POD #1

We picked up Phoebe this evening, and although she whimpered most of the way home, she gobbled up her special dinner of wet food and rice, and took her medicines like a champ. When the Tramadol sets in we probably won't hear a peep from her until morning. Thank goodness for good drugs, eh? All in all, post-operative day # 1 seems to have progressed without much of a hitch for our little lab mix.

What exactly is a TPLO (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy)? We have been through this twice before with Oz, and the surgery has not changed over the past several years according to the veterinary surgeon. This is a good diagram:

As you can see, the entire angle of the distal femur and tibial plateau is altered by disconnecting the proximal tibial bone at the metaphysis, sliding the proximal portion down and backwards, and then plating the 2 portions of the tibia so that the bones heal with the new angle. Voila!! No need for an anterior cruciate ligament anymore! If you would like to read the full article, click on the following: TPLO and anterior cruciate ligament tear

Let's keep our fingers crossed for an uneventful night. Sleep tight, Phoebe, dear.