Why is my dog's TPLO recovery so much slower than a person's?

Question

My dog just had TPLO surgery. I myself have had both knees replaced and both hips, I'm curious why is there such a big difference between people and dogs. They get people up and moving pretty quickly and for dogs, the first 4 weeks is almost no activity. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 5 years and 2 months old | 60 lbs

Sara Farmer, DVM · Accepted Answer

I believe the main difference is that dogs don't understand that they just had surgery. You can't explain to a dog that they need to take it easy, and if their pain is well managed (which is hopefully always the case) they will try to use a leg normally. A TPLO involves cutting the bone and then placing a plate, and a young exuberant dog can easily bend a plate or cause screws to back out of the bone running in the yard for a couple of minutes. Some surgeons will have owners do some physical therapy soon after surgery, but these are usually non-weight bearing passive range of motion type exercises.

Why is my dog's TPLO recovery so much slower than a person's?

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