Well we had a fun morning. As our bedroom is upstairs, we carry P up at night and then back down in the morning. Since last years TPLO, I now have a bad back and can not carry the 57lb. dog up and down anymore, so it is all left to my husband. Do remember, this is a man, so his attention to detail is not the best
While I was getting the meds and breakfast ready, my husband was to bring the dog down. Seems that when he took the gate down at the bedroom door, P stood up as she heard me getting her food. She started walking on her own towards the steps and decided to go running down them before my husband could catch her! I hear him yell, and then a thud which I assumed was him falling while carrying her; luckily it was only my husband slipping while trying to catch the dog. Good thing he fell as I might have killed him for letting her go down on her own!!
I went home at lunch to let her out and was a bit worried what I might find. She isnât limping any more than she was before; swelling might be a tad bit more, but I am not sure. I envisioned finding her lame, meaning the plate had bent. So long story short, my husband gets to come home tonight
So for those following the story of Miss Pâs surgeries, I have another update. The second knee that was operated on this past June has done well and her recovery was actually easier that her right knee in 2014. I found this amazing as she had a torn meniscus with the second (left) knee, but not the left.
Well, she started limping last week after a hike and we went to visit the surgeon on Thursday; guess who now has a torn meniscus on the right? This poor dog gets no breaks, pardon the pun. The surgeon want to go ahead and operate on the meniscus, and take the plate out of the leg while in there. The xray shows the plate is fine, but he did say there is a small chance it could fail, so might as well go ahead and remove it, something I really donât want to do. This dog is almost12 1/2 years old, yet you would not know it by the way she plays. I just donât see removing the plate if it is not causing a problem when only 2% fail over a dogs lifetime.
In the meantime, P is walking as well as she has been, and if she is in pain, she sure isnât showing it. She has arthritis in that knee, so it was always a bit wobbly. We are thinking of holding off on the surgery and talking to our regular vet to get her opinion. The main thing that is holding me back is the recovery again, although a much easier surgery, the meds she will have to be on, and whether we really need to do the repair. P has colitis, so meds usually do a number on her, although we add another safe antibiotic to the mix. The past year she had two bouts of pancreatitis, so that also worries me some. This dog is not a spring chicken, so if she isnât in pain and her daily activity doesnât change, I just donât see the advantage.
Actually the physical therapist we used after her TPLO on this knee, works in a space at the surgery. We will most likely get a second opinion and are on hold at the moment.
We spent the afternoon at the ER with Miss P as she had been throwing up since last night. Between colitis, pancreatitis, the anti inflammatory meds, oh, and the horse poop she ate yesterday on her walk yesterday, we were not sure we could wait until Monday.
Her labs were all good, so we think it was just a combination of the poop snack and her meds. She got some fluids, anti-nausea and Pepcid injections. She doesnât feel great and keeps wanting to go outside to eat grass, but hopefully we will make it through the night without an incident.
We live at the ER with this one. Hopefully we can avoid another surgery. I just wish she could tell me how much her knee hurt or didnât hurt. She is happy to go for long walks and play in the yard. My vet did say once about our other dog, that he had a pea for a brain; he doesnât know if he goes hiking for an hour that he might be in pain once he comes back! Miss P is much smarter; she will not take the hills on the days her knee are bothering her, but will want to head back home.
This poor dog gets no breaks, pardon the pun. The surgeon want to go ahead and operate on the meniscus, and take the plate out of the leg while in there. The xray shows the plate is fine, but he did say there is a small chance it could fail, so might as well go ahead and remove it, something I really donât want to do. This dog is almost12 1/2 years old, yet you would not know it by the way she plays. I just donât see removing the plate if it is not causing a problem when only 2% fail over a dogs lifetime.