TPLO surgery is a commonly performed procedure on dogs with a high success rate. Like any medical procedure, surgery aftercare plays a large part in the long-term recovery of your dog post-surgery.
When your dog returns home from the vet, you’ll be expected to monitor their behavior, administer pain medication, and ensure that their environment is conducive to recovery.
Your dog may act differently after surgery, which can be concerning for a pet owner. For this reason, it’s helpful to prepare yourself with the knowledge of how dogs typically behave right after surgery and during their recovery, so you can best meet their needs.
To help you out, below is a list of typical dog behavior after surgery and how to make a dog comfortable after surgery.
The day after
It’s normal for dogs to come out of the surgery feeling sleepy or still unconscious due to the general anesthesia. Once the drugs wear off, your dog will start to feel the effects of the surgery. The following are typical signs to look out for:
Whining and panting
After surgery, your pet will feel pain from the procedure. One way they’ll tell you how they’re feeling is through panting or whining.
Other factors can cause your dog to whine and pant besides pain, such as anxiety, restlessness, or frustration. It’s your pet’s way of expressing unpleasant feelings.
When your pet starts to whine and pant after the procedure, take note of these behavioral changes and inform your veterinarian. They will then likely prescribe pain and anxiety medications to help your pet relax.
Lethargy
Surgical procedures can be long and tiring, so it’s not surprising if your dog becomes lethargic afterward. General anesthesia and painkillers may also make your dog feel groggy.
Instead of being their active self, your dog will likely need all the rest they can get to recover from the procedure. It’s not uncommon for them to need a substantial amount of rest before they start acting more like themselves.
Limited bowel movement
TPLO surgeries typically require fasting the night before the procedure. Additionally, they may not eat as much as they normally do the first few days of the recovery period. Because of this, it can take your dog some time to empty their bowels like they usually do
While their bowel movements are limited, they should be able to urinate normally due to the fluid therapy they received during the surgery.
The week after
Your dog may continue acting differently after the surgery a week later.
Depending on the procedure’s severity, you can observe specific behaviors in your dog to take note of. Here’s what you can expect:
Lack of appetite
It’s typical for dogs to lose their appetite after surgery, especially as they likely feel nauseous the day after the procedure and during the first week of post-op care. Most dogs may not fully regain their strength during the first post-surgery week.
If you observe this in your dog, one effective trick to stimulate their appetite is reducing and modifying their meals. You can serve them soft yet appetizing food like pumpkin puree or chicken to make eating easier.
Decreased activity
General movements will likely be uncomfortable for your dog the week after the procedure, especially if their wound is not yet fully healed.
Your vet may restrict your dog’s activity until the affected area can heal fully. They may also recommend therapy exercises such as short leashed walks during recovery after the surgery.
Increased boredom
Some breeds are more active than others and require mental stimulation to avoid boredom. The restricted activity makes them more prone to boredom, resulting in excessive licking.
Excessive licking
Aside from boredom, dogs become prone to excessive licking when they’re scared or in pain.
Your pet will likely want to soothe the pain and irritation caused by the fresh stitches by licking themselves. Excessive licking may cause further complications and infections. It is recommended to utilize a cone or a leg sleeve to prevent licking.
How to Make Your Dog Comfortable After Surgery
With all these behavioral changes in mind, you can do several things to ensure that your pet stays comfortable after surgery and recovers quickly.
Ensure a quiet and comfortable place of rest
Keep your pet safe and stress-free by providing them a quiet and comfortable place to rest away from your kids or other pets.
If your vet prescribes crate rest, you must ensure that the crate is big and comfortable enough for your dog to rest and move around. Put their crate in a place where you can observe them from afar without causing too much disturbance.
Limit their movements but keep them engaged
Provide your dogs with one or two toys that they can play around with to fend off boredom and anxiety. You can use brain-stimulating toys and fill them with treats so that they stay engaged on their own.
Ensure a balanced diet
Since your pet’s mobility is reduced during this period, they won’t be able to keep fit like they usually do. For this reason, it’s essential to keep your dog’s diet healthy and balanced. Avoid large meals in the meantime and stick with food they can easily digest.
Accompany them during the day
Nothing beats the comfort that pet owners bring to their dogs. You can provide additional support by hanging out with them during the day.
You can sit with them quietly and stroke their fur to help them stay calm and feel loved. Your company can mean more than you think.
Keep calm and collected
TPLO surgeries can be as stressful for pet owners as it is for pets, but remember that your dog looks to you for support during this difficult time.
As a pet parent, you must stay calm and collected during this period to ensure your dog can recover quickly and efficiently.
To provide better support to your dog during their TPLO surgery, check out our blog for more tips!
