Recovering Nicely

This page is all about Tyson's surgery. We will be having pictures & videos showing his results & recovery. Our goal is to update it every couple of days. So please check back often.

This is in the waiting room at Metropolitan Veterinarian Specialists. We took his rug from the kitchen with us so he would have an easier time getting up.

Thankfully the exam rooms where big, we had plenty of room to move around. Speaking of big, Tyson weighed in at 185 lbs. WOW, much more than what we thought. When they weighed him at Ohio State they said he was about 165 lbs, so we are thinking maybe they didn't get an accurate weight. He did so good when the vet came in. We had to wait a couple of hours, the vet had to do a surgery before getting to Tyson. So we got to stay with him, instead of them putting him in a kennel.

Tyson is getting sleepy here. They gave him a sedative so they could get his x-rays & ready for surgery. He snuggled right up on his Papa's foot. When the nurse came and took him away, we just stood there, lost as to what to do. It felt so horrible having to leave him. They said it would take about 2 hours for the surgery, then they would call. What a long 2 hours that was. We were so relieved when Dr.Neat called to say he was recovering and the surgery went good.

This was Friday morning when we picked Tyson up. They left the dome on him because he didn't want to be nice & with his size, the staff didn't want to take no chances. With that being said, they hadn't taken his IV out either, & even considered giving him general anesthesia to do it. But instead his Papa said no, & volunteered to do it. Tyson let him do it with no problem. He looked so sad & drugged up, but definitely happy to see us, & ready to go home. What an experience that was. It was difficult to get him in the car & ten times harder to get him out. It took almost a ½ hour before we got him out. He didn't like the sling, & he wasn't using his hind legs at all.

They shaved the whole back half, and of course a couple of areas like where the IV was. He took a good nap when we got home. I'm sure he was relieved to be back. We were worried that he would think we abandoned him, like his previous owners did. He definitely doesn't want anyone going near his rear end at all. He gets very tense & uneasy. Can't say that I don't blame him.

This is on Friday, the day after his surgery. Compared to pictures I have seen online, his incision site looks really good. The stitches are inside, & so we won't have to go back for removal! As of right now, he doesn't move that leg at all.

The red area is bruising. His leg of course is swollen too.

The surgeons business card.

The grand total $3,553.00. What a bill. The vet said he had never done surgery on this big of a dog before. He said normally they use 6 screws to hold the plate in with, but because of Tyson's size, he used 2 extra ones for more stability.

Tyson loves his home made popsicle . We made it out of a grapefruit,banana,yogurt,and pineapple smoothie. He is so spoiled. He is doing great, the only thing is since he has been home, he doesn't care for his kibble..Probably a good thing, since we are watching what he eats now. Of course that starts after all of his special "recovery" treats are gone..

Summer loves to snuggle with her big brother. She hasn't had many chances to here lately. Way too scary.

6 Days after surgery. His incision looks wonderful!!!

For the most part, he doesn't bother it. Sometimes he licks his leg & ankle. It is still a little swollen, but has healed up rather quick.

This is a picture of some chocolate & cream cookies for dogs. My husband & daughter has always wanted to get these for our dogs, but they have garbage ingredients so we never did. Celeste said that since Tyson had his surgery, he deserved a special treat. They definitely are not good for his waistline. haha

Tyson is spoiled rotten & loving every minute of his snuggle time, which is a lot. He receives undivided attention pretty much all day long, but that is all okay, he is worth it. We are just so happy that when this is all over he will feel so much better and able to enjoy his life much more. He might not enjoy his diet that much, at that time, but it will be for the better.

2 weeks after surgery & Tyson is ready for the outdoors. He gets tired of being confined in the living room. He loves to soak up the sun. His sister Summer is ready for him to start playing with her again.

Thanks to the non-stop rain we have had, my house constantly smell like wet, stinky dog.LOL

Tyson sits down right in the mud. He has no shame. haha

This is of his fur growing back. It has been 7 weeks since his surgery.

Recovering Nicely

Posted by Crystal Palomino on Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tyson gets a little better every day. He didn't like the sling we bought him, so we use a blanket under him to assist him while he is walking in and out of the house & down the ramp. When he gets to the yard, we take it out from under him because he won't use the bathroom if it is there. His incision looks really good, the pictures I see online are really bd & bruised. He doesn't bother it too much, but occasionally will try & we just place a blanket on his leg so that he can't.

His sister Summer. has had a hard time not been able to play with him. Sometimes she seems so said just laying around, like she doesn't know what to do with herself. She knows something is wrong. We have let them snuggle up a few times, but we are very scared & worried she will hurt his leg.

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Recovering Nicely