700 EAST IRVING PARK RD • ROSELLE, IL 60172
PHONE (630)307-9115 • FAX (630)307-9114
PARKROSEVET.COM
ACL Repair Postoperative Care
What to expect at home?
When you pick up your pet at the hospital, your pet
may either be groggy or may act completely normal.
Each pet reacts to anesthesia differently. It is not
abnormal for your pet to want to rest for the
remainder of the day.
Please monitor your pet at home for the following
tonight:
 Constant vomiting or diarrhea
 Inappetance
 Extreme lethargy
 Pale gum color
 Labored breathing
 Unusual behavior
If you observe any of these, please do not hesitate to
call us back at 630-307-9115. If something occurs
after our normal business hours, please contact an
emergency hospital immediately.
Feeding Instructions
You will want to wait a couple of hours upon
returning home to feed your pet as they may still be
nauseous after anesthesia. Eating or drinking too
much or too fast may cause your pet to vomit. Only
feed ¼ to ½ the normal amount of food that night.
You may offer your pet small amounts of water
when they arrive home. You should be able to
resume feeding the normal amount the following
day.
Medications
Your pet may have been prescribed pain medication,
antibiotics and a sedative. Your nurse or doctor will
explain how to administer and how often to give
these medications. Please follow directions as
indicated. Do not hesitate to ask us questions
regarding medication or any other inquiries you may
have after your visit with us today.
The most important things
1. Limit activity—no running, jumping or playing for
2-3 weeks. Short, controlled leash walks only to
allow your dog to eliminate.
2. Absolutely no licking of the incision area is
allowed! To prevent this, we recommend that your
pet wears a properly fitted E-collar (cone) after
surgery. Licking the incision area can lead to an
infection. A pet can also pull out stitches easily which
can lead to much more damage.
3. Your pet will have a bandage placed on the
affected limb. Keep the bandage clean and dry. If the
bandage gets wet, it can create an infection on the
surgery site so if this occurs before the bandage is
due to come off, please bring your pet back to the
hospital to have the bandage replaced.
4. No swimming, bathing or grooming until stitches
are removed at the follow up.
5. Once bandage is removed, check the incision daily
for any excessive swelling, bleeding or drainage.
Therapy
Cold compress and Warm Compress
-You will be alternating between a cold compress
and warm compress for 7-10 days.
-Start by applying an ice pack to the knee for 5-7
minutes 2-3 times a day. Place a towel between the
ice pack and skin (or wrap the ice pack with a towel)
for your pet’s comfort. Make sure that water in the
ice does NOT cause the bandage to become wet as a
moist bandage can cause an infection.
-Following a cold compress, apply a warm compress
to the affected knee for 5-7 minutes 2-3 times a day.
Again, if using a moist warm compress, be sure that
the bandage does NOT get wet.
ROM exercise
5 days after the surgery, you will start working on
getting your pet to use the affected leg more. Do this
by holding up the unaffected limb, forcing the dog to
stand on the leg it had surgery on. Hold this position
for 1-2 minutes, but understand your dog’s
limitations – if your dog feels discomfort before the
time required, stop the exercise and try again later.
Perform this exercise 3 times a day, gradually
increasing the time that your pet puts weight on that
leg.
Follow up appointments
-3-4 days for bandage removal
-10 days for suture removal