Kloeville

November 11, 2019

I’m a worrier and also an optimist and worry and hope have been omnipresent since Kloe’s Bi-Lateral Tibia Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) just over ten weeks ago.

It was sometime in April when we learned that Kloe had a torn CCL and then a few weeks later when she tore the other CCL. Because both tears were partial our vet suggested a wait and see approach. Wait and see if they heal on their own. This meant that Kloe would have to be held to almost zero activity in order to give these ligaments a chance to heal. They didn’t.

After four months of watching an waiting it was clear that surgery would be necessary in order for Kloe to return to normal activities and a normal of life. Our vet recommended the TPLO. Kloe is only three and a half and god willing has many more years of running, jumping, wrestling, and frolicking to experience. Without surgery she wouldn’t have that. At least not without pain.

Now, after ten weeks post surgery and observing daily improvement in Kloe, I have even more hope and reassurances although the worry is still there in the background.

The TPLO surgery is invasive and includes cutting a semi circle through the tibia and then repositioning the bone with a plate and screws.

We have the most fantastic vet and her guidance throughout the past six months has been invaluable. She told us to begin taking Kloe on short walks on flat ground at four weeks. Apparently this stimulates healing process in the bones. At eight weeks we began walks of increasing distance and also began a little up hill walking and a few stairs. The idea is to go slow enough to be safe but also to begin introducing normal activities. Most recently in the past few days we have allowed Kloe to be outside off leash under our supervision.

Play with sister Koda (the 18 month old) is still supervised and broken up when it get’s too rough or extends too long. But play has begun again and both Kloe and Koda are enjoying that to say the least.

It makes us so happy to see Kloe happy again. To see her smiling again. To see her go to Kloeville which is lying on her back with a ball in her mouth and just staring into the sky. Kloeville! Kloe’s old playful personality has reemerged and Puppy Poses are frequent.

Dogs mostly live in the here an now. But if Kloe could remember or realize all she’s been through in the past six months she would be very proud of herself for how far she has come. I know I am!

KLOEVILLE

TPLO

September 2, 2019

Golden Kali followers may recall my last post where I described our three year old Kloe’s condition: two torn CCL’s (cranial cruciate ligament) that after three months did not heal on their own as we had hoped. The TPLO (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy) surgery took place this past Wednesday and everything went as planned. No surprises, no complications, and a prognosis of full recovery over the next few months.

With surgery behind us the recovery period begins and Kloe’s condition should get better every day. The hardest part now may be keeping Kloe’s activity level to almost zero for the next four weeks. She will begin feeling better and stronger each day. After about four weeks we can begin to introduce more structured and supervised activities but no running, jumping, or play for at least 8 weeks or longer. Aside from a swelling and the trauma of surgery, where a semi-circle of the tibia is sawed, rotated, and secured back in place with an orthopedic plate, Kloe’s knees after four days are probably feeling better than they were before the surgery. For those interested in more info on the TPLO procedure you can get it here.

Dropping Kloe off Wednesday morning for the surgery was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. During the days leading up to surgery both Holly and I were stressed, worried, and didn’t sleep well. We trust our vet Dr. Tanya Jackson without reservation. The surgeon she recommended, Dr. Justin Uhl, has a lot of expertise with the TPLO procedure. Plus Dr. Jackson would be assisting him and by Kloe’s side the entire time. Still, when I worry about things outside my control I go to that dark place of unfounded fears.

What if the saw cuts through the bone got botched? What if Kloe had a problem with the anesthesia and didn’t wake up? What if during surgery there was an emergency like a major fire or earthquake and the building had to be evacuated? What if a giant fissure opened in the earth and the building, Kloe, and the doctors fell to the earth’s core of molten lava where evil monsters prey on canines? What if!

I kept mostly busy Wednesday but found myself looking at the clock periodically. The surgery was to take place about 1:00 and take up to two hours. At 12:30 I told myself that Kloe was probably sedated by now and therefore not too aware of things. At 1:15 I told myself that she was now under anesthesia so not awake or scared. At 2:45 I told myself they were probably sticking her up. At 3:30 the phone rang and it was Dr. Uhl.

