
So my sweet little munchkin of a dog, Hana, had a pretty major surgery yesterday for a severely luxated patella. She actually went through a very similar surgery almost exactly a year ago and it failed for whatever reason. I decided to make a blog to document her recovery after I realized that there isn't really that much about the recovery period on the web that pet owners can look at and reference. As soon as I found out she needed her first surgery for a luxating patella, I immediately hit up the internet. I wanted to know what to expect, what the incision should look like, how I could help her go to the bathroom when she couldn't walk, if it was normal that she hadn't pooped for 3 days etc. etc. etc. I found some information that was helpful, but there didn't seem to be alot. This second time around, I turned to the internet again and I found a lot of the same information as last time. If this blog helps just one pet owner seeking information and solace when their dog is going through this painful procedure, I'll be happy.
Day 1 Post-Op.
I picked up Hana at 10:30 am from the Animal Emergency & Referral Center. While in the waiting room I was so nervous, hoping that she would be feeling okay and ready to go home. When they brought her out to me, my heart just sank. She was panting and her eyes were glazed over. She just looked SO SAD. Her hair was all mangy and she was whimpering and crying from the pain as I placed her in her carrier. I asked them if this was normal, worried about her being in pain, and they said yes. She has a Fentanyl pain patch that she wears until Sunday, and then I switch her over to oral pain medication. She is also on an antibiotic that I had to start giving her today. They said that she didn't eat, drink or pee the whole time she was there, but she did poop once.
On the ride home she fell asleep in her carrier, thank goodness. If she's sleeping then she's not in pain, I kept thinking. I kept looking over at her and at one point when we were going over a lot of pot holes she woke up. I felt just awful for her and started singing. I sang to her the rest of the way home. I think it helped.
We get inside the apartment and our other dog, Harvey, was very excited to see us. I had to shoo him away (which is quite difficult since he's still a puppy) and get Hana's crate set up. I had a soft towel in there, her favorite toy, a water bowl and a handful of food. I gave her the antibiotic, put her in her crate and she cried a bit, finally settling down and going to sleep. I sure hope she gets used to the crate because the surgeon said she needs to stay in it for 6-10 weeks, only allowed to walk around when using the potty. It's going to kill me on those days that she's feeling slightly better and wants to walk around and play, but it will be worth it in the end for a fully healed knee.
I have a feeling the next couple of days are going to be similar to today. I'm going to keep a very quiet household, Hana will be in the crate or sleeping on a pillow next to me at all times. I think getting her to go to the bathroom will be the most difficult, since whenever she puts weight on her bad leg or tries to squat she cries in pain. She had the longest pee ever a little while ago, I was pretty impressed.
She isn't really interested in eating any of her food, or even one of her favorite treats in the world- peanut butter. I tried enticing her with cheese and it was a no go. The only thing she wants to eat right now are her Wellness Pure Turkey & Salmon Jerky Treats. They are pretty healthy so I don't mind if that's all she eats for now. I'm going to try cooking her some chicken and rice and hope she eats some of that too.