Lilly update 5 weeks post-op

At Lilly's 4 week post-op checkup the vet was really pleased with the progress that Lilly has been making.  So much so that she bumped up our post-op exercises by a week even though her healing is probably closer to being 2 weeks advanced, she didn't want to over stress.
The vet did this check where she uses a plastic tool to measure how far Lilly is able to move her new joint and on the lifting her leg up Lilly scored a 25/25 meaning that's the best she could ever get as that is a regular joint movement.  On extending her leg Lilly scored a 150/160 which pleased the vet.

The vet recommended weaning Lilly off her pain meds, which I had already done because we had run out.  At the time I didn't really see any difference between her being on the meds or off, but now I'm beginning to wonder if I should get her some.  Of course seeing as the vet charged me 3 times what I can get them for online, you can see my resistance.

Lilly has been going in for Adequan injections and has one more of those left.  They are Glucosamine and some other stuff.  While a bit pricey I wanted to make the investment of the surgery have the best possible chance for Lilly having normal function when we're all done.  Yesterday the receptionist let me know that I can get a rebate on the shots once she has taken all of them.  It's only $20 but that's better than before.

The vet also recommended that Lilly start taking glucosamine supplements.  I went ahead and purchased those before Lilly had her surgery.  However, I got her the supplements at the grocery store.  When I told the vet this, she got a bit bent out of shape because ...well she told me that the supplements in the stores aren't regulated.  However, I know that the so called made for animals medications and supplements have even less stringent regulations and figured for a supplement saving money for store bought over the 3 times mark up at the vet's office wouldn't matter.  My SIL used to work for a vet and told us stories.

Thanks to my blog friend Leigh, I discovered that adding gelatin to Lilly's diet would also be helpful for her joints.  So I started researching how to get that into Lilly's diet.  At first I was just giving Lilly gelatin capsules, but those are pricey.  I looked at buying gelatin powder, but wanted to check out all my options.  I also looked into making gelatin from bones.  I found this one blog where the woman just keeps her crock-pot going all the time cooking down her bones.  I don't know if she just mixes all the bones she has or what, but that seemed a bit much if I were to have separate crocks going for each kind of bone.  I thought about just making and storing the gelatin...but I would actually have stock and that takes up space that I don't currently have since I have a small freezer and don't have a pressure canner to can and put in the pantry.  (maybe one day!)

In my research I found that Osteo Bi-Flex makes a combined glucosamine and gelatine powdered supplement.  That seemed like the perfect answer as Lilly really didn't like eating the glucosamine pills (although coating them with peanut butter worked very well!).  And my store had the powder on sale, buy one get one free.  So we started Lilly on that, last night.

Exercise has been pretty difficult to do.  We've been having a lot of snow and I'm allergic to the stuff.  So that on top of my annoying neighbors who let their dogs run off leash has made taking Lilly for walks very difficult.  The vet suggested taking Lilly someplace quiet for walks...I don't know where that place might be.  Even our own back yard is surrounded by other dogs and Lilly is a spaz around them.  So instead we've been walking around the house.  I know, not ideal, but it puts less stress on the both of us.