Good to know about the supplements, we talked about the phycox and fish oil and he didn't mention anything about holding off on them before surgery.

I didn't get any paperwork ahead of time, was just told not to feed her for 12-16 hours before surgery, but a little bit of water was fine.


I got a bag of rice and some chicken to make up for her for a few days post surgery, and then I will put it into portion size baggies so all my mom has to do is thaw and feed her.

Alot of what you should do with her post surgery depends on her pain levels. She may need help rising depending on how deep the growth on her knee and that bigger growth is. A little whimpering to rise is normal after serious surgery but crying/whimpering at rest or anything more than a little whimpering or stiffness to move means usually the dog needs some pain management adjustments.

I once had a dog who was spayed and had a bad reaction to the incision. I called the vet who said discomfort isn't really that bad usually and he didn't want to give me anything for her. My dog was crying at rest in between each breath. Once you hear that noise you never forget it. Needless to say I convinced him to supply her with something for her pain. Happily spay procedures have gotten much better since then.

Also something to consider is nail caps for her back feet is she is determined to scratch. They're cleaner than dog nails. They're easy for you to apply as well, I often put them on cats at work and dogs going in for surgery. One application should work for the entire recovery time.

Oh and no matter how miserable and mopey she looks with the cone of solitude on, don't take it off even if you have to hand feed her. It takes about 1.5 seconds for a dog to rip off stitches and staples.

Thanks again everyone for all of the advice. It has really helped calm my nerves and make me feel better about this whole thing. I am sure she will do just fine, but I worry about her, she is my sweet girl, and has been a friend for so very long.

I didn't know the nail caps came in a large doggy size.
I was considering trying to put a sock on her, but the caps would be way better.

I was messing with her back leg tonight and watching her scratch and I don't think she can get it directly with her foot, but I also know they never fail to surprise me when it comes to things like that.

The one on her knee isn't deep he said it is like a big skin tag or mole, it will be a surface thing only. He is just going to cut if off and cauterize it.

He is pretty good about pain management, I will make sure I have something in case she needs it.

I hadn't thought about how to get her up and standing if she needs help, a towel under belly might work as long as it is kept away from the incision.

I do plan on having my husband or my dad go with me to pick her up, she is nearly as long as I am tall and over a 100 pounds, I won't be able to get her in or out of the car by myself if she can't do it.

The cone will stay on for the duration, she is too bad about chewing, licking, and messing with her skin, and any little irritation gets her going. So a big wound like this would be dangerous if she could get her mouth near it.


When she was much younger she climbed a chain link fence and scratched a nipple pretty good on the top of the fence. She wouldn't leave it alone and now she has 9 nipples instead of 10.....

I buy my doggie caps for work from petedge but I do buy alot of them at a time. You might try ebay or other retailers. Just check on the size you want. Application is pretty simple. clip the nail. Put the glue in the cap. Apply firmly to the nail. The glue is basically superglue. It bonds pretty much instantly. I would put them on right before surgery. Some dogs love to chew them and if you put them on right before the car ride they should be fresh and ready to go post surgery with the cone to protect them. Odds are she won't even know they're there.

One other thing to consider is a good bath the night before. It amazes me how dirty dogs can be when they're brought in for surgery. When I worked at the vet one guy brought us a dog that looked like pig pen... just a dust cloud floating around her. We gave her a bath before they went to work but it did delay the surgery time.

Bite-Not collars work as well as a cone in most cases and are well-tolerated by most dogs. They are a bit more expensive than a cone and can be ordered through your vet or online. Proper size is important:

http://www.bitenot.com/

You had asked about feeding when Nico comes home. Generally speaking, if any food is given it should be a smaller-than-normal meal of bland food. Every dog is different and some feel a little more nauseated post-op than others. If you're sent home with medications to give that night, you may want to give a very small amount of food first, to make sure Nico keeps it down, and then give the meds.

Also, dogs, like people, are susceptible to cold following surgery so you'll want to make sure Nico is warm enough once you get home.

I am trying to find those bite-not collars locally, petsmart didn't have them in her size, I am going to check petco tomorrow. I don't think I have time to order one.

I agree that one of those would be way less stressful than a cone!

Plus the size of the cone needed for her is ridiculous, she will look like one of those giant satellite dishes.
The cones at the vet are clear though, so that will help her not run into stuff if I can't find a bite-not collar

I bought her a new extra comfy bed today that is flannel and fleece, so hopefully that will help keep her warm, she also like so snuggle under blankets so I will make sure she has one over her if need be.

I can tell you Petco doesn't carry them. We do have the inflatable tire ones (which in my opinion are questionable in quality) and the normal plastic cones.

Thanks for letting me know, saves a trip!

And once again, everyone here is so awesome, I feel much more prepared and in control after all the information from everyone.

 Quote: sarah morris

.... Generally speaking, if any food is given it should be a smaller-than-normal meal of bland food. Every dog is different and some feel a little more nauseated post-op than others. If you're sent home with medications to give that night, you may want to give a very small amount of food first, to make sure Nico keeps it down, and then give the meds. ....

Good points! I remember using a fair amount of "Junior" baby foods vegs (it's unsalted, unsweetened), as a side with ground-up poultry. My Luna liked it, and I had been warned that the enforced rest plus the pain med might make the fiber in vegetables and low-sugar easily-digested fruits valuable against constipation. I'm sure that every dog is different. This was my experience. I fed her several times a day (very small meals) before the pain meds, and for the first three days I didn't give bones (again, to avoid any constipation).

I gave vitamin C and E and fish oil, and I gave live-culture yogurt between the antibiotics.

http://www.dogaware.com/misc.html#opcare

http://www.seefido.com/html/post-surgical_attention.htm

Jennifer...your vet should be able to order a Bite-Not through their medical supplier. If surgery is scheduled for next Thursday there is plenty of time to get one sent, if that's what you want.