Orthopedics

You must have a referral from your primary veterinarian to schedule an appointment with our Orthopedics Service. Once the complete referral has been processed, our team will reach out to you in one to two business days.

Please continue to give your pet any medications prescribed to treat systemic problems, such as hypothyroidism. Medications for pain (aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like Rimadyl) should be stopped three to five days before the initial exam. If your dog is taking corticosteroids (such as prednisone or dexamethasone) or antibiotics, these medications should be stopped for a minimum of two weeks prior to surgery. If your veterinarian prescribed antibiotics for an active infection, these antibiotics should be continued through the day of the initial appointment. Always consult your pet’s veterinarian before suddenly stopping any medication.

Dogs undergoing evaluation for orthopedic surgery must be carefully screened, and a thorough physical exam, orthopedic exam, labwork, and radiographs (X-rays) must be completed before surgery is considered. If problems are detected during these tests, this might indicate that your pet is not a good candidate for surgery. If abnormalities are not detected during the initial exam and surgery is recommended, the procedure is usually scheduled for the following day. Please note that your pet’s surgery may need to be delayed so that our team can care for critical emergency patients, such as animals with fractured (broken) or luxated (dislocated) bones.

Most orthopedic patients are able to go home one to three days after surgery. Because orthopedic surgeries are major procedures, and may involve the cutting, movement, and stabilization of bones and ligaments, most veterinary orthopedic patients must be confined to a crate or kennel and allowed outside only on a leash for a minimum of four to six weeks after surgery.

The first category of post-operative care is care of the surgical incision. Most surgeons will place a compression bandage on the operated leg after surgery, which helps reduce swelling and protect the incision from the outside environment. If the bandage has been removed when your pet is sent home, the incision should be kept clean and dry. You should inspect the wound daily for signs of infection — which can include redness, swelling, pain or heat when touched, and fluid coming from the incision — for 10-14 days after surgery. We often provide an Elizabethan collar (E-Collar) for your pet, and although it may be cumbersome, it is critical that your pet wear the E-collar at all times for 10-14 days after surgery. Allowing your pet to lick or chew at the incision can cause major complications, such as an incision infection or dehiscence (the incision begins to come apart).

The second category of post-operative care is exercise restriction and rehabilitation. We typically recommend that your pet be confined to a small crate or cage and only taken outside for prescribed leash walks. The crate should be large enough for your pet to stand up, turn around, lie down, and have room for food and water. Confining your pet to a small area of the house such as a bedroom or a fenced yard/run is not sufficient confinement. During the recovery period, your pet should be taken outside four to five times a day for 15 minutes to urinate and defecate. Please take care to avoid walking the pet on slippery surfaces or long flights of stairs. Furthermore, running, jumping, and rough-housing with other pets is strongly discouraged. After the first four to six weeks of cage confinement, we will typically allow slow five-minute leash walks two to three times a day. These leash walks are increased by five minutes each week until they are 20 minutes long. Leash walks are continued until your pet’s recommended recheck appointment, at which time your pet will be re-examined using radiographs (X-rays) and an orthopedic examination. Based on these tests, additional recommendations are made regarding exercise restriction and confinement.

Specific rehabilitation exercises will also be recommended. These exercises typically include cooling the incision with an ice pack a few times a day and performing range of motion exercises for the operated joint and limb as well as other rehabilitation exercises tailored to your pet’s surgery. 

If your pet was discharged with a bandage, this usually means that the surgical incision or wound is not ready to be exposed to the outside environment. In some cases, bandaging is required for days or weeks after surgery. Depending on your pet’s specific injury and wound, bandage changes may be performed as frequently as every day or as infrequently as once or twice a week. In all cases, we recommend that bandages be changed by a licensed veterinarian. When applied properly, bandages are very effective tools and are essential in treating some orthopedic and soft-tissue problems. When applied improperly, however, bandages can cause serious injuries, such as pressure sores, open wounds, infections, and even loss of blood supply to tissues beneath the bandage. For these reasons, always consult with a veterinarian for bandage care.

If your pet has a bandage on at home, monitor the position of the bandage daily. If the surgical incision becomes visible, the bandage has slipped and should be removed or replaced. You should also prevent the bandage from becoming wet or soiled when the pet drinks from the water bowl or takes walks outside. You can cover the bandage with a plastic bag, exam glove, or a plastic bandage sleeve when going outside, but be sure to remove the plastic afterward. This prevents moisture from becoming trapped in the bandage and along the wound.

Most orthopedic surgery patients are re-checked four to six weeks after surgery, however, individual re-check dates vary with each patient. At the time of discharge, you will be provided with a complete summary of your pet’s treatment and a requested re-check date. In certain cases, such as for minor procedures, re-check exams and radiographs (X-rays) may be performed by your regular veterinarian.

Re-check appointments can be scheduled with the Orthopedics Service by contacting the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital Monday through Friday at 979.845.2351. Please call and schedule this appointment three to four weeks in advance, as appointments sometimes fill up quickly.