Pre TPLO thoughts would be appreciated.

Jasper - 10 year old Lab tore his ACL on the 13th June. He has been assessed by teh vet and referred to a specialist next Monday.

I'll have to discuss this with the specialist when I see them on Monday, but i'm really concerned.

I have been walking Jasper on leash ( Short walks ) at the DP letting Dylan do his own running around. Yesterday I noticed that his knee was clicking so I phoned the vet to discuss it and got a message back to cut this down to leash walks in the garden.

I also decided not to let him upstairs ( I have been carrying his backside letting him walk up the stairs up until now )

Here's the crunch. I started by sleeping downstairs with him and Dylan ( sleeping in the recliner ) but it was obvious after a few hours that this was too uncomfortable, so I took myself upstairs to bed. So Jasper starts off pawing at the stair gate and whines and paws and whines - this went on for about half an hour with me ignoring him but I finally couldn't put up with it any more as he was obviously getting very stressed - panting etc so I gave in and fetched him upstairs.

OK - come the day of the TPLO I will improve my sleeping arrangements by buying a blow up mattress to sleep on.

This morning, I leash walked Jasper in the garden - went back into the house - put Dylan's lead on and told Jasper to stay - not a chance, he was dancing on his back legs getting himself all worked up, so I crated him and he was going berserk scrabbling at the sides of the crate crying so i had no choice but to let him out.

I managed to get out the door with Dylan to walk him, but had only gone a few paces and Jasper starts howling so I had to abandon the walk and returned to the house.

OK - it's jealousy - I understand that, but it doesn't bode well for his post surgery recovery.

I'm reluctant to leave him upset as he's going to do himself even more damage he gets so agitated before somebody tells me that I need to ignore him - plus the neighbours wouldn't be too keen on the howling.

I'm at my wits end, and he hasn't even been near the knife yet.

Having just had the relief of no op I know what you feel like. Benj was going to be a nightmare.

Can you try leaving really good stuff with him (kongs etc) and doing it gradually before the op. Do it as you would for SA and work very slowly and carefully, try not to get him too worked up.

Don't give too many clues about what you are doing adn try to sneak Dylan out somehow to begin with----very difficult but might be possible.

Other option---someone to sit with Jasper?

Good luck, I really feel for you.

rune

I'm so sorry to hear about Jasper, and good luck for the TPLO. My crazy pointer had one a year ago, and she is back to zooming around like a lunatic. But the recovery period is tough.

Is there any way you can get someone else to take Dylan off for a walk while you stay with Jasper? I had to stay with Saba and try to wear her out with mental training while OH took our other dog off for route-marches around the countryside.

Oh I don't envy you. I have no ideas sorry but just wanted to say we thought at one point and it was diagnosed by his vet Dillon had a cruciate problem. Keeping him quiet was a nightmare and he was only 5 months old at the time nearly 6 months. I was dreading surgery.

It turned out it is mild hip dysplasia and his stifles are fine on having him x-rayed and seeing an orthopedic surgeon. Although hip dysplasia is not necessarily good I must say I prefer that to the cruciate recovery.
G&D's suggestion sounds like plan.

Thanks ! It's very daunting.

Thanks,

I've purchased additional kongs but i fear that they won't be sufficient to distract him given that the surgery is in six days. He wasn't crate trained either which doesn't help ( we live and learn )


I am considering that I may have to have a couple of weeks off as annual leave but my further worry is that this won't be long enough to let him out of his pen. Do you think that the front room of a small terraced house would be sufficient confinement for him after the initial two weeks ? There won't be any furniture in there for him to climb on but of course there will be Dylan

On the basis that the injury won't cause too much more problem if it is left for another couple of weeks can you put the op back and give yoursdelf a couple of extra weeks to crate train him gradually?

Other option might be to leave him at the vets for at least the first week---would insurance cover that?

rune

I'm not insured. I can discuss it with the specialist on Monday though.

Sorry to hear about Jasper.

Is Jasper normally fine in the house when you are gone? does he normally react in that when when he is seperated from Dylan?

Is creating a baby-pen type set up an option? it is understandable that crating is stressful for a dog of his age when he isn't used to it.

Jasper and Dylan are left on their own all day while I am at work and have the run of the ground floor.

Jasper reacts through jealousy whereas Dylan couldn't care less !

Having said that, Jasper had Dylan for company last night, but still stressed at being left alone !

I wouldn't say Jasper was reacting through jealously because dogs don't have the capability to feel jealous. It sounds more like a separation anxiety type reaction.

Maybe putting Jasper in a secure baby-pen and keeping Dylan in the same room would work?