Postoperative care after patellar luxation surgery is critical to achieving good welfare outcomes, requiring careful restriction and rehabilitation to allow healing and restore function.
Patellar luxation surgical recovery requires significant welfare management to achieve good outcomes. Postoperative pain is expected and requires multimodal management to maintain comfort during healing. Activity restriction necessary for bone and soft tissue healing creates behavioral frustration in active dogs who feel well but must be confined. The temptation to allow premature activity when dogs appear comfortable must be resisted, as early activity risks implant failure and poor outcomes that would require repeated surgery. Rehabilitation therapy that provides appropriate controlled exercise within recovery constraints reduces frustration while promoting healing. The welfare investment of proper postoperative care is substantial but produces return in restored pain-free mobility that justifies the effort.