Rottweiler Health Foundation

My Rottweiler 'Nikki'
Dealing with Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy Surgery

Submitted by Lisa Duntley, Libra Rottweilers, Anchorage, Alaska

Nikki, (aka Libra's Little Nakita, NA, NAJ, NGC, NAC, OJC, CGC) is my Agility dog. When she came up lame in her left rear leg, I took her to my vet and later, a orthopedic specialist. I was told that her cruciate was completely torn and so was half of the menisucus, which is the cartilage between the two bones. Nikki's TPLO (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy) was done at the Puget Sound Animal Hospital by Dr. Engen in Kirkland, Washington on March 12, 2001. TPLO surgery is geared more towards performance dogs.

I wanted to share what is involved in Nikki's recovery and hopefully help others in making the decision to have or not have this done on their own dog. I can, at this point, HIGHLY recommend this hospital as all the staff that I dealt with were very animal oriented, happily answered my questions and didn't have any problem allowing me to visit during visiting hours for as long as I liked.

Photo: Nikki in her ex-pen "home"
Nikki in her ex-pen "home"

March 15, 2001 - I prepared an ex-pen area for Nikki that will confine her movement, and allow her to get proper rest and healing. This area will be her "home" for the next 6 weeks (see photo above). We got home late last night and she is doing very well. Not licking her stitches hardly at all and seems content to just lay in bed all day long.

	March 17, 2001- Nikki is taking this all almost too well. I think she is actually enjoying being waited on and sleeping 24/7! She hasn't really even attempted to chew up her bed like she usually does. I take her out about once every 6 hours to go potty and then again before I go to bed at night. I was worried at first that it took her so long to go #2 (once a day), but with her food cut back, she isn't having to go very much at all. Her physical therapy is going good too...she just lays there while her leg is iced and then worked and then iced again. Since the surgery, I've started seeing another tougher side to my soft, baby Rottweiler.
Nikki's leg showing the incision and bruising 3 days post surgery

March 19, 2001 - All the bruising is gone and Nikki is starting to feel more energetic although seems like the leg is still pretty tender. This morning during physical therapy, she seemed to twitch more like it hurt to do only slight movement whereas the day before we were doing a pretty good range of motion. Tonight was a little better, but I didn't try to move it too much. We've got plenty of time to progress!

March 22, 2001 - I have been doing Nikki's icing and physical therapy at lunchtime and then later in the evening. From yesterday at lunch to today at lunch, all the swelling has disappeared. Her leg looks so tiny now compared to the picture above. You can see right at the point the hair is shaved on her ankle, how swollen it is. Well, that's all gone now! Nikki is still being VERY good but is starting to get restless. She wants to charge out of the ex-pen when it's time to go out or after she's gone potty, she wants to run back to the house. Still 4 weeks to go before we start her walks though. Can you imagine being stuck in a space only big enough to lay down in, cut off from playing with your sister & brother or even being able to kiss them, for SIX WEEKS?!

March 30, 2001 - Nikki's incision is healing up pretty nicely and the hair is starting to grow back on her leg. I came home yesterday at lunch and found that she had decided to tear into her bed. She ripped up the cover on one end and a corner on the other end and ate a teeny bit of the foam inside. Of course, she ended up getting sick but Nikki is known to have an iron stomach! She's getting harder to keep calm and she's wanting to jump and run. Yesterday at lunch she tried to leap and let out a little whine when she realized her leg was not quite up to snuff. Poor Kita! Her 10 day post surgery check up went good.... Doc Riley said that he was going to call Dr. Engen and tell him he'd done another beautiful job! =)

April 6, 2001 - I am noticing how the surgery has improved her leg!! This morning, I told Nikki to sit and wait while I put her food in her bowl and she SAT like a normal sit! No rock back sits like she usually does. I was so pleased to actually see results. At about 3 1/2 weeks post surgery, she is starting to use her leg a little more when she is walking out to potty or around the house. Now, rather than locking her in that tiny little space, I've been putting her in her room and putting the baby gate up. Gives her a little more freedom and she isn't chewing up things. The bed cover my mom sewed for her is pretty much demolished now and I'd feel bad telling her about it.

May 4, 2001 - Nikki has had her 6 week post operation x-rays done through my local vet. They were sent to Dr. Engen's office and she was given the 'thumbs up' to start her block walks. One block twice a day the first week, two blocks twice a day the second week and so on, over the next 6 weeks. When they got done telling me that, I thought, gee...I never walked her that far when she was doing fine!! These block walks are supposed to build the muscle back up in the leg that she has very obviously lost since her operation.

The twice a day part is difficult for me since I do work during the day, but we'll try and catch up on the weekends. After this 2nd 6 weeks is up, Nikki is supposed to be allowed to go off lead! I'm sure she'll be looking forward to running and playing.

Because of the success of this surgery, I highly recommend it.


	Here's Nikki doing what she loves...agility!