Harley's TPLO Experience: 3 weeks post op

I have been slack on updating my blog and posting online. I'm sure glad the Holiday's are over with. I know I shouldn't think like that, but it's a new year and this one is going to be great.

Harley is still limping and toe touching. From talking to my ortho and others, it's completely normal, even though I'm still a worried mom. If we are in the house or she's just standing, she doesn't put any weight on it at all. If we are walking, she does put weight on it, although again, it's still somewhat on her toe. But it's been raining the last couple of days, so we haven't had many walks either. She lets me do her PROM exercises, although she sure doesn't like it. She keeps her surgery knee drawn up close to her, so I really try to stretch it out as to keep it from getting to stiff. The TPLO surgery is a totally new mechanism to her knee....so, I guess it's just weird to re-learn to walk on it. But her leg looks wonderful, her incision and scar looks great and her hair is starting to grow back.

She's still not eating like she should be. She shows interest in food and will walk over to her bowl and sniff....but walk away and go lay down. If I go over and hand feed her, she'll for the most part eat, but she's still not eating near enough. She typically got about 3lbs of food a day and right now, on her own, she's probably only eating half of that. I am still force feeding her quite a bit....it's gotten pretty easy, I just open her mouth, put whatever on the back of her tongue and down the hatch it goes. Shawn says I need to stop that...and when she gets hungry, that she'll eat...but my opinion right now is that she needs food for energy to heal...no food, no energy, no healing. Even on her walks, she tires very quickly....which to me, is a food/energy thing.

So, at this point, I think she's not eating pretty much out of spite. I know people say dogs don't show "emotions", but this one does. I think she's depressed and doesn't understand why she's back in her cage and can't get on the couch or snuggle in bed with us. It's not her fault, but she doesn't know that. We are giving her more "freedom" around the house now. As long as I'm in the house and can watch her, I'll leave her cage door open so she can come and go. She knows she's not allowed on the couch, but I wouldn't trust her not to try if I wasn't watching her. And for the most part, she'll come out and lay down by the couch or on her bed, or even just chill in her cage. I'm also letting her have more freedom outside offleash. I know you are not supposed to let them outside offleash for fear that they'll take off running or playing...but seriuosly, I don't worry about that with Harley. All she does is walk the yard and for the most part, just sit on the steps and enjoy the fresh air. I can see a difference in her mood and personality with the freedom.

She's obviously still not right yet...we still have a long road ahead of us. I just want her to be better. She was kind of walking stiff yesterday and my demented brain told me she was limping on her other leg.....my worse fear is the other ACL tearing also, which is a possibility. But DH says I'm crazy and that leg looks fine.

Here's some pics over the last couple of weeks.

This was day 2....December 17th. She never really did swell all that much or bruise. I gave her Arnica Montana (homeopathic remedy) and I think it really helped.