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My dog had patella surgery. When will her post-op pain get better?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 3 years and 5 months old | 72 lbs

My dog underwent surgery for a luxated patella 4 days ago. The surgeon also performed a tibial transposition. The wound looks clean and dry and she is eating and drinking well. She is putting some weight on the surgery leg too, but she is sore. About how long does it take on average for the worst of the soreness to get better?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on June 18th, 2017

The overall recovery for this procedure typically takes 6-8 weeks. Most dogs show significant improvement after the first 2-3 weeks, but their bone is still healing in this time. Continue following Luna's vet's directions regarding the amount of rest or physical therapy exercises that she is to follow to help expedite her recovery. I hope that she's on the mend quickly! :-)

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on

    Poor Luna! She's had a pretty significant orthopedic surgery, so I'm not surprised to hear that she is fairly sore. Normally, the worst of the pain and soreness should resolve within 7-10 days after surgery. She should be much more comfortable after that, but will still need to be on very restricted exercise until your vet says it's okay for her to start being more active.

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    Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor Luna! These surgeries tend to be painful as bone and joints are manipulated. She should be over the worst of the pain after a week. If she seems very unsettled I would contact your vet as she may require stronger painkillers.

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