Day 9

Today has been a slower day for Sampson. I wanted to stay on the cautious side because when he woke up this morning he seemed a little stiffer than in the previous days. This could be due to the fact that he slept soundly through most of the night, only stirring a little bit, so his leg may have stiffened up a bit without our usual midnight walk. I gave him a good massage and did some small leg movements with him, and after that he seemed to be back to normal and was ready to head out the door for our short morning walk to the mailbox. We were all caught off guard and jumped a little when we came upon three pheasants just inches away. I'm not sure who was more startled but we jumped and they flew off high through the trees making more noise than you would expect of three birds. I was a little worried that Sampson may have jumped as high as I did so we made our way very slowly back home.

After checking his incision and seeing that it seemed to heal even more during the night, I decided not to take any chances so it was another bone chewing afternoon and only two short walks to do his business.

He made a few successful passes on his new ramp. It should really help when he gets in and out of the vehicles, but for now it seems he doesn't see the point in using the ramp when there are two perfectly good stairs right there. That will be something we continue to work on.

Overall a good day, looking forward to getting past the ten day mark then our big check up with the vet on day 14! I know we are doing everything possible to make sure the recovery is a success, but I still get nervous. All we can do is give it our all!

Day 8

Today has been a little bitter sweet. Our temperatures skyrocketed from 32* and snowing a few days ago, to nearly 70* today! Blue, sunny skies and warm temperatures would normally be a day to be celebrated and taken advantage of by engaging in any outdoor activity, however, with a dog recovering from ACL surgery, it means you get to sit out in the sun with a good book in one hand and a leash in the other. Sampson is a fairly relaxed dog, at least in comparison to his energy level of two years ago when he had his first surgery. He loves sleeping in the sun with his brothers, occasionally snapping at the bees that disturb his nap time.

The only down side of today was that with the sun and warm temperatures came lots of activity with kids on bikes going up and down the street and other neighbors walking with their dogs, and whenever anyone or anything passed down the street it would set off the choir of dogs in our area, and Sampson would of course want to jump up and see what all the commotion was about. Those lunging motions to get up quickly are the scariest thing I can think of him doing at this stage in his recovery and I knew I had to avoid this temptation. So we ditched the book and the sunshine and went inside with all three dogs and they were duly rewarded with frozen marrow bones. These bones have been a saving grace for me not only during this recovery, but on those rainy days or long road trips. They are a great distraction and are a "normal" activity for dogs.

Here are his two brothers waiting patiently for their bones. They have been great sports and don't seem to mind the rehab process as long as they get their treats too.

His incision is closing and healing nicely. His desire to lick it and the loss of the pink color in the skin mean it is healing as it should be.

We only have another two days of the anti-biotics and pain killers. I have been told I can use the pain killers beyond that, but it is my hope that he will not need them beyond the standard ten days, especially since he has figured out how to lick the peanut butter off of the pills and spit them out, but still eat the cookie that I attach them to. Giving him his anti-biotic last night was like feeding brussel sprouts to a five year old. I had to be impressed by his ability to make his way through my five attempts and several cookies later, until I finally just opened his mouth, and tipped his head up until I heard him gulp them down. He may be down, but he is still one clever canine.

Day 7

It's been one week since Sampsons surgery and the recovery process appears to be going smoothly. We had a good night's sleep with only two quick potty breaks and after that he rested soundly until 6am. Last night when he went to sleep I was a little concerned with his incision. It appeared to be getting pinker throughout the evening because he kept wanting to lay on that side, but a good dose of the bitter spray kept him from licking it any further and seemed to change his mind about wanting to lay on it. This morning when I woke up I heard him licking at it, so I quickly jumped up and applied more bitter spray. I noticed it had closed quite a bit and lost that pink color. I know this is the stage where it gets itchy as the skin forms together, so I anticipate that as my challenge for the next few days.

His posture during the short walks is looking great. He is slow and steady and continues to place even more weight on the bad leg, using it as he relieves himself. When he wakes in the morning or gets up from a nap he doesn't appear to be so labored as he stands up.

Even with a house full of dog beds he still opts for the comforter while resting his head on the coffee table. I wish I could be this comfortable while sleeping on the floor.

At this stage I am happy with his progress and keep my fingers crossed that we can stay on this path!

