Pupdate on R - 3 weeks post-CUE surgery

When we were trying to decide about R's elbow surgery (CUE - "canine unicompartmental elbow"), I found that there was almost no information easily available on the web about the recovery from the surgery. Consequently, I thought I'd chronicle R's recovery both so that the Runner and I can more easily see his progress and for others who are considering CUE surgery.

It's been 3 weeks since he had the surgery on 4/15. For the first two weeks, he had a very stiff bandage that went from his shoulder down to his toes.

He was not allowed to be loose at all in the house. We kept him tethered or in a crate. Also, he couldn't be on slippery floors. We have hardwood floors so he wore dog boots with Vibram soles for walking indoors. He could go for very short potty walks, and he did not use his "bad" leg for walking. He hopped along on three legs. We kept a Ruffwear Webmaster harness on him all the time so we could help him using the handle between his shoulders.

At the 2 week mark, he got the bandage off, and some rehab could begin. He almost immediately started using his surgical leg albeit with a huge limp. He still cannot be loose in the house. He must constantly be tethered or in a crate.

At the 2 week mark, we started taking him for 5 walks of 5-10 minutes each per day. They had to be on smooth ground and very slow. R sure was happy to be outside a bit more!

We also started passive range of motion exercises, where we gently flexed and extended his elbow 10-20 times for 5 sessions per day. Last, we did some strengthening for his left leg by rocking his body gently toward his surgical leg so it bore more weight. After his walk/stretch/strengthening exercises, we iced his elbow. His range of motion improved hugely over the third week. However, his elbow still looks very swollen.

He's still on lots of meds - pain meds, sedatives, and nerve pain meds. He can't take anti-inflammatories because his liver enzymes have been elevated recently.

I am not sure how much his gait improved. That's part of why I recorded video of him walking. We can look back at it in future weeks to see how his gait is changing. Here's a short video about his progress and showing his gait. You can watch it here or at Youtube.

Today, he's spending the day with our vet having ultrasound, acupuncture, and other PT things done. We'll be given our rehab instructions for the coming week, hoping that he keeps improving!

Happy Friday!