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Hip Replacement Rehab Setup

7K views 54 replies 10 participants last post by  Moonshayde 
#1 ·
Hi Guys,

I have my 11 month old going in for a full hip replacement in 2 weeks.

I am trying to decide what sort of room setup would be good and what bedding to use. What have you guys done for your surgeries?

I have a small house and am thinking of baby gating the living room for us to both live in for the recovery as it is carpeted. I can place the crate in there.

Regarding bedding I am unsure. I was thinking of putting a low mattress on the floor for me to sleep on as he is used to sleeping in my bed with me. Or will I need to crate him at night immediately after surgery? He has never been crated at night. The room is pretty small, smaller than my bedroom even so maybe un-crated is fine...

For him he has a X Large Kuranda bed that fills his crate, but I am worried about the small height on it and unsteady footing when on. Thoughts on this? Should I buy some soft low foam bedding? I previously banished those due to him EATING it, but I am going to be home with him for the first 2 weeks after surgery.

Last question is about stairs. Of course I will be discussing with my surgeon but I have 3 steep steps to my back garden. It is old linoleum. I am thinking towel/sling but it sure has me worried.

I am really freaking out as this gets closer. Is this the right decision? Can I keep him calm? (really worried about this one, he has no off switch right now and it's a struggle we are working on) What if this makes things worse? He does not show pain at all and has gotten so much stronger in the last few months but he lies down during fetch and I occasionally still feel his hip pop/grind. But what if I totally stuff him up? What if he becomes even more scared of stuff and I loose my goofy, adorable, happy playful puppy?

While you guys can't help me with my doubts and decision I am hoping you have some opinions on the bedding lol :D
 
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#2 ·
If you have a good surgeon and the surgery goes well, a total hip replacement will be the best thing you ever do for your dog. Where are you having the surgery done?

We've had 8 total hip replacements done in dogs over the years. Only one got screwed up, and we never should have taken the dog to that surgeon, as we learned afterward.

A carpeted small room for aftercare would be ideal. No bedding at all, especially a Kuranda bed. A fall or slip when dealing with any kind of bed could be a disaster. And yes, you should sleep on the floor next to him since he is used to sleeping in your bed with you. But no low mattress for you because he may slip climbing on or off it. Sorry. You may need orthopedic surgery after this.

Good luck, and please let us know how the surgery goes!
 
#3 ·
Hi JonRob,

Thanks for your feedback. I am in Michigan Detroit and on a few recommendations am having it done at the Animal Surgical Center of Michigan. I was referred to the surgeon by our vet who we really respect.

I am still unsure about no bedding at all. No Kuranda bed makes sense due to it's surface and footing, but I would imagine low soft bedding would be better than none in the hard crate. I will see what sort of bed I can find for us both on the floor lol...I would sleep on the couch but am worried he tried to jump up so am going to banish couches haha.
 
#5 ·
I have no experience with hip replacement but do have experience with seriously arthritic senior dogs. For your 3 steps to the yard I would invest in a telescoping pet ramp with a nonskid surface. Get it now and teach your boy to use it now. walking slowly up and down an easy sloped ramp will likely be much easier on him than trying to sling him up and down stairs. Check with your surgeon first though just to be sure.
There are several members that have gone through hip replacement and FHO recovery and rehab. Hopefully some with chime in and share how they handled recovery and sleep accommodations.
 
#8 ·
SunFlowers,

His hip pops and grinds when he moves and sits. This has improved as he gained more muscle but it's still there. He lies down a lot during fetch and drags himself when he rises. Looking at him you would think nothing is wrong but I don't want him living a life of pain if I can fix it. He is an active dog and I got him to hike with.

The orthopedic surgeon said it was not likely to get better and he will need the surgery in his lifetime so I should do it while he is young because young dogs heal very quickly. However he said I can wait too, he was not being pushy. This makes sense to me but there is also a part of me freaking out that this could be a very bad mistake. It has been months of agonizing over this and to be honest I just want him to be happy and pain free and if I can give him that , I will.
 
#7 ·
What does your surgeon say? They will give you pretty strict instructions. Call and ask them about the steps.

My suggestion is to get him crate trained now because he will have to be crated and contained while he heals.

My co-worker just had this done and bought a large crate for temporary use. When my dog had her acl done, I bought a 48" crate. I could lay in there with her.
 
#9 ·
Hi Jax08, I will be discussing this in more detail with my surgeon for sure. I read through their protocol on the site and they just mention the restricted activity time frames and checkup follow ups.

He is already crate trained and is in 4- 5 hours at a time while I work so he likes it fine and it won't be anything new to him. I actually have the 57" crate as he outgrew his 42" lol. and to be honest he fills it! Lots of room over his head though so he can stand. He is a very very big dog.
 
#13 ·
Moonshayde, here's what the Animal Surgical Center of Michigan has to say about age at total hip replacement:

"Selection of the patient to do a hip replacement must therefore be done carefully. Dogs that are not candidates for hip replacement include dogs less than 10 months of age (we usually wait until the dog matures)"

Dog Hip Dysplasia - Hip Replacement - Animal Surgical Center of Michigan

This link also has a pic (Figure 1) of what can happen to a dog's hip joint if hip dysplasia is allowed to progress. It's not pretty.