Days 5 - 6

Day 5 - I had some hesitation in using the extra medication for Sampson, but after dinner he once again began his pacing and appeared to be struggling to find a comfortable position in which to lay down. I waited until bed time and gave him the extra medication and I was so glad I did. I fell asleep with him on one of the dog beds while massaging his back and the sound of his gentle snoring lulled me and the other dogs into a deep sleep. He only stirred twice that night, needing to go out to the bathroom, and sniff around in the snow a bit, but other than that he came back in and cozied up next to the couch so we were able to get a fairly peaceful nights sleep.


The next morning he woke up a little sore, but within a few steps was putting full weight on the bad leg and during his short morning walk he actually stood on the bad leg while he relieved himself. He is slowly getting back to the same old Sampson, just not liking the baby gates at every turn blocking him from going up and down the stairs.

His brothers are patient enough, but overall it is a bit of a juggling act getting everyone exercised without too much excitement.

Day 6 - It continues to snow and while it makes great sleeping conditions when Sampson is inside, he is one of those dogs that LOVES the snow! Loves to run in it, play in it, and throw it up in the air and catch it. So today was a little challenging on our walks to hinder the puppy play. The thing I remember from days 5 - 6 on the surgeries with his other leg, was that the incision appears to be tearing when it is actually healing. It is hard to look at because it looks so painful, but after speaking with my vet, I am confident that this is a sign of healing. I am continuing to saturate a small cloth with the bitter apple spray and it is really helping to quell his urge to lick at the wound. We have had a good day and look forward to another [fingers crossed] quiet night.

Days 2-4 Recovery

The first day I brought Sampson home was probably the easiest so far. The other dogs were out of the house for the day and he was still rather sleepy from the surgery so he cozied up to me on the camp mattress set up in the living room and we took turns napping away and icing the leg with frozen peas. In the past this was part was a real challenge, but this time around I massaged his back and neck while holding the frozen peas on the surgery area and he didn't seem to be at all bothered by this. He slept through the first night without any issues.

Day 2 - Sampson was obviously feeling better today and to have the other dogs around put him back in play mode. He was already putting weight on the back leg so we decided to try a very slow walk to the mailbox. It worked out really well. Once out of the driveway they all got in their normal walking rhythm, but we kept it slow and easy. We continued the day this way, with lots of little breaks outside and an occasional slow walk back to the mailbox. It was all seeming pretty routine and as normal as can be expected.

Day 3 - Sampson was appearing to be a little restless, taking more caution in how he would lay down for rest. The camp mattress didn't last long so that was replaced with five dog beds, comforters and sleeping bags set about the living room so that he could lay down anywhere for a little rest. The other dogs loved it, the only one that didn't seem to take to it was Sampson. The problem was that he had begun to favor the back right leg throughout the process of the previous surgeries on the right leg. To watch him try to lay down was like watching dog gymnastics. He would hold himself up by his front legs and swing his back end from side to side while trying to figure out how to lay down comfortably. It was hard to watch and no matter what I did to help out it only seemed to make it more difficult for him. That kind of restlessness lasted throughout the rest of the day and when night time came around he began pacing around the house with even more frustration. It was a long, sleepless night for everyone, because the only way to settle him for any length of time was to take him outside for a quick potty break and then do some massage on his back. Luckily I had stocked up on a good supply of frozen bones and those got us through the night.

Day 4 - After a sleepless night, it was looking good that Sampson was going to rest up and relax a bit, but those hopes were short lived. He was obviously ready to head out the door so out we went. We ventured a little further than the mailbox and again he was walking really well, at a nice, easy pace. At this point the knee area was looking really good, no redness or obvious swelling, and he was letting me do some slow stretching with leg and seemed to almost enjoy it.

