Chocolate Labrador in crate post-op

Our TPLO Recovery Daily Routine, Week by Week

The vet hands you discharge papers, a Trazodone bottle, a Carprofen bottle, and a list of things to avoid. Nobody hands you a daily routine for the joints carrying the recovery work.

This is what we did. Twice.

Chocolate Labrador in crate post-op with discharge papers

The first 72 hours

The crate is the room. The cone stays on. The ice pack rotates: 15 on, 15 off. The bath mat goes by your bed because they will whine at 2am and you will be there.

You will not sleep that first night. Neither will they. The morning after surgery is the hardest; everything else is easier than that morning.

What we put on the counter the day they came home: the discharge folder, the prescription bottles, and the daily chew.

Weeks 1 to 2: confinement window

The crate is the room. Bathroom breaks are sling-walks only. Nothing on furniture. Nothing on stairs. The vet says no running. Nobody warned us "no running" includes hallway-sprint-because-the-doorbell-rang.

Owner using a blue support sling under the belly to help a Lab walk

The morning routine, day 1 onward:

  • Pill (per vet schedule)
  • Daily joint chew alongside breakfast
  • Sling-walk to potty
  • Ice pack 15 minutes
  • Crate

Two minutes for the chew. Same shelf as the coffee. Repeat.

Weeks 3 to 6: gentle movement

The post-op stitches are out. The cone comes off. The leash walks start: 5 minutes, twice a day. Then 10. Then 15.

The other knee is the watch zone. Keep up the daily chew. The remaining joints are doing more daily work than they used to, and the routine is the part you get to do.

Weeks 7 to 12: build-back

Chocolate Labrador walking on leash post-op

The 8-week x-ray. The vet says "looking good." You start the underwater treadmill if you have access. Walks build to 30 minutes. The daily chew stays on the counter.

The mistakes we made the first time

  1. We stopped the daily chew at week 8 because "the recovery is over." It is not over. The other knee is still doing more work for life.
  2. We let them off-leash at week 10 because they "felt fine." They are not fine. They are 60 lbs and 8 weeks post-op.
  3. We ran out of joint chews and ordered a new brand. Wrong move. Pick one and stick with it.

What we use: TROT, daily joint chew. 6 actives in one chew. See the formula →

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