Cruciate repair recover advice please

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Nightingale

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My six-year-old GSDx had a cruciatre (traditional) repair three weeks ago.
He is already putting weight on the leg during his short walks, but it's not this that's bothering me.
He's a really active dog (we were doing 2-3hrs exercise a day before the op) and being restricted is driving him mad. He destroyed his new cage within 30 mins flat two days after getting home from the vet. So now he's allowed free rein of the ground floor of the house, but I can't keep him calm.
He runs everywhere, tries to jump on the sofa (he never did this before!), chases the cats and is generally behaving like an idiot.
I'm pretty sure this can't be doing his repair much good! Has anyone else had similar experiences? What did you do and how did you cope? Realistically, what sort of grief can a three-week-old repair cope with before it all goes horribly wrong?
Strangely enough, out on walks he'll be much better behaved and will walk calmly on the lead (he'll even do the slow walking as directed by the vet). I am taking him four times a day for about 100 yards each time...
Anyone been through anything similar?
 
Have you thought about hydrotherapy for him? It can get rid of some of that energy but also help with the repair.

Our Westie had an op on her cruciate just after Christmas; we started hydrotherapy with her about a month ago, and the improvement in her repair has been incredible :)
 
We will definitely try it. He did actually have a couple of swimming sessions before the op (there was a time when the vets thought he had a back injury, so he was having hydrotherapy for that), he didn't really enjoy it but we will go back. How long is it best to wait after the op, any idea? He's going for a check up at the vets in about three weeks, I could ask him about it then.
Glad to hear your westie is doing well - she should be near the end of her 12-week recovery by now - is she back to normal would you say?
 
He sounds like a smart guy so try and tire him out mentally as well. Look into clicker training, there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube etc on cool things you can teach him.
 
We are in week 8 of our lab's recovery. We had very similar probs to you, and the vet told us about a product called Zylkene. Its a natural calmer and has really helped, she's been much more sensible but hasn't lost her personality.

Our vet said that once they get to the 5-6 week stage they can't really do anything too bad to themselves. We tried hydro but it made her worse because she went mad in the pool. Our survival was based on lots of tiny walks and a ton of rawhide. Hang on in there, you haven't got long to go.
 
If allowed on short walks the vet may allow short hydro sessions.
Both mine where stars after their ops but all my dogs have been crate trained at one stage or another so my rotti crated for a week, then she was fine mooching around house and garden and my akita is peace it's own self, she was literally back in her kennel after her stitches where out (she hates being indoors) to hot.
I don't even attempt to walk mine for the 1st 4 weeks as I want as much restricted rest (esp mine being huge dogs) but the hydro I would start as early as possible it's obs less impact exercise.
Maybe ask to bring your 3 week appointment forward at the vets in order to ask about hydro.
Also lots of kongs/bones.
 
Hydro and mental stimulation.

Mine was fine in his cage after his cruciate op, I don't know what I'd have done if he'd not been calm.
 
There is another "calmer" called Calmex which may be useful. Its fairly new but has been useful in our practice for bonfire night and seperation anxiety problems. Its not a sedative or tranquiliser and is non prescription. Might be worth a try to take the edge off him!!
 
We don't really crate ours (although they are mostly crate trained) so we confined our cruciate patient into a smaller room away from the other dogs while we were gone to keep him quiet that way. While we were home he was allowed out of that room and in the room where we were but because we have other dogs who can take off running at the drop of a hat, we kept a lead on the patient at all times so that he couldn't do the same. It worked pretty well to keep him quiet despite the other dogs tempting him to join then in their shenanigans and he recovered well.
 
Brilliant - thanks everyone. In future, I will always crate train any dog I take on, it would have made this whole experience so much easier. However, crate training a highly-strung, hyper-active rescue in the middle of his post-operative stress period was not such a clever idea. He really hated it, I can't believe he didn't do himself any serious damage.
However, despite his best efforts we've made it as far as two weeks after the stitches came out (24 days after the op) and we were allowed to double his exercise today. Being allowed a bit more walking might help do the trick... It will be a case of seeing how he is tomorrow and whether the extra exercise has proved too much... If so, we go back to the shorter walks.
When you say 'tiny walks' how far were you going at a time? I am concerned we're doing too much too soon...
I've invested in a Kong and that seems to keep him occupied for a good few minutes at a time, so it feels like we're getting there.
Great advice everyone, thanks again.
 
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