Hello friends, furry and otherwise!
Millie here! I hope that you are having a great week so far. Its still cold here at MYOS HQ, but spring is right around the corner.
This week I wanted to talk a bit about TPLO surgery. It is a very. a common procedure for dogs, but one that requires some recovery time. What is and what does it mean for your dog?
TPLO surgery is one of the most common procedures in repairing cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tears in dogs. Think of the dog’s CCL being similar to an ACL for humans. It is estimated that over one million surgeries involving the knee are performed on our furry friends each year.
A dog’s CCL can weaken over time for several reasons ranging from your dog’s level activity to their age. If the CCL has become weakened it can rupture fairly easily. A CCL injury is the leading cause of hind limb lameness in dogs and can cause instability in the knee joint.
One of the most challenging parts of TPLO surgery can be the recovery process. Your dog’s activity level must be restricted to short walks on a leash with no running or jumping activities for 10-12 weeks. This is the period where a dog can loss muscle.
For the first 2-4 weeks, your dog should be kept on one floor of your home. After that, the use of stairs should be limited as much as possible. You can help your pet up and down the stairs with a short leash, harness, or sling. If you have stairs in your home, limit your dog’s access with a baby gate to prevent unsupervised use.
When your pet is alone, they should be restricted to a small area or a crate to limit their movement. Limiting your dog’s activity during this time is key to a successful recovery.
It is not uncommon for dogs to lose muscle mass during TPLO recovery. This happens when your dog’s activity is restricted and the muscles lose mass from lack of use. Adding MYOS to your dog’s diet during this recovery time has been clinically shown to improve recovery time and reduce the amount of muscle lost due to decreased activity.
