How To Confine Your Dog After TPLO Surgery

Whether dashing around a park or sniffing strangers, our dogs are always looking to explore the world. While that energy and curiosity are endearing qualities, they can potentially get our canine companions in trouble. This is especially the case when they need to rest after a TPLO surgery.

As a pet owner, you can’t make your dog sit still all the time, but you can find ways to confine your dog after their TPLO surgery. Here are some of the methods we’ve found most helpful.

Limit Time Outside

Dogs love spending time outdoors. However, plenty of things out there can aggravate a recovering leg wound. Even a simple walk on the sidewalk or an afternoon in the backyard can be a little too much for your dog after this type of surgery.

In the first week after the surgery, it’s important to keep your dog inside most of the time. When you do take them outside, such as to use the restroom, you want to keep these trips brief and supervised. After a few weeks, you may introduce outside time slowly, starting with brief, short-leash walks until your dog is ready for longer excursions.

Set Up a Safe Spot

While there aren’t as many dangers inside, there are still plenty of opportunities for a dog to further damage their leg. This is especially true of places that will tempt your dog to climb or jump, such as stairs or couches. The best way to avoid such temptations is to situate your dog in a comfortable spot where these sorts of opportunities don’t exist.

If you live in a two-story building, consider putting pet gates in front of the stairs and ensure your dog’s bed is on the floor. You may even need to move your dog into a room with no couch or bed to make sure those four paws stay firmly planted on the floor.

Isolate

Even if your dog is groggy, they may still want to join if another dog or a child comes to them wanting to play. Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to explain to the other pets or kids in the house the intricacies of surgery recovery.

Sometimes, the best way to confine your dog after TPLO surgery is to keep them away from the smaller members of your household. This may mean keeping your injured dog in a different part of the house than the other dogs and humans.

If you’re still having trouble keeping your dog safe and healthy after their surgery, don’t despair. The veterinarians in Palmdale, CA’s Animal Center of the Antelope Valley have the expertise and practical advice you need to help your dog make it through their recovery process.