How To Prevent Re-Injury To Your Pet After Surgery

If your dog has recently had knee or hip surgery, you're going to need to take good care of your furry baby so he can recover fully. Of course, you want him out fetching and playing in the yard like before, but you can't push it too soon, or your buddy will re-injure himself and be right back where he was. Allowing him plenty of recovery time is essential. Be sure to follow the advice or your veterinarian, and see below for helpful tips on how to prevent re-injury to your little buddy.

Give Him Rest

Give your fuzzy pal a nice place to rest. If he normally lays with you on the couch, or in your bed, you'll need to nix this for now. Your pal will need to rest on the floor for now, so give him a soft blanket or a cushy dog bed to lay in. If you just can't keep him down, you may need to either put him into a crate or close him off in an area of your home where he can't hurt himself such as in a kitchen or bathroom. 

Avoid Stairs

If you have a lot of stairs in your home, you'll need to keep your dog gated off to the downstairs area. If there are stairs to get in and out of your home, you may need to have a ramp put in for the time being. You can make one easily using a piece of thicker plywood and adding some indoor/outdoor carpeting to help with traction.

Limit Play Time

If play time was running after a ball, you'll need to stop that for the time being. You can still engage your pup in play without getting him too overly excited. Try giving him a new bone or a toy filled with a treat that your pup can try to get out. This helps give him some mental stimulation your pet may want, without too much rigorous activity that can cause him to injure himself again. 

Slowly Begin Exercising

After your dog has been cleared by the veterinarian and says you can begin exercising your pet again, you'll want to start slowly. Don't take your dog on a mile-long jog with you. Begin slowly with a walk around the block for a few days, then take a longer walk. Build up your dog's muscles slowly, and don't push your dog too quickly. On the same token, don't think that you can't ever run with your dog again. Get him outside again, and work your way back up to running, fetching and playing, but do so slowly.

Your pet will be the same after his surgery, but it will take time. Discuss your dog's recovery with a veterinarian like Animal Clinic Of Billings and follow their instruction to prevent re-injuring your furry buddy.