This has been a busy week with the deadline for resolving all the copyeditor queries on our Day Trips from Austin revision. The days got away from me…then suddenly I looked at the calendar and realized that tomorrow will be one year since Irie tore her ACL. We went to the vet the day of her injury and then made an appointment at the specialty vet hospital for an exam and surgery the next weekday. Here’s a look at the whole process, from Irie’s injury to rehab to recovery.
TPLO surgery like Irie had involves a 12-week recovery period. During that time, Irie’s activity was really, really limited in terms of everything from accessing our furniture to getting in and out of the car for vet appointments.
We knew that our activities would be limited through Thanksgiving last year but, in reality, we extended the recovery even longer, letting Irie take things at her own pace. It was a huge relief when she got off the restrictions and was able to go off leash in our yard–but that brought new worries, too. We were concerned that she’d once again dart out after a squirrel, which caused the original injury. We didn’t go out to dinner without the dogs until the new year and kept a close eye on her around the clock.
And, while the official recovery process is 12 weeks, the actual healing continues for months beyond the surgery. We used a ramp to get Irie in and out of the car for many months after she was cleared for full activity. Even today, we have a step to help her get up on our bed without jumping up. For many months, Irie would also limp after first getting out of the car after a couple of hours of riding. Today she bounces out, ready for fun!
In the last year, we’ve heard from so many of you facing ACL surgery or recovery with your dogs. Unfortunately, it’s an incredibly common injury but one that we want everyone to know IS fixable. Irie loves to run as much now as she did before the injury–and likes nothing better than to get out and play!
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