And here are the credentials of this Center's total hip replacement surgeon:

"Dr. Charles E. DeCamp

Dr. DeCamp, a native of Flint, is professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Michigan State University and has joined Animal Surgical Center of MIchigan. Early in Dr. DeCamp's post-secondary education, he studied English literature and received his first degree therein. During this time of study, he also completed pre-veterinary courses and subsequently earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree at Michigan State University. Thereafter he completed an internship, during which he became passionate for veterinary surgery. During his surgical residency he trained under the tutelage of Drs. Flo and Braden. Although during this time Dr. Brinker, another grandfather of veterinary orthopedic surgery, was for the most part retired, Dr. DeCamp's surgical training was also influenced significantly by him. After completing his residency, Dr. DeCamp was board-certified in veterinary surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and has been employed by Michigan State University as professor for 29 years. He continues to serve Michigan State University, at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Dr. DeCamp has authored oodles of peer-reviewed research publications, book chapters and is the editor and author of one of the main orthopedic textbooks used by students, interns, residents and orthopedic surgeons: "Orthopedic Handbook for Small Animal Surgery". At Animal Surgical Center of Michigan, Dr. DeCamp's expertise in joint surgery, fracture repair, angular limb deformity correction, arthroscopy, and total hip replacement are commonly used."

http://m.animalsurgicalcenter.com/bio_degner.html

Unless I have a reason to believe otherwise, I have a great deal of respect for that kind of expertise and experience, and it totally outweighs speculation from amateurs who are not veterinarians.

This Center also has outstanding google reviews from clients.

What day does he have his surgery?
 
#14 ·
Moonshayde, here's what the Animal Surgical Center of Michigan has to say about age at total hip replacement:

"Selection of the patient to do a hip replacement must therefore be done carefully. Dogs that are not candidates for hip replacement include dogs less than 10 months of age (we usually wait until the dog matures)"

Dog Hip Dysplasia - Hip Replacement - Animal Surgical Center of Michigan

This link also has a pic (Figure 1) of what can happen to a dog's hip joint if hip dysplasia is allowed to progress. It's not pretty.

And here are the credentials of this Center's total hip replacement surgeon:

"Dr. Charles E. DeCamp

Dr. DeCamp, a native of Flint, is professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Michigan State University and has joined Animal Surgical Center of MIchigan. Early in Dr. DeCamp's post-secondary education, he studied English literature and received his first degree therein. During this time of study, he also completed pre-veterinary courses and subsequently earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree at Michigan State University. Thereafter he completed an internship, during which he became passionate for veterinary surgery. During his surgical residency he trained under the tutelage of Drs. Flo and Braden. Although during this time Dr. Brinker, another grandfather of veterinary orthopedic surgery, was for the most part retired, Dr. DeCamp's surgical training was also influenced significantly by him. After completing his residency, Dr. DeCamp was board-certified in veterinary surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and has been employed by Michigan State University as professor for 29 years. He continues to serve Michigan State University, at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Dr. DeCamp has authored oodles of peer-reviewed research publications, book chapters and is the editor and author of one of the main orthopedic textbooks used by students, interns, residents and orthopedic surgeons: "Orthopedic Handbook for Small Animal Surgery". At Animal Surgical Center of Michigan, Dr. DeCamp's expertise in joint surgery, fracture repair, angular limb deformity correction, arthroscopy, and total hip replacement are commonly used."

http://m.animalsurgicalcenter.com/bio_degner.html

Unless I have a reason to believe otherwise, I have a great deal of respect for that kind of expertise and experience, and it totally outweighs speculation from amateurs who are not veterinarians.

This Center also has outstanding google reviews from clients.

What day does he have his surgery?
Me too
 
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#19 ·
@4K9Mom thank you so much for your awesome reply! I like the idea for the bedding that's really great. I would have to see about the ramp. Unfortunately I have a 2 story house so my pup has been doing a big flight of stairs multiple times a day since I got him :(

The steps I am worried about are 3 ones from my kitchen to back yard. There also is a nasty corner right after so space is super limited. I would have to see about a ramp. Not too sure how to anchor it. Its in my kitchen. I like the yoga mat idea!
 
#26 ·
In my house, we screwed a 2x4 onto the wall (into the studs) then rested the ramp on it (and the steps) .. It’s strong enough to support my husband; but if we ever want to sell the house, we unscrew it and use spackle to fill the the holes.

If yours is outdoors, you can use exterior patch/caulk/putty if you chose to remove the ramp.

If you have a miter saw, you can cut 45° angles at either end for a perfect fit. If not, stepping up over 2” isn’t too much. Just use the sling to lift his rear a little higher.

Since my 2x12 is wrapped in yoga mat, we don’t have to worry that it would scratch our hardwood steps.
 
#20 ·
If Haku gets excited/ over alerts when the mailman comes, you may want to stop mail delivery and pick it up at the Post office for a few weeks or maybe move the mailbox to a post at the end of the driveway. Also, ask family and friends to call you instead of knocking at the door easy enough to do since almost everyone has a cell phone.

Its just a couple of things we will be doing for our guy to help keep him calm and quiet.

Good luck with the surgery.
 
