Huckleberry-Finn's Total Hip Replacement (THR) - Part 3 (1 week post op)

Getting the phone call that Huckleberry was awake was genuinely a great sense of relief and I felt for the first time in weeks like I could breathe, this was going to all be okay and I would have my dog back to normal in no time at all. 

Following the call that he was awake, I was able to keep in touch with the night nurse team who said (and more than likely regretted) I could call at any time throughout the night. We had a little panic at 9pm when they said he was still in recovery due to him taking a while to regulate his temperature. I went into a mild (rather large) meltdown but I will be forever grateful that a friend from university, Ally, who is also a vet nurse called my vets and found out exactly what was going on;  then called me and relayed it all in blonde terms. Apparently it happens to a lot of dogs post surgery and Huckleberry's was nothing to worry about. 

I still didn't get much sleep, and was happy for 10:30 the next morning to arrive when it was time to leave to go and fetch him. 

We had gotten the living room ready that morning so he could come home and go straight into his pen. Dogs that have had Hip Replacements aren't allowed to jump up, run, or use any kind of stairs for approximately 12 weeks post surgery, so it's important to ensure the home set up is correct. 

I had decided I would put our spare bedroom mattress downstairs next to what would be Huckleberry's pen for the next few weeks. It's important to limit moving about for the first couple of weeks and although I didn't want him in a crate, I still wanted him secure and limited to where he could walk. 

For anyone going through this, I highly recommend the investment into human baby equipment! It comes without the hefty pet tag and I think I paid roughly £100 for a baby pen that is great. Because we have laminate flooring I also purchased some baby foam tiles that go on the floor to create a none slip surface, which I think were only £13. For when he's allowed more room, I've ordered 4 stair gates to go on all doors downstairs so I can then give him the whole (it's tiny!) living room to walk around. The photo below at the moment shows our set up, and once he's allowed more room, we'll take the mattress back upstairs, I'll sleep on the sofa and the pen will go around the sofa so he can't jump up. 

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Seeing him was something I was nervous about. I don't know why, but I had these ideas in my head that he would look different, or at least his leg would. I also genuinely worried he would hate me for having dropped him off and put him through this. But as he came trying to bound through the waiting room to me whilst the surgeons clinging onto the end of his lead, all of my apprehensions and worries disappeared instantly and I knew I had my boy back. 

We were invited into the room with the surgeon to have a quick chat and once again he answered my million questions (sorry if you're reading this - I promise I'll stop with the questions soon!). He went through all the do's and don'ts again of no jumping, no running, no going up and down stairs and only 6 x 5 minute wee breaks daily! Additionally we were sent home with a bottle of Metacam for pain, and a weeks worth of antibiotics. 

I had read on quite a few Hip Dysplasia and Replacement groups that many dogs are sent home on various amounts of painkillers, sedatives, with hobbles, slings and all sorts. I had expressed my concern to our surgeon that I didn't want Huckleberry sedating, especially not for 6-12 weeks. Thankfully he agreed with me and said he didn't encourage it neither which was refreshing! It felt a relief to have a surgeon on the same page as my thinking, and once again put my mind at ease that I'd picked the right person to do this. 

After that, we were sent on our way which felt fantastic but at the same time scary! The other half had said he would drive so I could put Huckleberry in the boot and then I could sit in the back and keep an eye on him. What I hadn't envisaged was how much of a nervous passenger I would be on that journey and how much I would panic. About 90 minutes into the journey I screamed "he's dead, pull in!" at one stage, because Huckleberry won't move. Turns out he was fast asleep.....and in a rather deep sleep! 

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Once home it felt like this huge responsibility was on me to get everything right, and not let anything go wrong. I realised that as much as you would like to follow the rules to a tee, there are times when you just know your own dog and you have to adapt to suit their needs. 

Post Hip Replacement they aren't really allowed to walk, but immediately it became evident I wasn't going to rewire Huckleberry and he wasn't going to start miraculously poo'ing in the garden after 4 years. By day 2 or 3 I had to improvise and carry him to a spot nearby I knew he would poo, and ta-da after holding it in for days, he poo'd and once home settled immediately. It was the same with wee'ing. It just wasn't happening in the front or back garden and it was stressing both me and him out, but as soon as I carried him to a nearby grass patch, he did tonnes and had clearly been holding it in! 

I was getting increasingly stressed reading the Facebook groups and reading I was wrong, or potentially jeopardising Huckleberry's surgery for letting him walk to wee, but genuinely there was nothing else I could do. It was either risk a UTI infection by him not going to the toilet, or take him a short walk and let him wee. It felt like I was and am stuck between a rock and hard place. 

Other than that, I haven't found it all so bad. I've had to sleep on the floor in his pen because otherwise he won't settle, so that's been hard. Lack of sleep combined with the stress and anxiety is ALOT! I've found myself snapping at people, and having very little patience. 

He takes his Metacam daily with ease, and I allow him to eat a bit of his afternoon dinner, then just squirt it into his mouth and he's a good boy. He takes his antibiotic with cheese or stuffed in some sausage - whatever's available really, which is a bonus! 

Personally I think the hardest part for me has been the anxiety and worry. Everything else hasn't felt too hard aside from trying to prevent him from jumping up. Once I realised each dog is different and it's important to remember WE know our dogs, not anyone on Facebook, then we know what to do for the best. I know everyone means well in trying to help, but honestly - it was sending my anxiety through the roof reading it all. 

Keeping a diary has been my saviour and watching progress videos from day 1 to day 7, and then when we hit the day 7 mark I felt a sense of relief that we had made it this far. The problem now is that Huckleberry thinks he's well, and wants to jump up and attempted to chase a pigeon this morning! Not ideal.... 

Anyway, so onto Week 2 feeling a mix of positive, anxiety and like I can't remember what sleep even is.... 

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Labels: Canine Hip Replacement , Cockapoo , Dog Hip Replacement , Dog Orthopaedic Vet , Hip Dysplasia , Hip Dysplasia Dog , Hip Replacement Dog , Huckleberry Finn , HuckleFinn , Orthopaedic Specialist , THR Dog