Surgery Day - February 23 2018

Surgery Day - February 23 2018

I took Greta to the vet for surgery at 8:00 am.  The orthopedic surgeon who was doing the operation had two surgeries scheduled that day;  Greta's ended up being first.  He called me at just after noon to tell me that she was done, and awake.  She did great.  He went over the discharge information with me, including to ice her incision three times a day for 10 minutes a day, using a gel ice pack.  

I picked Greta up at 5:00 pm.  The staff went over the discharge information again, gave me her meds (one pain med, one med for inflammation, and an antibiotic) and we scheduled her follow up for just over two weeks later.  Greta was still affected by the medications she'd been given, but was good.  I paid her bill and we headed home.  

Of course a blow-through snowstorm started up just as I was leaving to go get her.  It was slippery and snowy as we walked out to the car.  I picked Greta up, putting her into the van and away we went.  

Happily, our vet is about a 1/2 mile from our house, so the trip home was quick. 

FHO surgery is one of the only orthopedic surgeries where the patient is to use the leg within a few days of surgery.  Greta certainly wasn't ready to put any weight on her leg, but she hopped, three-legged, into the house.

I live in a basement level "apartment", so we had 13 steps to traverse to get fully home.  Greta started to go down the stairs, but stopped and sat on about the second one.  So, I carried her down.  Happily, I only have had to carry her down, or up, the stairs that one time.  

She whimpered most of the evening.  She settled down when I snuggled with her, but she didn't feel well.  

My dogs sleep on the bed with me, both the 20 lb. Bichons and the 50 lb. mutt.  When we got downstairs, Greta wanted to be on the bed.  She jumped up before I could stop her.  She slept there until it was time to go out.  

We walked back up the stairs before bed.  I took Greta out front, on the leash.  To go out back she'd have to walk down steps from the deck to the patio - icy steps.  Nope!  Not for me.  

She pees just fine, but is having difficulty figuring out how to poop.  

After going out, she had her first round of meds and I iced her incision.  One of my nieces is an Occupational Therapist.  She had a recipe for making your own gel ice pack.  I used ice chips in water the first night, but made a gel pack to use from then on.  

I used:  1 cup water and 1 cup 70% isopropyl alcohol.  Put the mix into a ziplock bag.  Put that bag into another bag and freeze.  (I found that with the 70% alcohol the mix got VERY cold, but didn't really slush, so I've added another 1/4 c. of water in hopes of getting a more slushy mix.)

Greta - Evening after surgery

Incision day of surgery