June 5, 2013

TPLO Surgery Recovery - Day 11

Relaxing with grandma <3
After a long phone conversation with Riley's doctor, she determined we didn't need to bring her in to get the leg examined. I told her all of the following:

1. Rectal temperature - normal 101 degrees F
2. Leg was not painful when I massaged or did range of motion exercises
3. Riley was eating well, drinking plenty of water, and having good urine production and bowl movements
4. She was using the leg and putting her weight on it
5. We put ice packs on the leg several times daily and saw the swelling decrease

The doctor told me I sounded like a veterinary nurse, which is funny because that was originally my career choice until I changed my mind and decided to become an accountant. My dream school was UC Davis! I still wonder what might have happened if I'd stuck with my original plan...

All that aside, the doctor said it sounded like she either was too bouncy and agitated the leg or she may have been bit by a bug (she had a small red patch on the back of her thigh). We gave her a Benadryl for good measure and have been continuing to monitor her. The stitches come out this Friday, which is going to be really nice because she desperately needs a bath! I tried wiping her down with a warm, wet cloth but it didn't do much good. 2 weeks of post-surgery stink is not pleasant. :)

I'll try to get some better pictures of her leg tonight when I get home. The knee is the only part of her leg that is still swollen. If the swelling isn't gone by Saturday, I think I may take her in for some x-rays just to make sure the plate/screws are okay and there are no fractures in the bone.

Thanks for all the encouragement I've received lately! I love seeing all the feedback on my blog posts and knowing that people care about Riley and are wishing her well! :)

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