General Chat has become a dumpster

 good job Paige - also loved your "cocktail/ cockatiel" correction

OK some stray just wandered in the yard and Herr donkey-on-the-edge went berserk, jumping up on his hind legs with enough force to slide the rugs around and I am in a panic. He was insane for about 3-4 minutes couldn't stop him. I put him in his crate and felt his leg.

PLEASE pray that he didn't damage himself.  His healing has been awesome but the fact is he has 7 screws and a plate in the bones that cannot be healed in two weeks -I am afraid to let him out of the crate for fear he will be limping badly.

I feel nauseous

Lani I hope things are working out

His stitches/staples are out, so that's half the battle.  In about 20 mins, watch his walking - understanding that he could be stiff from laying down in his crate for a while.  If your vet was like my sister's, all the follow-up was paid for and she could call any time.  Better to make that call sooner than later.  Patrick decided around 2 weeks that he should race up and down the hallway (part of which is across wood flooring, where he slips normally) and jump onto the couch, etc.  We worried, too, but the vet said he was healing wonderfully.  I hope everything is just fine with Bugsy....

if he lays down now I'll ice it a bit

the little moron!

It's like a TPLO, but different.  Reading directly from the discharge papers:

"Patrick has undergone an arthroscopically assisted Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA).  The procedure has changed the knee so the cranial cruciate ligament is no longer needed."  Basically, from the pictures in the pamphlet that described the surgery, it's like they reroute something past this plate in his knee, which replaces the part of the bone they shaved down.. or something like that.  They compare it to the TPLO, so I get confused which one was which.  But this one didn't involve cutting his tendon, from what I remember.  I think they shaved down the bone in his knee, replaced it with the plate which allows the ligament to slide there, instead of it's natural spot... something about the angles.

AAANNNYWAy.  Since Patrick is 9 yrs old, we don't really have to worry about this wearing out, and since the tendon wasn't going to be cut, with the intention of it healing and having to be used again in the future, we were told to expect quicker healing.  Dunno, this is a 12 week healing process.  We're in week 9 I think.  Surgery was Sept 26th.

Glad Bugs isn't limping, that's a good sign.  Such a worry...  you can make it thru this, though, I'm sure of it.  :)

 Thanks for that Paige - yea the TTA is newer and seems to be about as successful as the TPLO - but not in large active dogs.  I'm guessing Patrick is less than 60lbs - that's what my research told me anyway LOL.  The surgeon we used does both but said he wouldn't perform the TTA on B.

In the TPLO they break the lower leg bone and anchor the new angle ( I haven't figured out what angle they are talking about) with a plate and screws. ( I posted some pics on Facebook) The surgeon explained that it is the bone healing around the screws that is the riskiest part of the process.  When they took the staples out on Tuesday and looked him over, I was all excited that he seemed to be way ahead of schedule but the surgeon basically admonished me and said don't breathe a sigh of relief until the xrays at 8 weeks - we are week two. The whole process is 16 weeks.

His knee was really warm tonight, I tried to ice it but he wouldn't stay still.  He has been doing really, really well.  He only had the cone on once and that was a test run.  He's been agreeing to 'go slow', etc. This dog put him over the edge, he snapped.  Oh well it's done.  We'll keep him crated a lot this weekend and hope it didn't do anything real bad.

Thanks for the support - I know that it isn't life threatening but we have put a lot into this emotionally as well as financially and it would kill me if it doesn't get him back up and running - that's how I feel anyway

kpwlee

TTA is newer and seems to be about as successful as the TPLO - but not in large active dogs.  I'm guessing Patrick is less than 60lbs

 He's actually 85lbs, but he's short and stocky.  I think they opted with this because, well, he's 9 years old and really not a largely active dog.  He got leash walks and runs around the yard, (up and down the hallway here, too, and wrestling with the "kids";), but that's really the extent of his activity.  I think they chose this one because they knew he won't be heavily using his knee for however many years he has left.

kpwlee

Thanks for the support - I know that it isn't life threatening but we have put a lot into this emotionally as well as financially and it would kill me if it doesn't get him back up and running - that's how I feel anyway

Glenda needs to stop.  Shut yer pie hole about pre-approving id's.... underhanded comments like that piss me off, considering what a turkey she was when she was a mod...

OOOOOOOooooh, KKAAAAAAAArreeenn..... You know you want to vent....  I'm egging you on...