Well if there’s one thing I can say about our little Daisy, it’s that when she does something, she REALLY does it.
The surgeon called me after her surgery yesterday and said that she not only tore the ligament clean through, she also tore the meniscus (the disc that cushions the knee joint). He said the surgery went well, but she’ll have to be inactive for two months.
TWO MONTHS. INACTIVE FOR TWO MONTHS.
Keeping a springy little Havachon inactive for two months will be like trying to keep champagne from exploding out of the bottle. Thank God Daisy likes being in her crate, because there’s no way we can leave the house without putting her in it so she won’t jump on the furniture or run around like a nut when she hears something.
The surgeon said they had to remove the meniscus as well the damaged portion of the ligament and replace both with artificial parts. He said because they did the surgery so quickly – within 24 hours of the injury – and because Daisy’s so young, there’s a good chance that she’ll heal completely. Ninety percent of dogs do. But if she re-injures it, he said, “that’s a different story”. Yikes.
There’s also a 50/50 chance that she’ll get arthritis because of this injury. He shocked me when he said it could show up in only 4-6 weeks! We’re praying that doesn’t happen. Daisy’s only 3 years old, and I’d hate to think of her aging with worsening arthritis from such a young age.
We’re waiting for a call from the surgery this morning telling us we can pick Daisy up this afternoon. I’m a little nervous about caring for her to prevent her from injuring herself further, but mostly I can’t wait to get her back!
I snapped this picture of Daisy just before DH and DD left for the vet. I can see the difference in her expression – she looks sad, scared, and confused. (Maybe only a mommy would see the difference!)
Poor broken little Daisy.
We’re taking this as a positive sign – we got an early snow today!!
A beautiful November snow!
Everyday Adventures in Havachon Heaven 
Oh Daisy, two months of no activity?! How are you going to manage that, it’s just not fair! On the other hand, at least it’s not summer and you can look at all that beautiful snow outside while cuddled up nice and warm. Feel better!
Thank you Katie! I’m waiting to hear from the vet to confirm that we can pick Daisy up today. Fingers crossed – I’ve got some MAJOR cuddle time carved out for her! 🙂
So glad the surgery went well, good luck with keeping Daisy calm for two months, lots of TLC and treats in store for her I ‘m sure.
Ack…it won’t let me comment. Here is what I tried to say Two months will go quicker than you think. Surgery is always harder on the people than the dog, so I hope you do fine with it all. I also hope Daisy heals fast and well. Keeping our paws crossed.
Thanks,
Mary Hone and of course Roxy and Torrey
Be sure to read our blog Roxy the traveling dog
I sure hope so, Mary! Right now, it sounds like it’s going to be a tough haul, especially since we’re going into the holiday season and things are about to get awfully busy. Sometimes anticipation is worse than the actual event; I hope that’s the case here. Thanks for your kind words and wishes. 🙂
inactive for two months sounds like Mission Impossible without Tommy Cruise, but I’m sure you can manage it. I still cross my paws that all goes well.
Thank you Easy. Yes, it IS Mission Impossible!! I just heard from the surgeon that Daisy can come home after 6 tonight. 😀 She’s responding well but still is keeping that back leg raised, so I imagine there’s some discomfort even though she’s on some pretty heavy painkillers right now. He said it’s normal for her not to use the leg this early, but we’ll have to keep an eye on how she progresses. Not even a question!
I cannot wait to see the cutest Cyborg Puppy of the Universe!!! The surgeons seem to be very serious specialists!
LOL Funny you should say that, I was thinking similarly – we’ll be getting back a Bionic Puppy! 😉 One thing we don’t need is for Daisy to have even more spring in her step LOL. Yes these surgeons are supposed to be very good – they actually had a “team” of five people in on the surgery, two of whom were surgeons. They never know exactly how bad an injury will be until they get in there, and Daisy’s was worse than they’d anticipated, so it was a good thing they took that precaution!
From another reason, Doodlebug was sentenced to inactivity for many weeks: http://loveandaleash.com/2012/02/08/hows-snickerdoodle/. Perhaps you could contact his mom for some pieces of advice!
Ooo thank you, that will help a lot!
Glad to hear surgery went well, that’s most important. Next up, lots of extra TLC. Good luck!
Thanks so much for posting the update – poor lil Daisy, I can tell it’s gonna be a challenge to keep her quiet for 2 months, lucky she likes her crate, I really didn’t like mine and it’s just sat in the garage now, hopefully I’ll never see the inside of it again!
Good luck Daisy, sending big fluffy hugs to you buddy,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
I’m so glad things have gone well with the surgery. There are lots of supplements to give Daisy to strengthen her joints and hopefully delay arthritis. You might consider reiki (learn to do it yourself or hire someone) to help calm, comfort, and soothe Daisy and yourself. She’s more likely to be mellow at home if you are too. Time for hot tea and lots of couch time for you both!
