than two weeks, believe me. If you are concerned about the Tramadol (which you don't really have to be), then cut back to 12 hours.
When Toby had his TPLO and later FHO, the surgeon told me to put him on Rimadyl for breakfast, Tramadol at lunch time, Rimadyl in the PM 12 hours apart from the morning dose and Tramadol again at bedtime to give around the clock pain control. When Toby had bad days, the surgeon told me, that I could give Tramadol three times a day, but I don't think I ever did that. So, you should be fine with every 12 hours or space it out like I stated here for 24 hour pain control. 
You can always tell when she has more pain, because she will not put weight on the TPLO leg at that time. 
With the pooping, it took Toby about three days to poop. It has a lot to do with the anesthetic in the system. I think somebody here also recommended before about giving the dog canned pumpkin to eat. You might want to try that. I did not know about it when Toby had his surgeries, so I cannot give any feedback on pumpkin.
About jumping on the couch, Toby did that once also. I blocked him off from even getting to the couches at that point, baby gates everywhere, lol.
Good luck and hang in there. Cuddles to Samantha.


----------



## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Samantha*

So glad to hear that Samantha is doing so well. I remember that it took Smooch quite a while to poop after Surgery, too!!


----------



## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

cgriffin said:


> Hi, about the meds, Samantha will need pain meds for more than two weeks, believe me. If you are concerned about the Tramadol (which you don't really have to be), then cut back to 12 hours.
> When Toby had his TPLO and later FHO, the surgeon told me to put him on Rimadyl for breakfast, Tramadol at lunch time, Rimadyl in the PM 12 hours apart from the morning dose and Tramadol again at bedtime to give around the clock pain control. When Toby had bad days, the surgeon told me, that I could give Tramadol three times a day, but I don't think I ever did that. So, you should be fine with every 12 hours or space it out like I stated here for 24 hour pain control.
> You can always tell when she has more pain, because she will not put weight on the TPLO leg at that time.
> With the pooping, it took Toby about three days to poop. It has a lot to do with the anesthetic in the system. I think somebody here also recommended before about giving the dog canned pumpkin to eat. You might want to try that. I did not know about it when Toby had his surgeries, so I cannot give any feedback on pumpkin.
> ...


 
Thank you! Samantha did finally poop on Friday morning... we brought her home on Wednesday. I've never been so happy to pick up dog poop, haha!

Our vet said the same about moving the pain meds back to twice a day for at least the next week then as needed. He said they will mellow her out versus make her more active which was a relief. I was worried they would make her feel better than she was.

He was happy with how she's walking and healing. We had our one week follow-up today and will go back next week to have the sutures removed. Right now we've started a warm compress and Samantha's getting more used to her cone. 

Thank you again to everyone!


----------



## SandyK (Mar 20, 2011)

So glad to see Samantha had her surgery and is doing good!! I hope recovery continues to go well for her.


----------



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I'm glad things are going well and I hope Samantha continues to recover well. 

As far as the Rimadyl, please consider getting her a follow up blood test soon to monitor liver enzymes as NSAIDs can increase them. Toby was put on Rimadyl after his cataract surgery and he developed acid reflux. We started him on Pepcid 30 minutes before dosing him as well as Denamarin (milk thistle and SamE, which you can do separately a little cheaper) to protect his liver and he's doing very well now.


----------



## dborgers (Dec 7, 2011)

Our Bichon 'self rescue', Katie had TPLO surgery about a year ago. We followed the ortho's post op regimen to a tee, and she made a complete recovery. 

Don't worry too much about the Tramadol. As you could imagine she'll be in some pain for at least the next week. It's a narcotic, so it'll keep her calmer as well during these early days where she doesn't need to feel rambunctious.

Our golden, Andy, has been taking Tramadol for 11 or 12 weeks since he sustained a mild ACL tear in his right rear leg as a result of taking heavy doses of Prednisone early in his chemotherapy protocol (weakens the ligaments). His being a chemo patient leaves surgery out of the question. Tramadol seems to be really help him. We've been on a 12 hour cycle for close to a month. 8 hour cycles for several weeks prior. 

