WEEKS SEVEN AND EIGHT 

Important: To move onto this recovery phase, your pet’s incision must be healed and remain healed. If you see them licking or chewing at their incision, then you must put their cone back on and contact your veterinarian if you have any concerns.  

 

Primary goals for weeks 7-8: 

• Prevent muscle stiffness  

• Go for a “full length” duration walk outside, up to 20-minutes 

• Have final x-rays with your veterinarian and have your hospital schedule your final x-ray phone call with Dr. Lynch 

 

• Week 7 after surgery: 

  • Continue performing weight shifting exercises frequently throughout the day in your pet’s recovery zone.  

  • You may begin to extend your pet’s leash walks, with the goal for this week being to go for duration walks of 15–18-minute length and the remaining walks kept to 3-5 minutes 

• Week 8 after surgery: 

  • If your pet tolerated the previous week, then you may begin to extend their leash walks with the goal for this week being to go for duration walks of 18-20 minute length and the remaining walks kept to 3-5 minutes 

  • Continue performing weight shifting exercises frequently throughout the day in your pet’s recovery zone. 

 

Eight-week check-in:  Send a video of your pet walking and a detailed progress update (as it relates to the points mentioned above) to Dr. Lynch.  

• Progress updates should include the daily exercises you are performing (frequency and duration), walk duration and frequency, any potential set-backs you have encountered and how you feel your pet has been progressing.

 

IMPORTANT: Ensure that your hospital sends your pet’s final x-rays to Dr. Lynch and that they schedule your final x-ray phone call with Dr. Lynch. Do not continue to recovery weeks 9-12 until you have been directed by Dr. Lynch to do so. 

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