2008-09-22 18:26
Posted in Barlow by Jeff Thorsett
It has been 11 months since Barlow’s TPLO surgery and recovery has been a roller coaster ride for him. For most of the summer, things were going as good as could be expected, but in recent weeks we have seen some return to his old ways. Nowadays he wont put much weight on the surgery leg, and is showing some signs of stiffness after exercising. Our vet has cursorily confirmed the surgery is as it should be, but has said we need to treat him as an arthritis dog. Lucky for Barlow, that means losing some weight. He loves to diet. Hopefully the next few weeks will show some strengthening of the leg. Time will tell, but until then, fetching has become a thing of the past.
[2]
2007-10-28 17:51
Posted in Barlow by Jeff Thorsett
Barlow is reaching around 10 days post-op and getting used to the routine despite the boredom. His “Big Red Bandage™” was removed on day 5 as per discharge orders. His staples (some 20) will be removed on Thursday afternoon if things stay on schedule.
Life is pretty dull for Barlow now. He goes outside with his sling and leash about 4 times a day to take care of business, but otherwise is confined to the cage. Lately, he has been taking his anti-inflammatory medication solely without the need for sedatives or additional pain medications, so hopefully his liver won’t fall out before he reaches middle age.
[1]
2007-10-21 11:38
Posted in Barlow by Jeff Thorsett
Barlow James had his tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) done on October 19th, 2007 at about 3:00 PM down at the Southwest Veterinary Referral Center in Glendale, AZ. Surgery was successful with only an internal tear of his cranial cruciate ligament and severe ligament stretching found. His medial meniscus was found to be intact, which is a positive sign considering he had a lot of movement in the knee, but he did have some mild osteoarthritis forming in and around the joint.
Now the hard part begins: post-op recovery and rehabilitation. Making it home from the land of hot concrete they call Phoenix was a pretty easy journey, save for the traffic. Barlow rode nicely in the kennel in the back of the truck despite the infernal traffic that defines the valley.
Barlow seems to being doing pretty good considering, but is pretty high on a variety of medications right now. Deramaxx® for pain and inflammation, Acepromazine for sedation, and Tramadol for those painful times. He’s pretty much becoming a pill-popping junkie, but has been going through some bouts of pain that we need to control.
As of about 20 hours after surgery he has been putting slight weight on his leg and the vets say that is a good thing. The first night home Barlow was sleepless and vocal, probably due to the fact they cut his tibia completely through and crammed 6 screws into it. Too bad dogs can’t speak English. The next few days look to be pretty much more of the same: complete confinement except for the strugglesome walks to the backyard to go to the bathroom.
I’ll keep you updated soon and until then here are a couple photos so you have an idea of what his life is about right now:
[5]
It has been 11 months since Barlow’s TPLO surgery and recovery has been a roller coaster ride for him. For most of the summer, things were going as good as could be expected, but in recent weeks we have seen some return to his old ways. Nowadays he wont put much weight on the surgery leg, and is showing some signs of stiffness after exercising. Our vet has cursorily confirmed the surgery is as it should be, but has said we need to treat him as an arthritis dog. Lucky for Barlow, that means losing some weight. He loves to diet. Hopefully the next few weeks will show some strengthening of the leg. Time will tell, but until then, fetching has become a thing of the past.
