ACL injury TPLO update - Good News!

Honey had her four week check up and she got the highest marks. Her leg has full range of motion, it felt strong to the surgeon and he said she was bearing full weight on both back legs - in other words, she's doing really well. Yay! One more month serious rehab to go. (Then two of limited, on-leash rehab.) He said we could add a little more activity but he had a kind of why-mess-with-success approach, basically keep on track with what we're doing.

As anyone who has been through this type of injury (and others with long rehabs), it is very intimidating. You feel like you are doing everything wrong. "Am I letting her do too much?" is the main question. And, you can ask others - as I do on the Orthodogs Yahoo Group - but, every vet has their own advice, different surgery solutions take different amounts of time, etc. So, you waver between surety and sure you're doing everything wrong.

Right now I'm feeling pretty cocky. Continuing on her regime of four short walks a day, lower food intake, some games with treat rewards to keep the mind sharp and - the one thing I've done outside the vets recommendation is give her arnica montana - a popular homeopathic for healing. Although we're trying to heal the bone here, the tissue also needs help and that's exactly what arnica is good for. My sister is the knowledgeable one so I just follow her advice but, even when I've used it myself, I have seen the effects are very positive.