Veterinary Surgical Specialists
Post-Operative Care:
Cranial Cruciate Ligament Repair
& Medial Patellar Luxation Surgeries
Your pet must be kept in a confined area such as an airline flight kennel, 6 ft
square area or small
room within your home for the first 4 weeks following knee surgery.
The purpose of such confinement is to prevent your pet from damaging
the repair by running through the house and slipping on the
tile/linoleum, i.e. when the door bell rings.
After this period of time, your pet needs to be kept on restricted
activity (house, run, or small yard confinement), leash walks
for short distances (< 1 mile) and pool swimming only, for
the next two months. This restriction will allow sufficient
time for the surgical site and newly constructed/sutured ligaments
to heal completely. Tranquilizers may be necessary to help keep
your pet quiet. Your pet will rapidly develop a tolerance to these
drugs however, necessitating progressively higher doses be given
to effect the desired level of tranquilization. Only enough
tranquilization to "take the edge off" of your pet and make
them happy to walk rather than run is necessary. These drugs
are not harmful or addictive to your pet in any way.
No off-leash activity should be allowed for at least 10 weeks
following surgery.
The bandage on your pet's leg should
be kept clean and dry. If there is a chance that the bandage
will come in contact with water or moisture, you should cover
the bandage with a plastic bag. Do not leave the plastic
bag on your pet's leg for a prolonged period of time however, or
it will cause moisture accumulation and skin infection underneath
the bandage! If your pet's toes are exposed at the bottom
of the bandage, please check them daily for any signs of swelling.
If they should become cool and/or puffy, the bandage may be impeding
circulation and should be changed immediately.
If this should occur, please contact us immediately. If your
pet's toes are not exposed, pinch them through the bandage
until your pet reacts to let you know he still has feeling in
them. This postoperative bandage should last two weeks with proper
care. Due to your pet's normal activity, the top may loosen and
the incision site may become exposed. This is okay as long as
your pet does not lick or chew at the incision area, the bandage
still offers support to the knee, and you are still able to check
your pet's toes once the bandage has been removed. If the incision area looks as though it needs to
be cleaned, you may daub the area with warm water and apply an antibiotic
ointment or vitamin E ointment to it if you wish. In most cases, this should not be necessary.
If you find that your pet is having
difficulty in rising and/or walking with the bandage on, we suggest
that you use a towel placed around the stomach to act as a towel sling
for the hind quarters. Lift your pet gently and support the rear
limbs while it walks. We would be happy to show you how this is
done. In some cases, cutting two holes in the towel for your pet's
legs to slip through, like a pair of pants, gives them better
support than would a towel around the belly alone.
Your pet may require a lot of patience
and attention during this recovery period. Your biggest chore will
be to keep your pet confined and inactive for a three month period.
If you have any questions, or if you need help and/or suggestions,
please do not hesitate to contact our office. We are available
by phone during normal business hours as well as by voice mail
nights and weekends. Please leave a message and one of our staff
will contact you as soon as possible. Thank you for letting us
give your pet the extra special care it deserves!
See CARE OF BANDAGES AND SPLINTS