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#24 ·
Get a good selection of reading material/DVDs for your confinement. Make sure you will be comfortable too, maybe an easy chair if there's no risk of Haku wanting to climb aboard. I'd practice 'sitting on the dog' so he accustomed to being still with you for extended periods of time. Also, be aware of your emotional state, you need to be calm and settled, not worried and emotional, during convalescence. My dog had elbow surgery at 9 months, I know how you feel, all the best for you both during surgery and recovery.

The Sit on the Dog Exercise ? Canine Life Skills
 
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#25 ·
Make sure you will be comfortable too, maybe an easy chair if there's no risk of Haku wanting to climb aboard.
Which, from Moonshayde's earlier posts, he almost certainly would, and the result could be a disaster.

I'd practice 'sitting on the dog' so he accustomed to being still with you for extended periods of time.

The Sit on the Dog Exercise ? Canine Life Skills
This exercise can be useful for some dogs but is a potential disaster in this situation. Many dogs flail around at the end of a tight leash while learning this, which would just about guarantee wrecking the total hip replacement. Even if it were possible to teach Haku this during the four days before surgery, his response to it postop when the hip dysplasia pain is gone and he feels great would likely be a disaster.

Best to stick to the surgeon's recommendations.
 
#27 ·
Should I buy some soft low foam bedding? I previously banished those due to him EATING it, but I am going to be home with him for the first 2 weeks after surgery.
Obviously he will have to be crated when you finally have to be away, but you'll need to make sure he has no bedding of any kind in his crate while you are gone. While a hard crate floor is not ideal, it sure beats very expensive emergency surgery for a life-threatening intestinal obstruction caused by eating bedding. Be prepared for a resurgence of some exuberant puppy behavior--including wanting to eat bedding--when he starts to feel really good a few days after surgery.
 
#28 ·
My current puppy likes to chew on foam.

I’ve found these pads are great. He doesn’t try to eat them, so I can put them in his crates (I stack them but you might want to start off with one in your pup’s crate until you see how stable he iis on his new hip the first few days).

The Hardwood Camo print fabrics are tough and repel spilled water; Digital camo fabric is a bit lighter and less slick. They’re made to fit in crates. The price is a steal.

https://www.activedogs.com/product/3138/camo-padded-dog-bed-crate-mat/
 
#29 ·
Thank you so much everyone for all your advice and the info and videos! I will watch the sling walking video later after work, that is a really good idea to see how it is done. I will be banishing chairs and likely sitting on the floor with him except my office chair which he cant climb on when I am sitting at my corner desk. My office is a tiny room connected to the living room.

I foresee lots of Netflix binge watching for me, no issues there. That was my pre-_GSD life haha.

Haku is already pretty good at understanding mat work (being calm and getting rewarded on his mat) and sit on the dog which I do when he is overtired and won't stop getting into stuff. So hopefully he will know what it means when I have the leash and will help him understand to be calm. I still have no hopes of it not being a complete struggle though.

Yes I will likely not leave ANY bedding in his crate while I work after my time off. Can't risk him eating it as he absolutely will.

When I have a moment I will post a pic of my boy :)
 
#30 ·
Tomorrow is Haku's big day, yes? My girlfriend and I will be thinking of him. Please let us know how things go.

I did research the place you are taking him to and it really does look excellent. If I were in your area and had a dog that needed a total hip replacement, that is where I would take him.
 
#31 ·
Hi JonRob,

Thank you so much for checking in, it made me smile!

Yes, I drop Haku off at 7:00am tomorrow :O I am trying to remain calm as I am sure he can sense my stress.

I also really like the Animal Surgical Center. I know that they will do their best and that's all I can ask for.

Due to some circumstances there will actually be 3 surgeons in on the surgery tomorrow! Dr.Doyle, Dr. Degner, who will be doing the followup checks, and the head of Orthopedics from Louisiana. I hope this doesn't make it any harder or something but so many smart people in one room can't be a bad thing I think....

Today, besides cleaning and prepping of the recovery room, Haku played with one of his buddy's, did a ton of fun enrichment stuff, destroyed some boxes while I tried to assemble my new vacuum cleaner, played tug with me, played some fetch (man he is gonna miss that!) and was a complete and utter sock-stealing nuisance while I tried to clean the house lol.

Some pics of my happy boy. Gosh I hope that smile comes back and this doesn't hit his personality hard.
 

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#33 ·
Surgery went well. Surgeon phoned me afterwards and said it was one of the best hip replacements he has ever done. Like it was meant to be. That was nice to hear.

He also reconfirmed we were making the right decision with the surgery after comparing his x rays from 4 months ago to this morning. He said he was surprised to see so much more arthritis in the joint. He was not expecting as much in such a short time and said the surgery was definitely the right choice.

I pick him up tomorrow. The living room is all decked out with his crate and my bed. My mom is staying the first night to help me out since I am all alone. Now to tackle the rehab :O
 
#35 ·
Figured I might as well use this as a journal since I am lying around on my laptop so much.

It's Day 1 after we brought him home.