Dr. Uhl told me that Kloe was starting to wake up and that the surgery went just fine. I asked him if she would fully recover and he said she would and be able to resume normal activities in a few months so long as we took good care during the recovery period. I wanted to ask him if there had a been any natural disaster warnings or if he had noticed a fissure opening in the earth’s crust but I though better of it and simply thanked him and hung up.

Dr. Jackson is the best. Around 9:00 that evening she called to give us an update. She was still at the office and had been sitting with Kloe for quite some time. She told us Kloe was looking more like her normal self, and staring into the doc’s eyes and pulling the doc closer to her with her paw. That’s our Kloe.

Kloe has been home since Thursday afternoon and recovery is going very well and has been a model patient. Each day the redness and swelling diminishes and her spirits elevate. She is starting to get up on her own and taking a few steps without assistance.

So, day four. We’ve got a long way to go but we will go as far and as long to get our Kloe healthy and back on her CCL’s, or feet as the case may be.

Resting comfortably first day home

Dr. Jackson after Kloe’s discharge

It looks worse than it is. Redness and swelling now almost gone.

CCL

August 4, 2019

The past three months have been challenging for our pack. Especially for Kloe!

Three months ago she was diagnosed with a partial tear of her right cranial cruciate ligament (CCL). This is analigous to the ACL in humans. Since this was a partial tear the prescribed treatment from our vet was almost zero activity except to pee and poop and monitor for improvement. After about six weeks of getting better she came up lame on the left leg and – yep – she tore the left CCL. So just as she was improving on the right to the point where short walks on flat ground would be ok she was back to square one!

Now after three months there has been limited improvement and after in depth consultations with her vet we have scheduled her for a tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomy (TPLO) which is a surgery performed on dogs to stabilize the stifle joint after ruptures of the cranial cruciate ligament.

That’s a lot of acronyms and tongue twisting words! There is also a lot of fear and worry. But there is also a fair amount of optimism that it is a pathway to get Kloe back to Kloe. A specimen of athleticism, muscle, and strength who used to run like a gazelle.

For the past three months Kloe has not been allowed to do much of anything as we were in our zero activity mode. Now it will be another three months of the same zero activity. Surgery is scheduled for the end of this month (August 28th) and then recovery and more rest time of 6 to 8 weeks after that (for starters..).

Rest rest rest! After all this is all over with Kloe is going to be the most rested dog on the planet!

Kloe’s eyes are often sad these days as she looks out the window longing to be out on her own. She perks up when we pick up the leash because she knows that means we are taking her outside. Sometimes to do her “business”. But sometimes to just sit on the deck or patio where she can smell whiffs of squirrels, cats, and other critters in the air. While sitting I see her eyes darting back and forth surveying what used to be her domain. Her world where she was free to run, jump, chase, and wrestle. But more recently a world she can’t be fully part of. It’s sad for me and we’ve both adjusted but I don’t want either of us to let this be the new normal. She’s much too young at three years old to make this her new normal!

I’ve resisted the temptation to go into the nitty gritty details about Kloe’s early symptoms, information about the TPLO surgery, or about other alternatives that were considered. Because this is not a medical or science blog. It’s a blog about my three girls Kali, Kloe, and Koda, and our collective life and experiences living in the mountains. But if any readers are interested in the details of the injury, or once the surgery takes place the surgery itself and subsequent recovery period, please feel free to comment here to this post or email me at mike@goldenk.net. I am not an expert by any means but I expect I will learn a lot over the coming weeks and I would be happy to share those learnings and related experiences with anyone who is interested.

Meanwhile, your well wishes, prayers, good vibes, chants, indigenous dances, or any other ways that you can send positive energy towards my sweet girl Kloe will be appreciated.

Kloe during healthier days.

Our sweet Kloe last week