- Location
- Wellington, NZ
That's more than a puddle, that's a blooming hole filled with water! I do love how you gave it a very wide berth 
Otter's Journey....
- Thread starter Beanwood
- Start date
Awww, that's so sweet!
Beanwood
Administrator
Yes, and that is precisely the spot last week where I fell straight in... It just looks like grass until you get right up to it.... this time though, no Benson to distract me.. plus I had sensibly detached Otter from her long-line. Water skiing was never my forte!!!.That's more than a puddle, that's a blooming hole filled with water! I do love how you gave it a very wide berth
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Hehe, she's having a blast!
Beanwood
Administrator
Balance Work
Otter is now 102 days post op. All the data, admittedly it is limited, however, suggests that optimal effects of a "slow TPLO" will be seen aprox 100 - 120 days after the operation. This outcome does depend on a few factors, one being the initial tibial angle. Otter's next appointment has been brought forward to next Wednesday, mainly to check out the external rotation in her tibia and to evaluate if we need anything in terms of further surgery to correct this/and or stability in her stifle.
In the meantime, a video of Otter working on her balance. This exercise puts the weight on her hind legs, I used a pot to elevate her front, and the wobble board encourages use of both back legs. Just being in this position works those thigh muscles. I ask for a stretch, neck forward, and then head side to side, this works both sides, as well as moving weight over her "affected" side.
Otter is now 102 days post op. All the data, admittedly it is limited, however, suggests that optimal effects of a "slow TPLO" will be seen aprox 100 - 120 days after the operation. This outcome does depend on a few factors, one being the initial tibial angle. Otter's next appointment has been brought forward to next Wednesday, mainly to check out the external rotation in her tibia and to evaluate if we need anything in terms of further surgery to correct this/and or stability in her stifle.
In the meantime, a video of Otter working on her balance. This exercise puts the weight on her hind legs, I used a pot to elevate her front, and the wobble board encourages use of both back legs. Just being in this position works those thigh muscles. I ask for a stretch, neck forward, and then head side to side, this works both sides, as well as moving weight over her "affected" side.
Candy
Biscuit Tin Guardian
- Location
- West Yorkshire, UK
I love to watch her Otterpottering!
- Location
- East Sussex
To a lay person her gait looks completely normal - do hope the vet thinks so too. (And you have frost!)
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
She is looking grand to me , I wouldnt have been able to tell which leg had been operated on if I didnt know . Well done for a massive effort , and I am very envious of your frost x
Jacqui-S
Moderator
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
She looks amazing to me too x
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
She does indeed. We had frost as well Kate, but it soon went and it has been a dull, cold rainy day. Mud, mud and more mud!
Looking good
Beanwood
Administrator
Thank you for asking! I am feeling a bit "meh" about Wednesday tbh. I just don't know, however, if I look at previous videos, even in the last couple of weeks there is definate improvement. We need to be 1. Very close to neutral on that tibial angle. 2. That rotation needs to improve, and can this improve without surgery?Golly she’s a beautiful girl - what fabulous condition she looks in. And I love how she uses her ever-wagging tail for stability on the wobble board
How are you feeling about Wednesday?
Otter will have another sedation plus Xrays of her knee, if they Xray her knee and the growth plate is almost closed, then I will ask if he will Xray her hips too.
...Otter is NOT allowed off leading running. I also shouldn't have used the recall whistle, but calmly walked over to her....all my fault of course...
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
Can understand your heart being in your mouth, but easily done. Made Otter happy though 
Beanwood
Administrator
At rehab today..
Just a few notes for myself! Weight 24.4kg - .5kg gain since 30th October, although she is looking quite slim. Really detailed report sent to Andersons Moore in summary progress made but we still have a long way to go! Tamsin is quietly optimistic that we won't need another op.
Stifle feels good, although hypertonic and doesn't like to extend fully.
Just a few notes for myself!
Weight 24.4kg - .5kg gain since 30th October, although she is looking quite slim. Really detailed report sent to Andersons Moore in summary progress made but we still have a long way to go! Tamsin is quietly optimistic that we won't need another op.Stifle feels good, although hypertonic and doesn't like to extend fully.
Beanwood
Administrator
The BIG Ortho Follow up appointment today....
We leave early in the morning for our 10.15am appointment down in Winchester. I feel a bit queasy with nerves. A lot is riding on this appointment in terms of "where do we go from here?" Maybe I am more anxious than I need to be, I don't know. Otter has spent most of her life now with this injury.
In we go, we notice that Otter is much calmer, yes she is excited, but not in the frenzied panicked way previously...just err... frenzied! There were a couple of labradors in the waiting room, which she was desperate to say "HELLOIAMHEREMYNAMEISPOTHEAD!" Which is a far cry from the very anxious state she has been in before at appointments with AM.
Anway, cut to the chase. Otter has sedation and Xrays, plus the usual manual exploration of her stifle, a proceedure called the Tibial Thrust Test, this looks specifically at knee stability. Last time we were here, it was still a postive test - meaning there was still forward thrusting movement in that joint under pressure.
Andy brings us in to discuss the results.
We are over the moon!!!!
Tibial Thrust Test is negative....
Tibial Plateau Angle is 7%....it's enough though!
We are both so very relieved. We still have a long journey still of careful rehab to build muscle and modify the rotation, BUT no more surgery! AM also looked at her hips....off the record and all good there So he doesn't need to see Otter again, and so she has been discharged. We both couldn't be happier with the outcome, our brave, brave little Pothead. 
We leave early in the morning for our 10.15am appointment down in Winchester. I feel a bit queasy with nerves. A lot is riding on this appointment in terms of "where do we go from here?" Maybe I am more anxious than I need to be, I don't know. Otter has spent most of her life now with this injury.
In we go, we notice that Otter is much calmer, yes she is excited, but not in the frenzied panicked way previously...just err... frenzied!
There were a couple of labradors in the waiting room, which she was desperate to say "HELLOIAMHEREMYNAMEISPOTHEAD!" Which is a far cry from the very anxious state she has been in before at appointments with AM. Anway, cut to the chase. Otter has sedation and Xrays, plus the usual manual exploration of her stifle, a proceedure called the Tibial Thrust Test, this looks specifically at knee stability. Last time we were here, it was still a postive test - meaning there was still forward thrusting movement in that joint under pressure.
Andy brings us in to discuss the results.
We are over the moon!!!!
Tibial Thrust Test is negative....
Tibial Plateau Angle is 7%....it's enough though!
We are both so very relieved. We still have a long journey still of careful rehab to build muscle and modify the rotation, BUT no more surgery! AM also looked at her hips....off the record and all good there
So he doesn't need to see Otter again, and so she has been discharged. We both couldn't be happier with the outcome, our brave, brave little Pothead.