What to expect and how to care for my senior dog after knee surgery?

Poor Willie! The duration of cage rest and pain medications depends on the degree of the tear. You can also provide Willie with joint supplements, which are available at most pet stores or through your veterinarian. These will help maintain the lining of the joint and partially prevent further pain and damage. If Willie is overweight, a diet plan is also something to consider to minimize pressure on the knee when she does begin exercising again. There are surgical options that can be considered to stabilize the joint if warranted. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you have!

A torn cruciate ligament in the knee is not something you need to rush to surgery for. I'm a rehab veterinarian and I usually recommend rest, anti inflammatory medication, and short leash walks for potty only. If she is improving over the next few weeks then she may recover well without surgery. If there is no improvement or she starts using it, then gets worse again then I do recommend surgery. It is very important to prevent any jumping and no explosive movements. Basically Gumbo needs to be leash walked only for up to three months for her to recover without surgery. Also if you have a veterinary rehab clinic near you taking her for treatment there would assist her recovery without surgery. If you have additional questions please request a consultation with me and I can answer them. This is the most common injury I see in my practice. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Gumbo.

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.

Poor Chile! It sounds like your vet did exactly the same treatment plan that I would have done. I would make sure that the vet tested his knee to ensure he hasn't torn his cruciate ligament. This is usually require a surgical repair but due to his age, I would probably recommend to just keep him confined and let the scar tissue develop around the knee to help stabilize it. I would continue strict confinement and the pain meds. If it isn't improving, I would have your vet recheck him. I would also consider getting him on some joint supplements like dasuquin or flexadin. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry for Brody's injury. It sounds like he had ruptured his cranial cruciate ligament. Surgery is the ideal treatment but when that is not possible, crate rest is strongly recommended. Every time Brody steps on that leg he is injuring it further. If he tries to run and jump or play on it he will injure it even more. So 4-8 weeks of cage rest is better than a lifetime of chronic pain and lameness. There are things you can do to try to make it easier on him. Toys or chews that may interest him but that he can't swallow large pieces of. Make sure he can be out with you on a leash when possible instead of a cage. If he is super anxious or fighting the crate you may need to discuss anxiety or sedation medications with your vet. Here's an article that explains CCL injury a little bit more. I would recommend starting Brody on a supplement such as Dasaquin to try to limit arthritis effects in his knees. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1975

I am so sorry to hear Kira is having difficulties after her surgery. It is understandable that she is having troubles standing, and hopefully I can provide you with some options for helping her. Movement and physical therapy after these types of procedures is important. But it must be don't correctly. Encouraging Kira to stand and move around on her own will be difficult at first but she will get stronger as the days pass. Rather than trying to lift her with your hands, try passing a towel or bed sheet under her belly, just in front of her back legs, to make a sling. Then you can lift this-it will provide more support for Kira and hopefully be more manageable with your injured arm. Try and find someone (a neighbor or friend) who can come help if you need extra assistance. Ensuring that Kira takes her post-Surgery pain medications as prescribe is very important too. If she is very painful she will be more reluctant to move around. Once Kira is moving around normally, has recovered from her surgery and is given the 'all clear' to return to normal activity by your veterinarian then it would be a good idea to try and achieve some weight loss for her. Being overweight not only puts extra strain on her joints (especially the one that has just been repaired) but it also puts her at much higher risk of rupturing the ligament in her other leg. Please do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian if you feel Kira is not recovering appropriately. Ask them too about any recommended physical therapy routines you can do for her to help improve her mobility. You may be able to find a certified canine rehabilitation specialist in your area too. Good luck, and I hope Kira feels better soon!