Thanks Julie. I can take the odd day but too busy are the minute - last year I planned everything to the finest detail and had a whole month off when Bella arrived!!! So I'm hoping they can do the op before Xmas as means I'll be around more as I'm off for 2 weeks. I'm a school psychologist so super busy but luckily I can be flexible and bob home and back as needed in between school visits plus my mum has offered to come up during the weeks if I need her so think I'll take her up on that offer. They would keep her full time with them but they have a boxer dog and Bella loves her so much it just wouldn't work. Ahhhh good point re the floors... Due to Bella's love for digging and damage scratching up carpets ( remember the 600 quid carpet replacement in rented accommodation ?!) we have tiles and laminate floor in our new house. She doesn't have her pen anymore as she's brilliant in the day , the only worry would be the sofa as she occasionally climbs, but I can sort that . I may need to get some Lino or old carpet to protect the floors as living room laminate can be slippy if she's over excited. Luckily she's always been quite a calm dog.... for a lab. Never goes walking in the am, chills out then goes at lunch and evening. If anything I sometimes felt guilty for not walking her enough!!!
Sounds good. You can't risk her running to the door bell, jumping up at the window, or slipping on a floor for between 6 to 8 weeks. Or even jumping up at a person or anything like that. Then the risks lessen. With Charlie, because he is NOT a quiet dog, the poor boy was in a crate or on a lead in the house for the full 8 weeks. Nightmare....
Running to the doorbell and jumping up at people she knows Is likely ... ( or barking and Bowing at those she doesn't) I'll need to keep the living room door closed at all times as then she can't go very far. No visitors for 8 weeks then....
A crate is better anyway - a really, really big one if you can manage that. They can jump up on pens....
Yep just had this discussion with my mum, it's going to have to be a big crate, god she's going to hate me, but needs must I'll get it ASAP and start some training. Crate and steak = heaven!!!!!!
I bought a great dane sized crate - I can't find my order right now, but I think it was the Giant Showman from Croft products. It's over 52in....
I've just read all through your thread.I'm so sorry to read the diagnosis.....such a shock and very upsetting,but you sound very positive by the time I've got to the end.Getting organised and prepared will be giving you something to focus on.You've got a great Mentor in Julie,I'm sure you have already ,but look up her threads .....Charlie's rehab was managed so carefully and thoroughly with a fantastic outcome.......You've got quite a task ahead but you will get Bella through it and you will always find support here My very best wishes Angela x
Thanks you Angela, I know I shall definitely be reading up on all of Julie's posts!!! well its day 3 of restricted exercise and she's already driving me crazy poor girl- shows what little exercise does to a dog- I've never seen her like this - lunging like a mad thing on her short walks (nearly had me over) and then doing zoomies around and around the house and garden and jumping up at me and barking. W;eve not even had the operation yet......... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Also if anyones got any recommendations about food /biscuits let me know. There seems to be quite a few out there that are low calorie ( meaning more of it for treats / training) but that's also good for joints. She's on James well beloved adult currently but would like to change her to one that's got extra things for her joints.
Sorry to read about the diagnosis . I'm glad you are trying to be positove and are putting things in place to help you both. I use Barker and Barker treats (smallest size) as they can have at least 100-150 a day as are so low in calorie. Harley knows when they come out at home it means it's training time . I hide them all over the downstairs and release her to go find them......really good game, especially if some are hidden under or in things . We are currently training her to lie down, put the treats on her front paws and for her to wait until we say she can have them. She is pretty good at this so have also upped it, trying to balance one on her nose!
I chop treats up too, I can get a fish4 dogs sea biscuit into 8 pieces just by cutting them up with the kitchen scissors .Dexter doesn't seem any less enthusiastic about the crumb rather than the cube!
I never went down the route of low calorie food with supplements included. I just never needed to, and also I found the levels of supplements in food to be far too low, or rather vague about the quantities of the key elements. So I stuck with Charlie's normal food, and added supplements in of the quality and quantity recommended by several experts. Luckily my vet did not try to sell me a food, as I'd have viewed that with some suspicion! I did chop up larger treats, and I did try Barker and Barker but once I gave up the notion of giving a bored dog food in a bowl (what a waste) I never ran out of food for entertainment or training.
Juno is on Hills Prescription J/D calorie reduced at the suggestion of our osteo surgeon. Well he and our vet recommended the Hills and I found out about the calorie reduced version as there was concerns on the calorific content of the normal version.. Juno has ED and it seems to work well with her but it is on vet recommendation and only available through vets or online stores as long as you confirm it's on vets recommendation. She has less than 2/3rds of the recommended amount plus some treats per day.
Thanks for replies. Picking up a big crate tomorrow and got rugs and runners coming to cover the floors. Back to vets Monday to book her in. Julie T- is it an overnight stay generally or can they come home same day? I'm not happy about her staying there overnight after our last experience with barking and whining dogs, she's only just returned to herself, and I'm sure Bella was the one whining it's 24 hour there though so I'm wondering if they will want to keep her I really hope not. Well , I've avoided all plans this weekend and stayed in - it was a friends bday bash but I just couldn't face it I just keep randomly bursting into tears, people who don't have dogs don't get it ' leave her with a butchers bone' ' come out you'll feel better', ' she'll just sleep ' like seriously do I want my dog choking aswell?!? My dog won't sleep she has not had much exercise today so she wants entertainment and company !!!!! I have been madly cleaning ( therapeutic cos I HATE cleaning normally) but I also took Bella to pets at home for more kongs and a nylabone earlier which was pricey ha but is keeping her occupied!!! I've also taught her to bark and be quiet on cue which she picked up in minutes and it tired her out!!! Also done lots of research so feeling more positive, although still really hacked off!! There's a great hydrotherapy place close by who support TTA dogs with underwater treadmills etc and have a highly qualified team, already Been in contact with them for a chat, feeling reassured.
Thanks, how much is it? I looked at extra supplements today and they were recommending 4 tablets, twice a day, at over ten quid a pack of 15
Charlie stayed at the vets both times - the first time just overnight and the day and I picked him up in the evening, the second time he stayed 3 night because they weren't happy about his reaction to the drugs. It's a big operation, and she will be on a lot of painkillers. It's best she stays overnight or more, really. Although you'll want her home, she will have so many drugs she is unlikely to remember, or be aware of, anything much. I don't want to alarm you, but it's best you know - the surgery is really quite major. It's not like much else, it's not even like bone fragments removed for ED or things like that. The bone is cut, quite dramatically, and the angles of the knee remodelled. You have to be super, super, careful while that fragile remodelling heals and the bone fills back in. Which takes a LONG time, although the key danger time is over sometime passed 8 weeks, it took more than a year for Charlie's first leg to completely grow back all the required bone. Chin up, I'm not going to say it's going to be easy, because that would just be lying to you and that's no good. But look after your dog, just as well as you can, and you WILL get out the other side of this and all will be well.
