Activity Postoperatively

Always follow the Discharge instructions very carefully. These are given to you when you come to pick up your pet and explained to you by one of our employees. Make sure you put these instructions in a safe place (such as on your fridge!), as this document contains information concerning the activity, medications, future re-visits, and more! These instructions are a great source of answers as your patient recovers.

Concerning Activity:Each case is going to be different. Recovery time will vary from patient to patient. Sometimes your pet will be ready to take on listed activity as instructed and other times it may take a little bit longer for your pet to reach that point. Just be sure not to push your pet into activity if he/she is not ready. And for those pets that think they are ready to take on the world in no time, make sure you do not allow this! If they are too active too soon, they may disrupt something from their surgery.

Sometimes a ramp is in order to safely maneuver over stairs or for loading up in the car. You can see in these two photos the best way to build a ramp and how to walk with your pet on the ramp.

Typical Instructions: 1. Remember to leash walk at a slow controlled pace. 2. Keep off of furniture/beds. No running, jumping, playing with pet pals, etc. 3. Keep to the level of activity specified by your doctor. If your pet seems uncomfortable or becomes lame as you increase the duration of activity, return to that comfort level they were at ease with. Over the next week, slowly work back towards that increased activity. 4. Some cases of at home physical therapy can be beneficial to your pet. Range of motion exercises can be completed carefully and correctly by flexing and extending the leg. In other cases, the doctor may recommend you take your pet to a veterinary rehabilitation facility. If so, our site has a link of a couple local places under “client information/resources” from our home page.

As always, please contact us if you have any Questions concerning their activity!