I wish your gal a full and complete recovery. Don't ever let her get too heavy. If she's torn/ruptured one consider the other susceptible to injury. Proper weight management and avoiding sudden turns will go a long way to preventing the other one going out


----------



## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I think you can give the tramadol with confidence. With Tango, we added a little acepromazine bc she was way too active.


----------



## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Samantha*

So glad to hear that Samantha is on the mend-it is a process, and I, too, would not worry about giving Tramadol-our Smooch and Snobear had to take it.

I have Smooch's TPLO story here-don't remember how much I wrote day to day, though.

Here is Smooch's thread:
http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...e-about-tplo-vs-suture-surgery-my-smooch.html


----------



## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Samantha*

Checking in on Samantha and praying she is doing well!!


----------



## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

Thanks guys! 

Overall Samantha is continuing to do well. However, something a bit scary has started to happen. Early today on her potty break (with leash and sling) I thought I heard a clicking noise. I was wearing flip flops so couldn't really tell. I just took her out with sneakers and there is definitely an occasional clicking. I can't totally tell which knee it's coming from but think its from the one she had surgery on.

I am finding very mixed reviews online about this. Some report it's normal in the knee after tplo surgery, others report it's a sign she's torn the other one. I did some manipulating with her good knee and could not replicate the clicking sound. There also doesn't seem to be any discomfort to my touch or when she's walking on it. 

Really hoping this is normal. I'm going to call the vet tomorrow but wanted to check here first. Praying we don't have to do the other so soon... It will be pretty much the rest of our savings if we do.


----------



## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I am hoping for the best for Samantha!
Did they remove/repair the meniscus in that knee when they did the TPLO? Toby was clicking really bad when he had injured his knee, the clicking came from the damaged meniscus. During his TPLO, they also removed the meniscus, it was so damaged. 
Anyway, good luck to Samantha!


----------



## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

cgriffin said:


> I am hoping for the best for Samantha!
> Did they remove/repair the meniscus in that knee when they did the TPLO? Toby was clicking really bad when he had injured his knee, the clicking came from the damaged meniscus. During his TPLO, they also removed the meniscus, it was so damaged.
> Anyway, good luck to Samantha!


I'm not sure about the meniscus. I know they thought it ws okay before surgery but found more damage than they expected when they went in.


----------



## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

Sending some prayers for the best.


----------



## gottaBgolden (Jan 16, 2008)

ebenjamin85 said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> Overall Samantha is continuing to do well. However, something a bit scary has started to happen. Early today on her potty break (with leash and sling) I thought I heard a clicking noise. I was wearing flip flops so couldn't really tell. I just took her out with sneakers and there is definitely an occasional clicking. I can't totally tell which knee it's coming from but think its from the one she had surgery on.
> 
> ...


*Oh geez, I hope it's nothing. This recovery game is taxing. Lucy jumped on the couch before I could stop her this morning -doesn't seem like she hurt anything but the worry drives ya crazy! Hopeing for the best-for all of us in this boat right now.*


----------



## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Glad she is doing so well. I HATED when my KayCee had to have the knee surgeries! Beware--your gal will probably think she is healed and wanted to be active before she should.


----------



## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

Samantha is fine! Yea! We had our two week follow-up today and had her sutures removed. The surgeon said the popping noise is likely no big deal and possibly a little sliver (of ligament? not sure he's kind of confusing) that's hanging on and causing the noise and should go away with time. He did not remove the meniscus as he said dogs usually have better outcomes when it's left (used to be standard practice but isn't anymore). He said it's not impossible for him to have to go back to repair the meniscus in the future but that it's very unlikely. 

So glad to have her sutures out and to put the cone aside. I'm sure Samantha's equally happy! We get to start short (5-10 minute) walks with the leash. He wants us to continue to use the sling, not to support her but to hold her back as she's already quite the peppy girl. 

Thanks again for everyone's kind words and advice. Leash walks for the next 6 months seems like forever but I hopefully that the time will pass quickly and uneventfully. 

Interestingly- I asked about her weight after reading more and based on concerns raised here. She's always been very big for the standard but vets have never been concerned as she's pretty proportionate (tall too). He said the same, her weight is fine... she's not a svelte athlete but she's not overweight either (at 80 lbs). 