I knew the first days would be tough, I guess I was secretly hoping Haku would be so exhausted he would sleep for a day or 2. Well he sort of did and didn't. He was obviously exhausted but incredibly restless. He also has been whining non stop since we brought him home. Sucks as I don't know if he is in pain, tired, stressed, hungry etc. I have never seen him so miserable. Poor guy. To be expected though.

He slept okay but he is very restless. We are in a small carpeted room with his crate and he just whines and paces, which I stop him doing. I ended up putting him in his crate with a chew and he is whining and chewing.

I think this is going to be hard on him. But I am also hoping he will get used to the routine. Once he realizes we are not going outside to play he may settle down...

He is already putting some weight on the leg and I have to try hard to make him walk slow as he tries to launch off already. My 3 steps to the garden of proving a bit traumatic for both of us unfortunately. I trip to the hardware store for a ramp may be in order. They are just too steep and he panics. I lift him down right now.
 
#38 ·
I knew the first days would be tough, I guess I was secretly hoping Haku would be so exhausted he would sleep for a day or 2. Well he sort of did and didn't. He was obviously exhausted but incredibly restless. He also has been whining non stop since we brought him home. Sucks as I don't know if he is in pain, tired, stressed, hungry etc. I have never seen him so miserable. Poor guy. To be expected though.

He slept okay but he is very restless. We are in a small carpeted room with his crate and he just whines and paces, which I stop him doing. I ended up putting him in his crate with a chew and he is whining and chewing.
All normal. Things should get better soon. Then the hardest part will be preventing him from capering around like a madman because he feels so good. Hang in there!
 
#36 ·
Stuff some Kongs with quality canned food and freeze them

Get a Buster Cube or other food puzzle toy.

Hide his food around the room and let him search it out.

Today should be the worst day for pain. He should make a turn for the better tomorrow morning.
 
#39 ·
Day 4 after surgery

This is long because I am just bored and rambling, enjoying putting my thoughts down and trying to stay sane :)

Things have improved greatly. We are starting to get our groove.

A few things that helped.

#1 Got a ramp. - Thank you so much to SunFlowers (I hope) for the advice. After Haku starting trying to bolt when I went to pick him up or down the steps I knew we had to change things. Got a nice thick sturdy plank, about 2 feet wide and nailed in a non slip mat but in reverse. So the rubber non slip side faces up. Its perfect and now I just have to hold Haku back from launching up and down as he thinks its great fun. He has always loved climbing on things. Thank goodness he already knew a solid "wait" and "go on" command. He is now learning "slowly" haha. It's a bit tough going up as there was not too much room to make a more gradual incline so I really hope it's not going to hinder healing. I am using the sling for support.

#2 Started a routine. - I realized that Haku is most likely completely confused over our loss of routine. I was pretty rigid with one before the surgery due to his energy levels and restlessness so I am not surprised he is backsliding. With all the meds, hot and cold compresses and instructions, setting up a routine has worked pretty well. He is slowly starting to realize the recovery room is the new place of residence and that no matter how much he whines we are not playing fetch. I must admit that I have a serious problem with this one as I get guilty thinking " I have a GSD he is whining, I have not done enough with him today." While it's good he had an active life and I got plenty of exercise, I definitely did not do him any favors in the calm or relaxed state of mind department. I think for the first time ever he is truly learning that he needs to chill sometimes. We will see how long this lasts :O Routine now includes scheduled crate time. I thought he would be okay with me in the room but it honestly was making things worse. In his eyes I am his entertainment system so he sees me and thinks, walk, fetch, ball, training. To practice for going back to work I started bringing back our before work routine. I put him in the crate and went shopping for myself. I watched on the camera. He cried for 15 min which sucked but then fell asleep and stayed soundly asleep. I think we both needed the break. He was used to this before the surgery, no crying, fast asleep till I got home from work but I think he is unsure with all the changes. Even more clingy than usual. I honestly might go back to work early though. I think it may be better for him.

#3 Training. - I know people say it over and over but I guess I have been lazy or unsure what to do. So today as Haku is feeling pretty good. (his goofy smile is slowly coming back and his lazer eyes of "I NEED TO DO SOMETHING" stare into my soul) I decided to make a long list of things that I can teach him lying down. I found an awesome video:



Today we worked on pushing a ball with his nose, resting his chin down and putting a toy in a basket. I did these with shaping so his brain worked extra hard. He gets easily frustrated but I didn't stay on one trick too long and with 20-30 min of this he curled up next to me and SLEPT! unbelievable. And he had only been awake about 1.5 hours. Hope it was not a fluke. I think he was so craving the mind work.

#4. Scheduling interactive playing with me and puzzles. - My parents (bless them, life savers during this truly) stopped by to bring me some apocalypse essentials that I was missing and a variety of stuffed toys for Haku (Halloween themed of course.)
I try give him one new thing a day and then I will rotate them out hopefully keeping them fun. I started getting more creative with every little thing. Food, treats, toys. I don't just give him the new toy. I wrap it in a shirt so he has to take it out. Put it in a box. Place it under a cup and make him choose the right one. It's all quick little things but I think they are stacking up and making his day more interesting. I also just lie with him and do silly things like make his squeaky toy "run" from him under the covers. We did this pre-op and he would wait for the squeak under the couch pillows then pounce on it like a fox in snow (never gets old, its adorable) so I took most of our games and made "recovery versions"

Fetch? - roll the ball to him. Make him catch it lying down (only tiny throws)

Tug? - lie on the bed with him and tease him with his stuffy and play gentle tug

Nose Work? - Sniff Mat and wrapping food in towels, under bowls etc. Glad he knows this, in a few weeks I can set up proper stuff and hides which he loves. Nice and low impact.