Those are great ideas! We’re very much into natural healing and I just happened to hear about a good alternative vet near us, so I’ll be taking Daisy there for sure. You’ve given me some wonderful ideas though, thank you!
My holistic vet was a life-saver for me and my mastiff that had sub-aortic stenosis. We gave her a much longer, healthier life with his help. And he taught me so much about being healthy, that my own is ease eventually faded into full and total remission. Good surgeons in a situation like Daisy’s are invaluable . But afterwards, those other strategies from the alternative vet can really make a difference. Sounds like you’ve got a great strategy! Daisy’s a lucky girl !
Thank you again! That just confirms our path forward in my mind. 🙂
We hope the recovery goes well, and the two months just fly by!
Thanks so much Julianne!
Oh, my two months is quite awhile and trying to keep that precious active little Daisy inactive is going to make it seem even longer. Will be keeping you all in thoughts and prayers as you walk this journey. Hoping that sweet Daisy enjoys her crate time that she will have and this will all go smooth and she will heal well with no arthritis. Sweet Daisy enjoy lots of cuddle time while you heal sweet girl. Hugs and nose kisses
Thank you so much Mag! Your words always bring me comfort. 🙂
Glad the surgery went ok, but two months off are too much for a puppy!
You’re not kidding! It’s an eternity!
When Cricket had her knew surgeries, she was pretty good at knowing when she was ready to put her foot down again. She was on pain killers and druggy when she first came home, so all she wanted to do was sleep. But now, she’s a jumping bean.
That’s so good to hear! Thank you Rachel! And I’m glad Cricket is back to normal. 🙂
I’m thinking that Daisy may know her own limits, to a point. I’m hoping that’s so. As much as we don’t like to think of her being in pain, some pain may be necessary for her to be subdued, which sounds like what the doctor has ordered. And looking at the beautiful early November snow, I think maybe you ALL need to rest. Whenever possible use Daisy as your excuse to stay home, do some sitting and recharging your batteries. You’ve had quite the year! Maybe you can end it nurturing Daisy, and she can nurture you in return. Whew! So glad she did well with the surgery. What an odd accident…you just never know!
When Daisy does something, she does it in style! It shouldn’t surprise you that she did more damage than originally thought – that’s our Daisy! Surgery seems to have gone well, now all you have to do is try to keep her quiet and stop her from jumping. You have your work cut out I’d say – just keep giving her cuddles all the time, that will do it! Speedy recovery Daisy girl.
Thank you Barb! We’re finding that the toughest part is helping her to get comfortable and not going to tears when she lets loose those pitiful whines. I need a much thicker skin for this….
I hope you get your dear little doggie home soon and I think you’ll be surprised how quickly the time goes by. Then she’ll be on the go again!
I’m looking forward to things getting back to normal. She’s back home, for which we’re very grateful, but it’s so hard to see her so uncomfortable and hear those pitiful whines.
Hopefully by now poor little Daisy is back home with you. I know it will be difficult to keep her inactive, but you have to stay tough. My Dad’s cat had to have heart surgery when she was under a year old and I was elected to care for her. I had to keep a kitten inactive for 12 weeks, (by inactive, I mean in the crate 24-7 and only out briefly to cuddle). Had to let her heart heal. It was tough, but she got through it and healed up really well. She turns 19 this year. 🙂 Best of luck to you! Feel better little Daisy!
Thanks so much. Yes, Daisy’s back home and, rather than the challenge being keeping her inactive, the challenge right now is keeping her comfortable. She seems to be at some level of pain or discomfort in between bouts of sleeping. She’s finding it hard to get comfortable because she can only lie on one side, no other position is tolerable. I think this may be a long ride…..
That’s wonderful about your dad’s cat – 19 is a nice old age! Sounds like you took really good care of her. 🙂
I’m a little late in posting comments. I’m so glad Daisy will be able to heal quickly. I didn’t know arthritis could be a resulting problem. Time to start using glucosamine. Are there any other preventatives?
We’re thinking along the same lines – I plan to take Daisy to a holistic vet once this is over to see if there are any supplements that can strengthen her joints, etc. We need to prevent this from happening to the other leg in the future.
She DOES look so worried. Two months!!! Rather you than me. 🙂
I have been extremely busy lately…now I have to catch up with Daisy’s progress.
I know what you mean by only Mommy can tell 😉
Poor Daisy…hope she won’t get too sad
hope dais’ is werll on the way to recovery now…shes so adorrable.
Thanks so much for your kind wishes. It’s slow going, but we’re seeing some steady progress and that’s what counts!
I don’t know if anyone else has suggested this, but you might try getting Daisy some green lipped mussel supplements. That’s an awesome supplement for preventing arthritis and symptoms.
Here’s a link about it:
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/green-lipped-mussels-dog/
Ooo thank you so much for the recommendation! No, we hadn’t heard about that, but we’ll definitely be checking it out. 🙂