He said the ACL tears seem to be related equally to two things... genetics and early spay (she was done at 6 months at the recommendation of our regular vet at the time). I've already started to taper back food some because of the exercise restrictions but may just switch to a weight management blend to be safe. Any thoughts? Right now they both eat 2 cups a day (1 in am, 1 in pm) of blue buffalo wilderness salmon, although I've cut back Samantha's to 1.5 cups per day. We need to stay clear of chicken, wheat, and corn because of Samantha's allergies.


----------



## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

I am glad vet visit was good. She will enjoy her short walks. Wish you speedy recovery sweet girl.


----------



## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

So glad all is going well for your girl. I had to put KayCee onscience diet KD following her 2ed surgey. she had put on wight following her first one, and then when her 2ed knee started to bother her, less exericse, more weight, then all those weeks of being inactive. I am not partial to Science Diet, but I hae to give it credit0-it did get the weight off her, and it gort Buck thru his first and only kidney infection at age 10, and has worked well for Honey with her kidney issuyes, which are not in normla range.


----------



## gottaBgolden (Jan 16, 2008)

[QUOTE}He said the ACL tears seem to be related equally to two things... genetics and early spay (she was done at 6 months at the recommendation of our regular vet at the time).


> *First, glad to hear the doc says everythings good. Second, to touch on your quote above. My friends and I have been talking about this since 5 of us are going through this now and in the last 6 months. This ACL thing is like an epidemic. So many on here and now so many in my little place in the world. It has to be the spay/neuter thing for the most part because every one of us spayed/neutered @ 6 months. We first said maybe not enough excerise/conditioning--bad food--ect. but spay/neutering has been the constant in our cases. I spayed @ 6 monthes cause I was so afraid of cancer (we lost our first to it) but if I knew what I know now I think I would have waited at least till she was 1. Hindsight--always 20/20.*


----------



## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I am glad that Samantha is doing well.
Leash walks for six months? Is that what your vet told you?
Odd, Toby had his x-rays done at 8 week post-op, which showed complete bone healing and he was taken off of restrictions and allowed to run and walk steps, etc, again. Of course, since his hip on the other side gave out around the 8 week mark, he had to have FHO done and was on restrictions again. 
I never heard that after TPLO, a dog had to be restricted for 6 months. The most I heard from others was 12 weeks. 
Anyway, good luck to Samantha!


----------



## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

gottaBgolden said:


> [QUOTE}He said the ACL tears seem to be related equally to two things... genetics and early spay (she was done at 6 months at the recommendation of our regular vet at the time).
> 
> 
> > *First, glad to hear the doc says everythings good. Second, to touch on your quote above. My friends and I have been talking about this since 5 of us are going through this now and in the last 6 months. This ACL thing is like an epidemic. So many on here and now so many in my little place in the world. It has to be the spay/neuter thing for the most part because every one of us spayed/neutered @ 6 months. We first said maybe not enough excerise/conditioning--bad food--ect. but spay/neutering has been the constant in our cases. I spayed @ 6 monthes cause I was so afraid of cancer (we lost our first to it) but if I knew what I know now I think I would have waited at least till she was 1. Hindsight--always 20/20.*
> ...


----------



## ebenjamin85 (Apr 13, 2008)

cgriffin said:


> I am glad that Samantha is doing well.
> Leash walks for six months? Is that what your vet told you?
> Odd, Toby had his x-rays done at 8 week post-op, which showed complete bone healing and he was taken off of restrictions and allowed to run and walk steps, etc, again. Of course, since his hip on the other side gave out around the 8 week mark, he had to have FHO done and was on restrictions again.
> I never heard that after TPLO, a dog had to be restricted for 6 months. The most I heard from others was 12 weeks.
> Anyway, good luck to Samantha!


Yep that's what he said. She has an extensive physical therapy plan that includes exercises and gradually builds back up her activity over the next several months. Her bone will be healed sooner like you said but because she was favoring her good leg for over a month, closer to two, he wants to minimize the chance of another injury... To the same or other leg. We can do some pretty good walks by then but he doesn't want her tearing through the yard for a while, so to speak.

This is similar to what we were told... http://tplo-surgery.com/


----------