Flirt Pole? - This was hilarious. I was lying in the floor with him just teasing him with his toy making it all animated and I thought, I bet I could make a mini flirt pole...So I did. It was awesome. I will post pics of his ridiculous face. Nothing crazy, I pretty much just swing it back and forth over his head while we are lying down. It's a two foot pole with some string and his toy. He seemed to enjoy it and I think it satisfied a bit of his prey drive.

I have no doubt it will get much harder as JonRob says when he starts feeling good. But hopefully we survive. We are allowed to start 10min leash walks at day 14 I believe if everything looks good. I think that will help as I can let him sniff some stuff out on the lawn. Also Physical Therapy week 4. That will blow his mind.

Incision looks great. Almost no redness at all now. Just normal skin and a nice dark line where the skin has joined. He started limping more heavily on the leg day 3-4. I think the local pain meds wore off. I keep him on his pill ones regardless of if he seems to be in pain or not as he has cried out sharply a few times randomly when he moves too abruptly and that worries me. He still puts a fair amount of weight on it though. He tries to drag me when we go out to potty...He seems to have forgotten all his leash manners!

I don't know how I end up exhausted and I am literally doing nothing. It's insane.
 

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#40 · (Edited)
Thanks for checking in! My girlfriend and I have been wondering how things are going. And the pics are great!

That is a truly awesome post with great insights about dog behavior, such as the importance of exercising a dog's mind to wear him out. I hope lots of people read it, including folks who don't have a dog to rehab. I don't know what you do for a living, but if you're bored with your job and want a career change, you would do very well as a dog trainer and/or dog rehab specialist.

Also, your dedication to Haku is outstanding and makes my day. He is very lucky to have you. It was easier for us because we always have multiple dogs, which kept our post-op dogs entertained even though they couldn't play with them. Sort of like doggie theater. Does Haku like to watch TV? Animal Planet maybe?

While it's good he had an active life and I got plenty of exercise, I definitely did not do him any favors in the calm or relaxed state of mind department. I think for the first time ever he is truly learning that he needs to chill sometimes.
Not your fault. There is no way to train a young dog to chill 24 hours a day, hardly any activity, day after day. It is a completely unnatural state to be in.

He started limping more heavily on the leg day 3-4. I think the local pain meds wore off. I keep him on his pill ones regardless of if he seems to be in pain or not as he has cried out sharply a few times randomly when he moves too abruptly and that worries me.
With the hip dysplasia pain, he knew how to adjust his movements to reduce the pain. Now he has a totally different reason for pain, so his old strategies don't work. He should learn new ways to adjust and the pain should go away as he heals. If the pain persists, give his surgeon a call about it.

It is astounding what dogs can go through and bounce back. You might be interested in a video link I posted in another thread about the fantastic recovery of a dog that had part of his snout blown off:

https://www.germanshepherds.com/for...there-some-fine-people-world.html#post9195927

Keeping on doing what you're doing! And God bless you and Haku.
 
#41 ·
Thanks so much for your lovely post JonRob. I appreciate that someone appreciates all my effort lol. Sometimes I am sure I am overdoing it but with just the 2 of us it's hard not to sometimes.

Day 9.

Things are moving along. My guilt is increasing as Haku gets more and more amped up each day. I had to physically thwart 2 full out zoomie attempts yesterday and 1 just now. He now has his harness on almost constantly and he is never more than 3 feet from me or else in his crate as I can no longer contain his enthusiasm. He is grabbing anything in sight and what used to be normal is SO EXCITING. a FLY! a clean SHIRT! different SHOES! i open the CURTAINS! He is bored bored bored and his frustration is rising. I was hoping to keep him a little more out of the crate but he is only out at night and a few hours a day now. Otherwise he paces and wont settle I am freaking out he has/ is using the leg too much.

I had to go back to work since mid Wednesday because they are too overloaded agh. And while watching him sleep the 4 hour stretches at a time makes me feel better, as I am sure it's the best thing for his body right now, when I come home he is like a pepsi bottle with a mentos thrown in! :O I have had to use sedatives both times after coming home after a long stretch of time and tonight I am going to try with out. We just finished a 20 min training session ended with a frozen Kong. Cut up cheese, sausage and some sticky yoghurt seem to be the favorite so far. Peanut butter, strawberries and blue berries get ignored when frozen. He is surprisingly picky sometimes...

The incision looks great, the staples are almost hidden by the new hair growth and the scabs are already dropping off. He has not cried out in pain, as far as I can tell, since last week and he seems to be putting a fair amount of weight on the leg. He also now includes both legs in his stretch when he gets up which is cool to see. It's all weak and wobbly though, shame.

