Reminder: When photos atarted to be allowed, the rule was (and still is): two photos in your Bio Intro, one of which has the owner in it, and one photo in memory of a dog who has passed.

(Lesya, I know that you're a new member -- this is just to remind us all.)

Otherwise, only links should be used. Photobucket-type accounts are free and simple to use (even I figured it out!) and allow you to provide all the photos you could ever want.

Same subject: Please take care, everyone, that sig pics do not cause scrolling to be necessary. Thanks!


And back to the cruciate rehab. I have done passive exercises on more than one dog who needed to get healing synovial fluids into joints that were clenched and "hard." These are not a substitute for real exercise, of course, but if you can do passive range-of-motion exercises (prescribed by your ortho vet), say while you watch TV in the evening, you will be helping to heal.

I have one senior with OA and a couple of crushed disks who gets smooth passive bicycling almost every evening, and he has become so accustomed to it that when I sit down on the couch, he will come over, lie on his back, and stick his paws up. While we are doing the exercises, he lolls his head sideways and smiles with his tongue halfway out. I am totally convinced that this is a good thing for him.

However, I did have to start very slow, with short sessions, because he didn't really want his paws in my hands all that time. (Now, I could do it for an hour and he would be happy.)

And like everyone else, I have seen all good come of swimming, even with water wings or a life vest to start easy.

I bought this, too:
http://www.leerburg.com/974.htm
and loved it, and I also learned the Linda Tellington-Jones T-Touch massage from the small and easy book on it, and find that T-Touch is useful for many ailments, as well as just relaxation and keeping seniors' muscles strong and joints lubed.

Connie,

I apologize for my oversight.. I did not know that picture-posting was prohibited. Is it a bandwith issue?

I am doing PROM with Sophie as much as she allows me to. It is more of an issue of her relaxing so that I can move the leg than any impaired range of motion. Too bad we can't speak "dog" and let them know we're just trying to get the bad watery fluid out of her knee and get the nice viscious synovial fluid in.

She uses the leg very well-- to the point where I'm thinking she's using it almost too well. I don't want her to over-exert herself and do any damage to the knee. She's a priss, though and won't do much outside with a sling under her belly. I try to keep her walking slow so that she doesn't tax the knee too much, but living with my parents for a year has left her with terrible leash manners and she pulls.

After her sutures are removed I plan on swimming her in the pool with a life-vest on and putting her in the jacuzzi tub for some hydrotherapy.

-Lesya

 Quote: lesya zaichenko

Connie,

I apologize for my oversight.. I did not know that picture-posting was prohibited. Is it a bandwith issue?

I am doing PROM with Sophie as much as she allows me to. It is more of an issue of her relaxing so that I can move the leg than any impaired range of motion. Too bad we can't speak "dog" and let them know we're just trying to get the bad watery fluid out of her knee and get the nice viscious synovial fluid in.

She uses the leg very well-- to the point where I'm thinking she's using it almost too well. I don't want her to over-exert herself and do any damage to the knee. She's a priss, though and won't do much outside with a sling under her belly. I try to keep her walking slow so that she doesn't tax the knee too much, but living with my parents for a year has left her with terrible leash manners and she pulls.

After her sutures are removed I plan on swimming her in the pool with a life-vest on and putting her in the jacuzzi tub for some hydrotherapy.

-Lesya

No, I knew that you didn't know. It's only recent that bio photos and sig pics and memorial pics were allowed.

Sounds like you have the rehab well planned!!!!

Sophie's staples were removed yesterday. We're trucking along-- Hello Week 2 post-op! Progress is good.

I've been keeping track of her surgery and post-op in a blog: http://sophiescruciate.blogspot.com/
So I won't bore you with too many details.

Hi Lesya,

The incision looks absolutely amazing with the staples out. That little section at the bottom looks raw but it looks healthy -- meaning no infection.

I checked out Sophie's blog -- cool. You're taking wonderful care of her.

Are you doing mobility/range of motion exercises with her or is it too soon for that?

Katie

It DOES look great, doesn't it?!

Lesya,
I found your blog to be very interesting! I like the way you went into a lot of detail and also the pictures. A few months ago I found out that our dog Nickie has a problem with his knee (a luxating patella). It's reassuring to know that a dog who has had surgery and has to be very limited in his activities can be managed - one day at a time - as you stated.

HI KATIE!!! Man I miss you guys!

Thanks everyone. I think it's REALLY important to keep a diary of the dog's post-op progress. It keeps things organized and lets you look back and see how much progress you've made.

I am doing as much range of motion as she lets me do. I'm hoping that with the staples out she might be more comfortable since they won't be pulling and flexing in her skin anymore. She definitely uses the leg better than before the surgery. Before she would barely toe-touch and just let it sit when standing still. If she had to move faster she would 3-leg it. Now she's putting some weight on the leg and only 3-legs it when she tries to move too fast (much to my chagrin).

 Quote: Lesya Zaichenko

I think it's REALLY important to keep a diary of the dog's post-op progress. It keeps things organized and lets you look back and see how much progress you've made.

A big fat ditto. Not only does it help ourselves, but it allows us to give accurate info (without relying on memory) to folks who are facing the same procedures.

Training logs, housetraining logs, allergy-treating logs..... even a messy notebook with scribbled entries (dated), or even a calendar with big blocks for notes ... I find more and more just how valuable this kind of information can be.

 Quote: Lesya Zaichenko

I am doing as much range of motion as she lets me do.

I found with my senior who gets daily range-of-motion passive bicycling that it worked well to start with light massage of the type that he likes best (and they're all different; some love ear slides, some love back rubs or t-touch.... whatever) and then gradually incorporate the passive exercises.

He sees the whole thing now as a good time and comes over to me to lie on his back and stick his paws up. But at first he was suspicious and not comfortable with his paws in my hands for extended periods.