I should probably count myself fortunate. We made it 10 years with no serious injuries, no tennis balls swallowed, no daring leaps that resulted in broken bones, no drinking tasty chemicals, or any other accident that always seems to be looming on the horizon with creatures that don't seem to think for themselves very well. However Dakota, master of faking leg injuries to get treats, has finally become his own boy who cried wolf. I began noticing the slight limp in the right hind leg and the shaking after we walked a couple months ago. I attributed this to his impending 10th birthday - 70 years old! The door bell rang one evening and Dakota jumped up in a fit of excitement at this chime that announces the arrival of another member to his pack, and more importantly potential treat opportunities. I knew immediately something had gone wrong. He pulled his leg up in a very tight ball and wouldn't put it down at all.
The vet confirmed my fears, Dakota had torn his Cruciate Ligament (same as ACL in humans). The procedure recommended was the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO). Actually it's a rather ingenuous procedure where they cut the tibia bone, re-orient the geometry of the bone, and bolt it back together with a plate. Once healed the knee no longer needs the cruciate ligament to function properly.
We had the surgery done on July 31. Dakota stayed overnight at the vet's office. Picking him up the next day he was beyond pitiful with the large cone on his head, shaved leg, and square shaved in his back.
The first couple days having him at home have been quite challenging. Just because he had knee surgery certainly didn't change his personality. We have tried to contain him to the living room, but naturally he still wants to hobble around the whole house. The coffee table is sitting on the couch to prevent him from trying to get up there, and he is having to sleep in his crate at night to prevent him from thinking he can still jump on the bed. If the surgery wasn't several thousand dollars, it would be kind of amusing to see exactly how a three legged dog would jump on the bed!
His ankle joint has swollen up badly, but I'm told this is normal and a cold compress can help help reduce that. Continuing his physical therapy, which consist of flexing his knees for 15 minutes. Anybody that knows Dakota well, knows that 15 minutes of touching is way too much for his aloof attitude. I caught him this morning testing his foot on the ground which is a positive sign. Hopefully a full recovery is only 8 weeks away!