I thought training would be my answer to survive all this but gosh he is 1000x more frustrated than usual. He has always been bad and I have had to be careful to reward frequently and keep things slow and simple because he gets bored and frustrated really really fast. Now it's like the frustration has tripled. Usually I would get a good ball session in before training to help but yea. I just take deep breaths lol. He gets so frustrated when I ask him to think AT ALL that he tries twice then throws his head back and grabs the closest object haha. It's irritating but I know he can't help it right now. It is pretty funny too. For example, I am teaching him to place an object in a basket. well. It sort of turned into him FLINGING IT into the air/ over his head. Quite impressive really. Sometimes it actually DOES land in the basket. Very amusing.

Some things I have noticed:

He is shaking a lot the last 2 days. Not like tremors, but as if shaking off water. Every time he gets up and a couple of times when we go outside and stuff. It's not his ears because he is doing his whole body. To me it seems like he is SO EXCITED and ready to go he is trying to "shake it off." When he does this he looks at me with that naughty twinkle in his eyes and I have to watch out for immediate impending zoomies. I grab his harness.

After a week of perfect stools for the first time since I have had him (the antibiotics?) he had a half mushy very pale stool. I think it was the very large raw bones 2 days in a row. I hope so. I was thinking any medication symptoms would have shown up by now. Tomorrow is the last day of all medications anyways. It was so nice to see solid stools we have been fighting it so long :(

His knee on his THR leg seems to be pointing very far outward. Just something I noticed, it's probably because he is not putting proper weight on it yet. I have no idea.

His legs are so skinny. I think both of our muscles are withering away. I can't wait to get out hiking again and rebuild our strength when this is all over! :)
 
#42 ·
Thank you for the latest update!

Sometimes I am sure I am overdoing it but with just the 2 of us it's hard not to sometimes.
Don't worry--you're not.

My guilt is increasing as Haku gets more and more amped up each day. I had to physically thwart 2 full out zoomie attempts yesterday and 1 just now.
Nothing to feel guilty about. As difficult as this is, it's a sign that Haku feels great. It all sounds so familiar--we went through it with every one of our total hip replacement dogs. My girlfriend would grumble, I would say, "This too shall pass," and she would grump, "Yeah, like a kidney stone."

when I come home he is like a pepsi bottle with a mentos thrown in!
Yup. Great way to describe it.

Peanut butter, strawberries and blue berries get ignored when frozen.
Watch out for peanut butter--it sometimes contains xylitol, which can quickly kill a dog. I don't trust the label to make sure it doesn't have xylitol in it, so I don't give any peanut butter to my dogs at all.

The incision looks great, the staples are almost hidden by the new hair growth and the scabs are already dropping off. He has not cried out in pain, as far as I can tell, since last week and he seems to be putting a fair amount of weight on the leg. He also now includes both legs in his stretch when he gets up which is cool to see. It's all weak and wobbly though, shame.
Sounds like he is healing really well.

After a week of perfect stools for the first time since I have had him (the antibiotics?) he had a half mushy very pale stool. I think it was the very large raw bones 2 days in a row.
Probably was the bones. But since he has consistently had mushy stools before the surgery, it would be worth doing the blood test for pancreatic insufficiency after he's out and about again.

His knee on his THR leg seems to be pointing very far outward. Just something I noticed, it's probably because he is not putting proper weight on it yet.
It's probably normal postop but it would be good to ask the surgeon about this.

I think you're both doing great even though you're both going nuts. Hang in there! Again, Haku is very, very lucky to have you!
 
#43 ·
It sounds like you have done and are doing a great job with his rehab. Stifling puppy zoomies has to be hard. Did Haku have a cement or cementless implant? I’m just curious.

Keep up the good work and thanks for posting updates and the link to the 100 crate games.

We had our consult Thurs. he wants some weight off my boy and will then reevaluate.

There is that light at the end of the tunnel so just focus on it :)
 
#44 ·
Thanks Heartandsoul,

Good luck with your journey too!

I believe Haku has a cemented THR. I am a bit upset about this as I liked the research on the cementless but this place seemed to only do cemented. I will double check on Friday at our checkup. I hope it lasts his lifetime and does not loosen etc :/
 
#45 ·
Day 13 post op.

We are about to hit the 2 week milestone. Very exciting as I am literally living hour by hour. We had a bit of a rough weekend. I got sick and Haku decided to up his crazy game like he was sensing my weakness.

We had a crate-tantrum on Sunday. Haku refused to go into the crate and put on the breaks by lying down, refusing to move and giving me whale eye. I thought I actually saw a nip coming if I pushed him but he was being very clear in his wants lol. I just needed to go to the kitchen to grab something and he tries to destroy the room when I leave so I just calmly led him in no commands, no fuss. Well he has never refused before but he knows the pattern now. I had an intense flash of anger then just took a moment to get my cool back. I know this is hard on him but he also can't be a snot. I couldn't do much as I can't force him with his hip. Anyways, I try minimize the amount of times I leave the room as he is getting very dramatic about it. I leave, he bark/ scream protests (I ignore) but when I come back he tries to zoomie or he does it when I leave...not good. I don't react and pretend not to make a big deal of it and can get him under control fairly easily asking him to do something instead. Gosh he is testing my patience. I think once this is over we need some serious obedience rehash lessons. I am usually much firmer but I understand this is a trying time. He honestly is trying so hard and actually doing really well. The evenings are hard, he turns into a demon from 6-9pm. But otherwise he goes outside with me, goes straight to his outdoor bed and lies down with me. Waits when I ask at the top of his ramp, the baby gate, the backdoor, so I can put on his sling. I think he is so used to following me everywhere he gets upset when he can't. I changed things up a bit the last 2 days and took him to the kitchen with me on lead instead of leaving him behind the baby gate. Put a spare dog bed in there in the spot he used to lie to watch me and he goes straight to it and waits, watching me wash the dishes and prepare stuff. Just like before. Ended up being much easier and I think he likes that it is like the old routine.

