happy Saturday!

[CatDogLover]

I brought home my dog domino following acl surgery and am overwhelmed about his rehab routine. Massage, ice, meds, trips to vet daily for laser therapy, etc. for at least 8 weeks. Has anyone else been through this and have any coping skills to suggest?

[LadyZen]

So sorry you have so much to do. I've had moments like this, and basically, I just reprioritized and removed as many stressors as I could, so that I could focus on my loved one's needs and mine. I hope that's something doable for you. That you can cut out things and just focus on Domino and you.

[CatDogLover in reply to LadyZen]

Thanks! I’ll try that.

[Teaching]

So sorry you have to go through a lot. Remember to take care of yourself. Quick recovery Domino.

[Kinlay]

It sounds like they sold you the entire package. The reality with most surgery is they will heal fine without all that, so take a deep breath. The most important thing is the medication, which I would set a timer for if it doesn't fit easily with your baby's eating routine.

Massage, ice and laser may help with swelling and make the healing process better, but I didn't do it for my dog's ACL surgeries and she healed fine, so breathe and cut yourself some slack. If you do a quick search you will see that different vets place different levels of priority for all of those. Honestly, if you have the time to do it all, great! But don't panic over how to fit it all in.

Some quick research showed that icing shows "no objective benefits in the early postoperative course due to this decrease in temperature," massage therapy is "an effective complementary medicine" but not much detail, and only one study suggesting that the laser therapy may help with healing from acl. So, if it were me, I'd focus on the massage if I have time (plus it will give you quality time with your baby), do the laser if I could easily afford the appointments (unless you prepaid, in which case, GO), and not stress at all over the icing. Did they give you a detailed guide for the massage? If not, there are a lot of free videos you can pull up. Bless you for taking such good care of your baby!!! <3

[CatDogLover in reply to Kinlay]

Yes the discharge paperwork is daunting. I read online that it should be 100% create confinement the first two weeks. But all he does is cry and yelp when I try that. I ordered a front sling carrier so I can take him around the house without him walking. I’ll see how that works lol. I’ve actually considered finding a foster home during recovery but don’t think that is possible. Plus his opposite leg is half burst in the ligament so will probably have to go through this all over again one healed. Don’t know if I can handle. I can barely take care of my self and the household chores.

[Kinlay]

Focus on what you CAN do. The confinement is to keep him from undoing the fix from the surgery, so as big a pain as it is, you do need to do it as much as feasible. I did have my dog burst hers again during recovery when she unexpectedly pulled out of the leash to chase a squirrel, so you want to avoid any situation where he might try to run, jump, put weight on it, etc. I had to have both of my girl's done as well, but for some reason the second one was much easier - maybe because we had both been through it already. Just remember to take care of yourself first, or you won't be very good for him. You could also ask your vet about a mild tranquilizer to help him accept his down time more easily. Best wishes!!!!