barry581 (04-01-2017), Blackboy98 (04-01-2017), Labradorks (04-01-2017)
Well, she had her final PT / hydrotherapy appointment today. She'd actually already "graduated" from her 8 week run, but my husband bought an extra two sessions "just to be safe" (and because he's paranoid).
As I think I wrote on the food thread, her leg muscles have equalized to within 1 cm. It is startling how quickly they lose muscle mass—she went from injury to surgery in just over a week, and was doing PT as soon as possible afterward, and yet when they measured circumference at about four (I think) weeks, her surgery leg was down by about 6 or 7 cm (!). She's regained almost all of that in pure muscle, without over-building the non-surgery leg. The PT has been serious stuff.
In addition to regaining the leg muscle, she has lost about 12 lbs. The Vet had been fine w/ her weight prior (though I think she'd been creeping up a bit, thanks to the snack-giver, who is not me); the surgeon said she should lost about 8 or so lbs post surgery, to get her on the slimmer side.
At 12 lbs lighter later—she looks pretty great. By no means scrawny, but certainly sleeker and more obviously muscular.
Today the surgeon's office / PT told us that we have done everything perfectly and it was one of the best recoveries / rehabilitiations they'd seen.
They also found Hoku a very funny dog—refused to enter the water treadmill the first time, but after she figured it out, she would walk in, do her work, and refuse snacks, become embarrassed she felt she'd done wrong. The therapist remarked to my husband "She certainly figures out her job and then just does it, doesn't she?"
This morning, my husband said "blah blah blah surgery leg" and Hoku got up and guiltily ran into the guest room. I kind of wish she didn't know so much English. She's like the Woody Allen of dogs, if that could be possible for a Lab.
I hope that this is the last CCL / TPLO update.
Hidden Content Hokule'a ("Hoku") / b. 06.08.15
barry581 (04-01-2017), Blackboy98 (04-01-2017), Labradorks (04-01-2017)
Yay, Hoku!
Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
Birthday 9-13-18, Gotcha Day 11-11-18
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Miss Kimber, CGC, 6/15/2005-1/27/2018 forever in our hearts
Abulafia (03-31-2017)
Good news!! Happy she's doing well.
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Abulafia (03-31-2017)
A good update and last report, fingers crossed. It does really help if the dog co-operates with therapy. Where we went they said the Labs nearly all do but some would freak out at the funniest things and not like at all being handled by strangers. That's why we never did any therapy for Jet's (our first Lab) back, because it stressed her out so badly to be handled by strangers.
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Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
Oxtongue Rapids Park. Oct. 2019 Hidden Content
Abulafia (03-31-2017)
Fingers definitely crossed. It looks like this leg is in good shape. Any dog with one tear stands at a greater risk for a second, and we know this—which is all of why we've been putting so much care into her PT and rehab. She may tear the other, to be sure. I believe second tears are either due to a dog's basic conformation / hock geometry error (which I don't think we have here), or joint disease (which she didn't have), or poor rehab. Either way, it may happen. We're just doing what we can, and keeping fingers crossed.
She was very stressed with her first trip to PT. It took them 20 minutes to get her out of the crate (they had to carry it into the surgeon's), then into the treadmill, and she did only a couple of minutes. I really wasn't sure if it was going to be a go. But by the second time she was fine, and today she did thirty minutes non-stop on the water treadmill.
Very long haul, but I've been so grateful to all of the help and support from this board.
Hidden Content Hokule'a ("Hoku") / b. 06.08.15
What a great update! So, so happy for her.
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Kissing Bandit
Abulafia (03-31-2017)
Good job, all of you! I was hoping her sensitivity wouldn't stand in the way of her recovery.
Abulafia (04-01-2017)
Glad she’s made such a good recovery!
And I know what you mean about the muscle loss. When Chloe had her tendon injury and was splinted for a few weeks, that leg just completely shrank. Lots of PT brought it back up again though, just as it did for Hoku.
Annette
Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009
And remembering:
Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015
And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014
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Sounds like all the hard work and effort has paid off. When I was at the vets with Sophie and her limping this week the vet and I were talking about knee and elbow injuries and she said that the studies beening done of intact vs spayed/neutered are showing weight being a bigger factor with these types of issues. I've always tried to keep mine a bit on the lean side just in case.
Good job Hoku!!! Hopefully PT will be done soon and you can just go back to being the playful pup you were before.
Abulafia (04-01-2017)
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