Day 12 after TPLO surgery

Ahhhhh. Life is the new normal, and everything is ok. I was terrified of the changes we were going to have to endure with Niko's surgery. Don't let him climb on the couch, he has to wear the cone 24/7, can't allow him and the other dog alone together, no walking up or down stairs, have to put rubber mats on all of the wood flooring and kitchen areas, can't let him go outside except for a few minutes at a time, has to be monitored constantly to make sure he's not doing something destructive to his injured area... on and on and on.

I 'm happy to report that the "other dog" loves the crate when we are gone. Niko could care less about the cone and just lifts his head when it's time to put it on, he's not interested in going up or down the stairs and the mats all over the floor provide a variety of sleeping areas for him.

The staples come out on Monday in two days and we'll move into the physical therapy stage of recovery. It really hasn't been too bad at all. His incision is almost totally healed and his hair is growing back and he's occasionally starting to use his leg to stand on and sometimes to walk on.

I have to admit that preparing the house was the best thing I did. When he came home from the surgery center, everything was ready and all I had to do was give him lots of love and attention - that part was easy.