My post op instructions say tomorrow, day 14, if he is bearing a moderate amount of weight on the limb, I can start 10 min leash walks 3x a day. This is very exciting as I think Haku would love the time to sniff. Not sure I can take him outside the garden as he is very reactive but I may see if we can go at a quiet time. It is a much needed change of pace for both of us. I am a bit concerned though. he isn't exactly lying around all day. Well he is but after I get home from work it is a struggle. He is up and down up and down. The latest is how freaking FAST he is popping up from lying down. Of course he lies on his new hip side which means he is using his THR to shoot up from a down position. Too fast for me to stop it freaks me out.

I noticed his leg seemed quite sensitive today. He took longer to rise and was not putting as much weight on it as the last few days, limp a bit more pronounced. I hope it is nothing but I will mention it on Friday at the checkup.

I purchased some maze bowl slow feeders and tried one tonight for dinner. It was freaking awesome. Haku was obsessed and he usually gives up on frozen stuff half way but not this time. Only thing is he was a bit too enthusiastic as he stood for about 40min getting it out he wold not lie down...

I have had to use the sedatives the last few days as I have been quite ill. They do seem to take the edge off but I don't know, he doesn't sleep and sometimes I think they have the opposite effect. But it may be reducing his inner maniac. This dog just can't stand doing nothing, it's insane and he needs to learn to chill. I get exhausted just watching him.
 
#47 · (Edited)
Day 17

Yesterday was Haku's 2 week checkup appointment. It was an exhausting day.

I also have two crazy projects at work and have to go in on the weekend now.

Haku was way over the top with his first car ride and outing since the operation. It was 4 hours of trying to control him. A ton of treats and patience but he was just too excited/ nervous.

I wish we could have seen the surgeon who did the op but he was not there. The other guy was nice but I feel like he did not really let me ask questions. I had a ton of questions but when you are in the exam room with an 83lb dog who was literally scrabbling on the floor trying to do circles, check everyone, trying to jump on the chair, I was not paying much attention. I was so scared he was going to slip on their floor. We had 2 close calls as Haku full out tries to sled pull me. Very distressing.

We started short walks this week which have been nice but I got a bit emotional seeing how all my training with him has back slid. Pulling on the leash, not listening to me, no focus, reacting to critters, people and dogs. I just hope we can build it back up again after the rehab. It is a lot to ask a young energetic dog that has had no exercise or proper out let for 2 weeks.

I also totally failed as an owner, due to being distracted, and Haku managed to snap at the vet tech's face. I was so surprised, mad at myself and embarrassed at Haku. I know he has issues and the muzzle training is so close, I just need him to have it on for longer periods of time now, but I was so in the hip discussion I just totally blanked. Haku won't just maul people but he really does not like being focussed on and especially leaning over in his face. Which is EXACTLY what the vet tech as doing. Haku is hard to read, he will seem to be all cute giving kisses and licking a persons face and then he snapped in a "back off" warning. I know he is not kissing out of excitement or happiness. It is appeasement. I always tell people to please ignore him (or at the vets I say he is anxious of strangers please let him just sniff you first). Haku looks super cute and cuddly and goes right up to people and everyone always goes to pet his head lean down and say hello. He hates this. I told the first vet tech this for the staples while I told her I will just hold his head. He would have nipped her. I told the surgeon who came in as he was about to say hello to Haku I said just let him check you out first and the doctor immediately changed his approach with Haku, greeting me instead, which was perfect. Then a third vet tech came in to talk about meds and I was just so tired not paying attention and he snapped at her face after doing a seemingly cute hello. I immediately corrected him out of instinct then felt bad as I totally set him up for that. Agh. What a long day.

I also found out that Haku actually had a cementless replacement done. While I am very glad of this as it's the one I liked, I am also silently freaking out. I would have been a lot more careful making sure haku did not move as much with the cementless as I know the bone needs to grow into the implant to secure it as there is no cement. I just really hope I have not done irreparable damage to the hip with Haku's restlessness.

The surgeon saw how he was behaving there and was concerned. I said I am having a really hard time with his activity. He prescribed me more Trazadone and said to just use them to keep him more quiet. Haku got weird with the recommended dose so I only give him 1 tablet and it's doing a decent job.

Next checkup in 10 weeks to take an xray of the leg. Gosh I hope it's all okay, hasn't moved and didn't get irritated with the pacing. Surgeon said something scary. That after 4 weeks they can pretty much no longer remove it easily if there is an issue like infection or movement :O Makes sense but gosh.

On the up side the surgeon said Haku is walking on the leg great and the range of motion seems really good, although with me having to hold Haku's head so he could check the leg I worry that we did not get a good indication for any discomfort etc.

