Is it normal for my dog to not use his leg long after patella surgery?

The overall recovery for this procedure typically takes 6-8 weeks. Most dogs show significant improvement after the first 2-3 weeks, but their bone is still healing in this time. Continue following Luna's vet's directions regarding the amount of rest or physical therapy exercises that she is to follow to help expedite her recovery. I hope that she's on the mend quickly! :-)

After surgical orthopedic procedures there can often be a loss of range of motion due to the healing process. This can be combated through physical therapy. I would highly recommend seeking the guidance of a rehabilitation veterinarian. They can create a therapy regimen for Pep and hopefully help her gain some mobility.

This may be normal. Since vets sometimes place two sutures in large breeds for security against premature rupture, some patients will have an audible “clicking” or “snapping” noise from the sutures rubbing against each other. This noise will stop over time in most cases as scar tissue builds up. I hope this helps!

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.

According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (www.acvsorg), results after FHO vary and are highly dependent upon patient size and proper postoperative physical rehabilitation. While many dogs will have varying degrees of lameness, function should improve when compared with preoperative status. After FHO, pets are encouraged to use the limb as soon as possible in a controlled manner. Aggressive physical rehabilitation and controlled exercise to increase hip range of motion are essential for an optimal outcome. It may take up to six weeks or longer after surgery for some dogs to show improvement.

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'm not sure what you're asking. This is a common surgery and could help prevent ligament tears within the knee joint. It does have up to a 12 week time frame for complete recovery and most dogs do very well. If this didn't address your specific concerns please repost or consider submitting a consult request so more question/answer format can be done.