From the previous surgeries we learned how priceless "Bitter apple spray" was to prevent licking the area that had stitches / staples. It saved us again. When dogs undergo this surgery they must shave such a large area and in the days that immediately follow and the hair starts growing back in, that is when he became almost fixated on the entire leg and would want to lick and bite at the leg incessantly. The only problem I found with the spray was that it was cold and kind of shocking to him on the bare skin, so I have started putting it on a warm cloth, then dabbing the entire leg with the saturated cloth. It has worked great this time around and has deterred that licking behavior that can sometimes reopen the wounds. What I found so funny about this day is that I had almost covered the floor in large, puffy dog beds and comforters and found it funny that his place of comfort turned out to be a small, oval rug in front of the kitchen sink. As long as he was resting, it really didn't matter where he chose to lay down, as long as he was relaxed. I had called the vet during the day and told him of Sampsons restlessness the previous two nights and he gave me a slightly stronger pain medication, and assured me this was not going "sedate" him. So when ten pm rolled around I gave him the new pain meds with his favorite cookie. We started off on one of the doggie beds with a little leg stretching and massage and by 11pm he was resting easy and didn't wake until 1am for a potty break and another at 4am. Even though this was another night of broken sleep, it felt heavenly and we all woke at our normal time of 6am with a short walk to the mailbox. It started snowing as we walked so the dogs had no problem coming back in the house and cuddling up on their warm beds. With bloodshot eyes, I am hoping that the day ahead will be one of rest and easy walks.

Sampson's Story - ACL Surgery

On April 2nd, 2010 My big, goofy, Marmaduke like, 4 year old rescue dog named Sampson came bounding the stairs on Good Friday to let me know how excited he was that he found me down there and he would be ready for his walk very soon. As he and one of the smaller dogs [Olu] fought to make it to me quicker by jumping on the couch simultaneously I heard "the cry". I had never heard him whimper or cry like that before and my stomach sank as I knew immediately what it meant. He knelt down at the edge of the couch, ears back, looking at me with big eyes as if wondering if he had done something wrong. Olu even became nervous with the sound of the cry and stood by his brothers side until we were all calm.

I knew what had happened because two years earlier in the spring of 2008, almost to the date, Sampson had his left ACL repaired. In that situation it was a slow tear that resulted in weeks of occasional limping until we finally realized that this was more than just too much time on the trails. After a visit to our amazing vet we were given our options and with an incredible amount of information he told us we could and should get a second opinion as well as do our own research and compare that to the information he had given us. Ironically some good friends of mine had just begun the process with their Australian Shepard mix. He was going in for TPLO and so we shared information about the pro's and con's of the whole process. Luckily I was working from home so I would be able to attempt to keep things as normal as possible during his recovery. The surgery was quick and he did really well during the first stages of recovery. Short leashed walks, ice packs and motion therapy, he showed lots of patience and seemed to be doing well with all of it. It was with in the fourth week that I started seeing him limp a little more than normal on the bad leg, and within a few days he was back to only touching his toe to the ground. It was at that check up that we discovered that the surgery did not take, and we had to reschedule for another within two weeks and start the whole process over again. To make a long story not quite so long, this happened another time leading us to three surgeries within a five month period. It was agonizing for all of us, mostly the dogs that were missing their normal summer activities and the ability to play freely with each other. We are a three dog household so the hardest part was just keeping them from playing with each other in the normal way that two year old puppies will do. The whole process had started in mid March with snow and ice still covering most of the ground and we did not achieve a comfortable routine with Sampsons new knee until late September. From that time he recovered beautifully and we eased him into the longer walks, swimming in the lake and a little more open play in the yard. We thought we had seen the last of the vets surgery room.

When the initial tear happened this year I thought that there was no way we could go through it again, that I could attempt to contain his energy as well as the other dogs, keep him confined and separated from the rest of the house all over again. The vet had told me he had an opening within the next week and that we could get in right away but he knew of our concerns from the previous surgeries. Let me add here that this veterinarian is incredible! He is personable, sincere and leaves the decision making to you with all the information you could possibly want. He felt so awful about the previous surgeries failing to take properly that he did the last two surgeries at no charge. And let me add that to this day that whenever I turn on the road that leads us to the town where the vet office is located Sampson starts letting out little barks and by the time we pull up to the office he is jumping out of the car to run inside! Even the staff can't believe how much he likes it there after all he has had to go through, so clearly they are treating him well and providing care and compassion in what otherwise could have been a horrible experience.

After some very serious thoughts on every aspect of it I decided to go through with the surgery.

He went in on Thursday and I was able to pick him up on Friday. Your heart just breaks when you see the shaved leg and the stitches and the fragility of an otherwise happy, bounding dog. We have turned the living room into "Camp Sampson" with dog beds at every corner, and baby gates set up to block off stairs and other temptations.

I had some great advice given to me through the blogs that were posted two years ago when he had his first surgery and I was so grateful for that information. I hope this blog will help anyone else going through, or considering this surgery for their dogs.