How to prepare for a long recuperation

Caro

Caro

Moderator
Does anyone have advice on what I need to do to prepare for Deska's recuperation from surgery? He has to completely rest for 2wks and then can only walk to toilet for 6wks, after which its slow rehab.

I know quite a few people had to rest their dogs due to various surgeries, I've never had to do this. So hoping for advice on keeping him still, keeping him occupied, how do you take a dog to the toilet, should I get him a jacket (heading into winter here), how do I feed and water him and keep Tully away? I'm sure there's a hundred and one other things I haven't thought of.

Do dog's want to get up and about - am I likely to have trouble keeping him still or do they become fearful about walking? I really have no idea what to expect.
 
My friend's Shelies sufferet a shattered foot in a show accident. She has had to keep her quiet for months. It's all about crating, carrying, and setting a schedule so bathroom times are predictable.

Supervised chew toys help, as does just keeping the crate near whenever you're home. I recommend a couple of crates so Deska can be near sleeping or in the daytime.

Sending healing prayers to your baby!
 
Drugs!:wink2:

Seriously, I have had to keep both Justice and Ember quite following injuries for 6 weeks. It was darn near impossible.

Justice torn his digital flexor in his front leg when he was 4 yrs old. I ended up crating Justice 24/7(a crate where ever I was, carrying him or standing right there on the shortest leash possible. Lots of chewies and we both went almost crazy. He ate in the crate and did everything in the crate and the crate was small so he couldn't jump around.

Ember had some real issues with learning to use her legs again after the cast was off. rehab was not fun. But there was not much I could do but keep her slow and let her figure it out. Justice, I swear, he thought nothing ever happened and that is what made it hard. He had no problem wanting to bouncing around on his leg. *sigh*:(

Good luck with your boy. Heres hoping for a good patient and a speedy recovery.
 
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I'm not sure what the surgery is that Deska is having. When our first westie - neutered male - had patella surgery we kept him in a 4 X 4 ex pen by folding it down and moved it from room to room. We carried him outside and ex'd him on lead and then carried him back. If we were not able to be with him we put him in an oversized - P400 crate with chews so he could make himself comfortable and used crate mats instead of bedding to lessen the possiblity of him getting his leg caught up. He would have been in the crate more if he was a dog that jumped up at the sides of an ex pen but he was content to stand or lay there. It was a long 4 weeks but he came through it well.
 
I've never had to keep a Sheltie quiet, but I've had to do it with one of my Border Collies. It was like keeping a tornado in a soda bottle, since he was a very active seven months old at the time.

Max had a de-gloving accident on one of his front legs. He also had a bit of ligament damage along with it. He got this falling off a woodpile that was held up with cast iron rebar stakes. One of the stakes caught his leg as he fell, and left a spiral laceration where the skin was peeled off like a spiral sock.

Once the stitches were in and he was bandaged, it was like nothing had happened. He spent 2 weeks in the "Cone of Shame" for tearing off his bandages in utter boredom.

I was working from home at the time, and had three different crates - one in the living room, one in the bedroom, and one in my office. As I moved from one room to the other, I'd take him with me, carrying him up/down the stairs.

He absolutely LOVED going to the vet every few days to get his bandages changed. Max was a real people dog. The wound had to be cleaned and the serum squeezed out for testing every time, and, while the vet was squeezing, Max would give her kisses while she was doing it. On more than one occasion, she got teary-eyed. She said it really had to hurt bad, her squeezing it, but he was so sweet he never budged. And never had to be held on the table.

But it was hard keeping him occupied. The Buster cube had just come out, so I got one for him, and kept about five kongs in the freezer full of surprises (peanut butter, cheese, Frosty Paws doggy ice cream, etc.). He was only allowed to walk to go potty.

A timer will help immensely in timing potty breaks. Every 4 hours was just right for him.

But beware - the boredom sets in quite early. After being left unattended for an hour one day, he actually somehow slid the pan out of the bottom of his crate, and pulled up the carpet, tuft by tuft, in the exact shape of the crate's bottom grid. He also entertained himself by seeing how many beds he could destroy or eat.

Hope your baby comes through everything OK!
 
Everyone has mentioned great ideas. I used an x-pen for both of my pups (Lexi's spay and Bentley's stomach surgery) and it was great. I made sure to spend time in the x-pen with them during the day, and they really enjoyed that.

I would just get in and sit on the floor in the x-pen. I would sometimes let them out in the house but on a short leash and away from all furniture just for a change of scenery.
 
Thanks for the ideas. Deska's getting bone removed from both elbows so will be very incapacitated. But at least it should relieve the pain in the longer term.

I actually think he will be worse with the painkillers - he gets Tramadol atm and when he's on it tries to hump everything in sight! It makes him very, very happy. Altho I guess that's not a bad thing...

I'll start clearing spaces in all the rooms to set up pens - I live in a townhouse with not much space. maybe I better put him in it before he has the surgery so he gets used to being confined - he hates being crated. Guess I should be working on strengthening my back to so I can carry him around with me, he's a great big sook so I'm sure would love being babied. I'm really not looking forward to this.
 
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