What happens if my dog is too active after broken leg surgery?

The dog should be kept as quiet as possible for 6-12 weeks to ensure that the bone sets and heals properly. This means no running, jumping, or playing, and the dog should be taken out to toilet on a lead only. Once x-rays are done to confirm that the bone has fully healed, the dog will be allowed to exercise and activity levels must be built back up slowly. Physical therapy and hydrotherapy may be done to help the dog regain it's muscle mass and activity levels.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Goodness! I think that if he is using the leg like he was BEFORE running off then he is probably fine. He may be more sore tomorrow so we may need to wait. I would be sure you are giving the anti-inflammatories as prescribed by the surgeon. I would also touch base with them tomorrow before the weekend. Be sure on future walks that his collar is tight and he can't slip out again. Good luck!

I believe the main difference is that dogs don't understand that they just had surgery. You can't explain to a dog that they need to take it easy, and if their pain is well managed (which is hopefully always the case) they will try to use a leg normally. A TPLO involves cutting the bone and then placing a plate, and a young exuberant dog can easily bend a plate or cause screws to back out of the bone running in the yard for a couple of minutes. Some surgeons will have owners do some physical therapy soon after surgery, but these are usually non-weight bearing passive range of motion type exercises.

Poor Leo! TPLO surgery requires at least eight to 12 weeks before full recovery, and exercise restriction is a very important part of the recovery. The concern I have is that Leo slipping on the ice may have interrupted the healing process in the surgical area, and that is causing him to be non weight-bearing on that leg. I would take him into the backyard only to go to the bathroom, and get him into the vet on Monday. Likely x-rays will need to be done again to check how the surgical site is healing, and the vet can discuss with you the next steps for him. That may include strict cage rest, or in severe cases another surgery to fix any damage done to the surgical site from the slip. Keep him as quiet as possible until you are able to see your vet again. Good luck, I hope this helps!

With strict rest, this may callous further and improve stability but may not be completely aligned as the plate has moved! Regular monitoring with xrays will be required to investigate if healing is progressive or if additional surgery is indeed necessary

Poor girl. : ( It sounds like she is tweaking it a bit when she tries to do extrenuous exercise, which is expected, especially since she still has hardware in place in the leg. Her muscles also can grow tired quicker and become inflamed, which can cause some limping after increased movement. This sounds pretty normal at this stage in the healing process. However, if you are noticing any excessive swelling around the area, drainage or signs of infection, then she should be seen by your vet. Otherwise, follow-up your vet as scheduled to check on things and hopefully the leg is healing well via the post surgery x-rays that they will take. I hope that Olly's leg heals well. Best wishes and take care.

Unfortunately yes, she could injury it again. There are other causes of injury as well. I recommend to play it safe and have her examined by the veterinarian. The may need to radiograph the legs to check the surgery site. I hope it's nothing too serious. Go ahead and significantly restrict her activity (no walks, running, jumping, stairs) until she gets examined by the veterinarian.