My puppy is getting an ACL surgery
Written by Erika
Hi everybody,
My 5 months golden retriever is getting a knee surgery he hurt his ACL and now...all the worries are on my mind, I would like to know how could I take care after his sugery, how should I feed him, which food I should avoid, how to slow down his emotions and desire of showing joy when he should be calm.
He has been already taking some calming pills like RELAXAN, and a pain reliever called METACAM, so as support for his joints etc. all this through his vet, but it seems something is irritating his stomach already and the vet said that could be normal, also his eyes were terribly and exagerating red and droopy, he has been drinking a lot and eating rice and his regular puppy dry food.
I guess I worry too much ( as my husband would say) but I adore my puppy and is killing me the fact that I don't know how to help him.
Please, I'll appreciate advices all kind.
Thanks in advance,
Erika
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Erika, I am so sorry to hear your puppy needs surgery. While an ACL repair is major surgery it is considered routine for the most part as it is a very common injury. It is most often (but not always) seen in large breed dogs. Often over weight dogs will rupture the ligament becuase of the stress on the joint.
As far as post operation care, your vet will most likely send you home with instructions that include restricted activity. That will be the biggest challenge for you as your boy is so young. Some new chew toys that will keep him busy without moving around a lot will help combat boredom. If you are calm and make your departures and arrivals very low key, your puppy is less likely to get as excited. Some times, he just won't be able to help himself.
The vet may also recommend gating him in an area with no stairs or furniture to jump on. If that is not possible, you may consider a large crate if you don't already have one.
His regular diet of puppy food should be just fine. If his stomach is upset, it may be that the medication does not agree with him. Ask your vet if they have another option for pain relief instead of the Metacam or a different sedative. Some dogs who take certain sedatives will get droopy red eyes. The medication could also account for the increase in water intake. These things are worth mentioning to the vet as well.
Try not to worry, you are a good puppy mom and I am sure you will do a great job of taking care of your patient. Good luck and we would love to hear how your pup is doing.
PetDoc.com
Marcie, thank you so much for your response, I have had an incredible week with stress mix with puppy issues, work and health.
My puppy didn't get his surgery because he was very sick with his stomach, was really so bad and his vet knew it many dasy before but they still schedule the surgery and at the day when it should happen they tell me that is not going to be possible because of his vomiting and stomach issues.
They told us to wait at least 10 days until everything in his stomach go back to normality and then we can plan a surgery date again, but now they say it doesn't have to be so soon...( I don't understand why suddenly, now isn't a priority anymore....)
Anyway, surprisingly, my puppy isn't limping anymore and sometimes, specially when he rest for a long period, than we can observe a mild limp or to be more specific, a mild soft different move when he walk, but he can stay now, almost to a 95 % on his injured leg...
I am going to take him to another vet, ask about another X rays and see what they have to say about it too.
I still can stop worrying but I see things with a little more hope since he isn't limping as bad as he has been doing it in the past days.
I'll let you know more about him, I appreciate immensely your response and words.
Erika Weeg