FAQs, Pre & Post-Surgery Resources

We would love for you to fill out a contact form about your pet. The more we know, the better. We will touch base once we receive this request within 24-48 hours to answer any additional questions and discuss the next steps.

Our TPLO surgery packages include everything the day of: pre/post-op radiographs, pre-anesthetic bloodwork, IV catheter/warm fluids, IV antibiotic/pain medication, NOCITA ™ (72-hour pain block injection), anesthesia monitoring, hospitalization, and oral antibiotics/pain meds to go home.

* An Elizabethan collar or Lick Sleeve® (we carry both in the clinic) is additional.

Our surgery packages start at $3600 and pricing can vary depending on the weight of your pet. To schedule, we do require a $500.00 deposit to hold your pet’s spot. This will be applied towards the surgery fee once completed. The deposit is non-refundable unless cancellation is confirmed by a staff member 72 hours before the day of surgery.

We are currently scheduling surgeries Monday through Friday.

We are currently operating out of a full-service veterinary clinic located in south Littleton (Roxborough area).

No! We prefer to have a diagnosis and X-ray images from your primary veterinarian, but if that is not the case, we are still happy to help. In this case, we will ask you to set up an appointment time to take X-ray images, evaluate your pet, and formulate a plan. Occasionally, to accomplish a complete and accurate diagnosis, a pet may need brief sedation to perform a thorough exam. Please feel free to reach out to us to schedule an appointment.

This is an excellent question. For the pet’s best long-term comfort, it is generally best to have the TPLO surgery done sooner rather than later. Having said that, allowing some time for inflammation to subside is often recommended. Waiting too long (several months to years), will negatively influence your pet's outcome, comfort, and function.

Pretty much unlimited! We have done TPLOs on the teeny tiny kiddos (5lbs) upwards to 200lbs+. If you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s size (or even age, lifestyle, etc), please feel free to reach out anytime!

It is the big day! Please have your Checklist completed 48 hours in advance (if you have not done so, please reach out to us for the pin #). We ask that you not give any food or water to your pet after bedtime. We require a pet to be fasted 12 hours before surgery. If your pet is on medication(s) or has a special diet, please check with us first. Check-in time is 9 am. We will answer any last-minute questions.

After your pet receives surgery, it is best to plan on 8-12 weeks of recovery time. In a nutshell, this includes:

• Leash Activity Only! This is critical!
• Avoid stairs, slick floors, jumping on/off furniture, etc. Only level and non-slick surfaces, please!
• No zoomies, dog parks, roughhousing, daycare, tug-a-war, etc are permitted during the rehabilitation time frame.
• No baths/grooming for the first 2 weeks after surgery.
• Additional requirements of the pet parent are listed on our Checklist.

Having a good rehabilitation plan is vital to ensure the success of healing. Mobility will be restricted for the first 8+ weeks, so please keep in mind:

• Having an area in your home that is secure
• please avoid slippery surfaces (tile, hardwood, etc). For outdoor activity, please avoid uneven terrain/surfaces, ice in the winter months, jumping in/out of the car, off the deck, etc.
• If your pet is crate trained, having a crate that is big enough for the pet to stand up and turn around in
• Block off any stairs- the pet should not be using stairs at minimum for the first 8 weeks

Your pet needs to wear a cone for the first 14 days after surgery. No ifs, ands, or buts! This is imperative! If you'd rather not do a cone, we offer lick sleeves, which you can purchase at our practice. 

We recommend an Elizabethan collar (we have seen pets get too creative with the blow-up donut, bodysuit, etc). We send one home with every pet on the day of surgery. 

If you have other pets, please keep in mind the rehabilitation guidelines! You will need to separate your kiddo who just had surgery from the rest of the pack. No roughhousing, zoomies, tug-a-war, etc is permitted for at least 8 weeks postoperative. This can be challenging for some pet parents, so please have a game plan before the day of surgery.

* We recommend getting your pet accustomed to their new routine ahead of time.

We accept Cash, Credit Cards, and Care Credit. If you have pet insurance, we recommend contacting them before the surgery date to ensure coverage, limits, etc.

We do not offer payment plans at this time.

We love to see our patients back. If our facility is too far of a commute, we understand. Please keep in mind that the staples/sutures will need to be removed 14 days post-op and a recheck X-ray should be taken 8 weeks after surgery.

At our facility, the suture/staple removal is done at no charge.

The 8-week recheck X-ray is $85.00 (includes the film and reading/evaluation from Dr. Devine).

Unfortunately, we do not have any payment plans available at this time. We require payment in full at the time of service.