Anouk Update II
As promised, here is an Anouk update 1 week post-surgery.
The day we got home, there was a lot of whining involved. Never has she stayed the night at the veterinarian's office, or any night without a family member for that matter. I couldn't leave her side for more than a couple of seconds to fill her water bowl before she began whining in discontent. Dogs are fiercely loyal beings. I knew Anouk wasn't angry that she was alone, she was sad that we had been alone, and not together. It's amazing how much I had forgotten what life was like without a companion. I really can't remember what it was like before Anouk came into my life.
So more about the logistics of the surgery, Anouk had medial patellar luxation on her right, rear side. In other words, Anouk's knee wasn't sufficient enough to keep her knee cap in alignment, which in turn would make this sort of grinding, popping sound when she would walk. She is now on 4 different types of medications to help her heal, stay calm, and be as pain-free as possible. I've gotten a good list of questions from individuals, so I'll treat this like an FAQ post. Feel free to ask your own questions in the comments! My goal is to provide our experiences so that families who may need to undergo this surgery with their dog can have some information of what to expect.
Q: Does Anouk have to wear a cone? Aka, cone of shame?
A: Lol no cone of shame. For her particular case, Anouk is not wearing a cone. She didn't have biting issues with the sutures after surgery, but the minute she did or does, she will have to wear an Elizabethan cone or e-cone or, yeah, cone of shame. She does have a 10 inch incision on her leg, which we monitor daily to make sure it's looking healthy. A week later, I can cross my fingers and say it is healing well and we haven't had to scour Amazon for a cone.
Q: What is Anouk eating?
A: I ask myself this question every day, ugh. Anouk is being very finicky about food. She started off the day after surgery eating dry dog food with some canned food to supplement. Then she starting sticking her nose up at the sight of all of it. One night we had chicken and rice for supper, and decided to try that with her. She loved it, obviously. So now were doing a combination of rice, meat, and dry food until shes back to her old self. The vet tech recommended other items including scrambled eggs, which could be another option if you have a fussy pet.
Q: How are you getting Anouk to take her pills?
A: CHEESE. I kid you not. It works like a charm. Place pills in half of Kraft single. Roll into ball. Feed to Anouk. Cheese ball and pills gone in 2.3 seconds.
Q: How are you keeping track of all those pills?
A: I'm so glad you asked! See below, the Pill Log. When Anouk and I left the Vet, I immediately brainstormed how I was going to keep track of the pills, their times, what they do, etc. This also serves as a journal in case something were to happen where retracing steps was necessary, like an allergy, or bowel movement issues. Highly recommend the Pill Log.
Q: What is she physically able to do right now?
A: Not very much. Anouk needs a lot of rest in order to heal, so she is limited to very brief walks to go potty. No running, jumping, etc.
Q: When does Anouk get to be a dog again?
A: I completely agree. In 2 weeks, Anouk will have her stitches out, and the Vet will give us some more recovery info. Before surgery, he did tell us that it would be 6 weeks for a full recovery. It may be slightly less since she is so young, but we'll listen to Doc's orders once we find out.
Q: Our dog has the same thing! What should we know that you found out at the consult?
A: Interestingly, I learned that not every dog with medial luxating patella have surgery. There are some little dogs that are not affected whatsoever by it, and it ends there. For Anouk, it was clearly affecting her quality of life, so we chose surgery. Another consideration is post-surgical outcomes. Dogs who are crate-trained, have owners who will be very involved and diligent in care, and with the same routine every day will have much better outcomes than those who don't have these things. Your Vet will let you know if your dog is not a good candidate based on your answers to these items.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: This was not an easy recovery process, for Anouk or me. I joke that there should be accompanying meds for humans along with Anouk's. But really, there have been many nights where Anouk needed care, and I was up with her 3-4 times in a night. If your dog needs any type of surgery that is not life-depending, I highly encourage you to consider your family, home, and schedule. The timing of Anouk's surgery couldn't have been better since I was on break. Surgery is serious, and complications in recovery are even more serious.
In conclusion, Anouk is doing well. She's hanging in there and has been a really good girl. We're looking forward to making a full recovery and spending the rest of the summer outside. Again, if anyone has a question, write to us in the comments. Stay cool, friends!
Much love,
Shannon + Anouk