We had worked so hard on "just ignore strangers I wont let them touch you etc" that this has put us way way back. I am tired.
 
#48 ·
I have been following along with this thread. Thank you for the update.
I just want to offer you words of support. Haku is a young dog and I'm confident that the two of you will overcome the training set back in no time once his activity levels can be increased.
As for the snapping at the face of the vet tech. Shame on them more than you. They should know better than to lean into the face of any dog or go over their head unless they absolutely have to do so. Especially with a dog recovering from a major surgery. Vets and vet techs are supposed to be pet savvy people and read body language and know to use caution. They know their patients and owners are stressed at these appointments. They know better and they failed all the way around. I understand it doesn't excuse his poor behavior. However you did the correct thing and corrected Haku. That said now you know he will snap/bite. Muzzle for all future appointments.

Now that his staples are out what have they said about rehab? Just wondering if it is available in your area if swim therapy/water treadmill is an option. It's low impact, will build good muscle tone and burns a good amount of energy.

Hang in there!
 
#50 ·
Thanks for the update!

As for the snapping at the face of the vet tech. Shame on them more than you. They should know better than to lean into the face of any dog or go over their head unless they absolutely have to do so. Especially with a dog recovering from a major surgery. Vets and vet techs are supposed to be pet savvy people and read body language and know to use caution. They know their patients and owners are stressed at these appointments. They know better and they failed all the way around. I understand it doesn't excuse his poor behavior. However you did the correct thing and corrected Haku. That said now you know he will snap/bite. Muzzle for all future appointments.
Excellent advice.

Moonshayde,I think Haku's renewed antics are largely due to the fact that he is to some extent a different dog now. Before he was in significant pain. Now he is not. Since he is at the brat stage, this has really ramped up his brattiness. If you are not using a prong collar, I recommend that you start using one now, before you or he gets injured. If you fall because he jerks you around, you could land in the hospital.

Also, although it's normal to be worried and concerned postop, the worry, guilt, and sympathy should be minimized. A dog at the brat stage will often perceive these as weakness and try to take advantage of you. With our THR dogs, we were very sympathetic during the first few miserable postop days, and then we went right back to our mind-your-manners-you-snot demeanor. "You have no idea how lucky you are," we told them.

Hang in there and please keep posting updates!
 
#49 · (Edited)
“The surgeon saw how he was behaving there and was concerned. I said I am having a really hard time with his activity. He prescribed me more Trazadone and said to just use them to keep him more quiet. Haku got weird with the recommended dose so I only give him 1 tablet and it's doing a decent job.

Next checkup in 10 weeks to take an xray of the leg. Gosh I hope it's all okay, hasn't moved and didn't get irritated with the pacing. Surgeon said something scary. That after 4 weeks they can pretty much no longer remove it easily if there is an issue like infection or movement :O Makes sense but gosh. “



Moonshayde, is you next appointment with his actual surgeon? If not, I would call back and request/insist nicely an appt with him specifically especially where this surgeon seemed concerned and you now have more questions.

I think that if this surgeon was that concerned, he would have strongly suggested an X-ray right away. I think perhaps he was just emphasizing the importance of keeping him low key. That being said, I think that if you can stick to appts with your surgeon, it will help you with your own stress level.

As was mentioned both cement and cementless have their own pros and cons. I have a cementless and I do like the fact that the bone grows into/onto it, my boy’s surgeon will do cemented if/when he does go in.

Adding to what Springbrz said, just make “please don’t get in his face” a standard first part of the initial hello every single time you go in for a visit irregardless of whether or not they know your dog and even when the muzzle is on. This way, if during exam, you are distracted, the request/warning was already given.

As for the backsliding concern, once he can regularly release his energy appropriately, you two will get back to where you were.
 
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#52 ·
@Heartandsoul,

Yes I am hoping the lack of exercise + brat age + surgery restrictions is just making things tough.

I moan on here but honestly besides a few tough moments he really is being a good boy. He just so desperately wants to get out and do stuff together. However he is being particularly naughty/ demanding trying to get my attention.
I could not see my surgeon because he was not there. I do not know if this is a temporary or permanent thing. I was aware of this which is why we pushed the surgery date forward so that I could get him to do it and not someone else. Downside of course is any post op stuff. I hope you are right about if there was truly any major concern they would have wanted xrays then. It makes sense and I hope it's the case.
@JonRob,

Thank you for your advice. While I am unsure personally how I feel about a prong collar, it is something I have been considering if Haku escalates. He is not pulling me around to such an extent that I feel we need to go there immediately. I don't feel in danger of falling over or of him falling over, it's more that he is spinning around and tangling the stuff and of course the dog/ people reactivity. I am very fussy about any pressure on the leash and then yes at the vet he was pulling way too hard. On walks I just have to remind him every freaking step so it's like we are back to square 1 when I got him sigh.... It is more he is just too excited to focus or remember. So frustrating because before this he was walking lovely. I feel it's a pent up exercise thing too.

As you have mentioned, I do need to stop the sympathy nonsense now. The last few days I have gotten much firmer with him, mainly because his antics are starting to cause serious concerns with his hip and I need him to listen no matter how frustrated he is.
 
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