Two (2) Weeks Post-op for Kamea
If you follow our socials you are aware today marks two (2) weeks post-op for Kamea, I wanted to provide a first had account of what to expect because there is not a lot of information from the owner’s perspective.
Synopsis: I personally opted to essentially live on the floor with Kamea, I understand this is not an opton for everyone. I know people who created their dog or sent them to a medical rehab facility instead. Whatever option you choose it is important emphasize this is not an easy surgery to be taken lightly. It requires a substantial financial and time commitment.
Let us first rewind to start with the basics.
What surgery did Kamea have? Patella luxation with tibial tuberosity transposition.
What is a luxating patella? It is also known as a dislocating knee cap. Dogs, like humans, have a patella that attaches to the femur and the tibia. Luxating means out of place, the knee cap does not stay aligned with the femur and tibia. You can learn more here.
What causes a luxating patella? There are a few causes (go ahead and use the internet search for this one); however, it is common in small dogs. For Kamea, I believe it genetics were a big factor as her sister also has a luxating patella (same leg).
How did you know Kamea needed surgery? She stopped putting weight on her leg and we had her legs x-rayed.
Do you need a specialist? I am not sure all veterinarians refer to a specialist; however, ours did.
If you are in the LA area and need a concierge vet (Mobi Pet Care) or an orthopedic (Sevilla Veterinary Hospital), I cannot speak highly enough of these two veterinarians.
How much does a patella luxation surgery cost? Like most things, this depends on multiple factors but general price range is $2,000 – $6,000 (per knee).
Did your (pet) insurance cover it? Kamea’s right patella is exempt from her policy so I did not submit a claim. With that said, assuming you do not have a pre-existing condition your insurance should cover the surgery.
What is the recovery period? Four-six (4-6) weeks no running or jumping with full recovery being approximately twelve (12) weeks.
What did you do to prepare/supplies did you purchase? We never created Kamea when she was a puppy, so creating her now did not make sense to me. When she was a puppy we did section her off in our (carpeted) office and spare bathroom, that is where she will be during recovery (I removed any beds or items that she would normally jump onto). In addition, I made a ‘bed’ on the floor out of a few blankets (so she didn’t need to jump).
I usually have a grass inside for Kamea, I made sure we had a new one delivered the day of her surgery in addition to pee pads (she was already trained to use both)- these were set up in the bathroom attached to our office.
I did purchase a ramp for the bedroom to replace the stairs, this was in hopes I would be able to stop sleeping on the floor before six (6) weeks. We have yet to put this together, I will update on this later.
Now you have the basics, let us get to Kamea’s story.
In the beginning of August (2024) Kamea stopped putting weight on her (right) leg. We gave her a round of anti inflammatory medication with little improvement so in September our Dr. Napolitano referred us to an orthopedic specialist for x-rays, Dr. Pedraza (Sevilla Veterinary Hospital).
The x-rays showed Kamea’s patella off to the side, meaning it was always out of place and (likely) painful. We opted to move forward with surgery.
What to expect.
Dr. Pedraza breaks recovery down in two (2) week increments, we are currently two (2) weeks post-op for Kamea, this is what I we have experienced thus far. I would like to note, Dr. Pedraza uses an epidural in addition to anesthesia (obviously, his office can explain this in more detail if you are interested), so our recovery process may differ from others you see online.
Surgery day: Kamea was at Sevilla Veterinary Hospital most of the day (9 AM-4 PM), similar to her teeth cleaning appointments. Upon discharge I spoke with Dr. Pedraza about her surgery, he explained she now has two pin in her knee, went over her medications (pain killer, anti inflammatory, and antibiotic) and restrictions were explained.
When we got home Kamea ate dinner but did not use the restroom; however, she slept through the night. She made muffled moans a handful of times, again similar to post (anesthesia) teeth cleaning.
Day one (1): The discharge papers instruct to help hold Kamea up with a towel while using the bathroom- she hated this and it only worked once (the first morning post surgery). After that I let her find her place to use the restroom (outside) and held her hips once she squatted.
Kamea was still trying to figure out how to move with three (3) legs. She slept most of the day and ate about half her normal amount of food, not uncommon for her post anesthesia.
Day (2): That day and night were the most difficult (thus far).
Kamea had a bandage change where she was not happy and not on her best behavior.
That night I got the least amount of sleep. Being sedated Kamea did not tell me when she needed to go to the bathroom, I assumed she would use the area I set up in the bathroom for her if she needed to go- but she did not. She also became nervous when using that bathroom (outside). This is complicated the situation because we live in an apartment so her bathroom time is often interrupted by passersby.
I think she did not trust herself to walk to the indoor bathroom area whereas outside I carried her to the grass. Once I figured out she needed even more privacy (less busy times) to use the bathroom outside or to be carried to her indoor area we began to established a routine.
Days three-six (3-6): Kamea started to feel better and we both began to settle into a day time routine.
She ate at her regular meal times but not the normal about ¾ of what I normally gave her. I figured out good times to take her outside for tanning and bathroom breaks.
During the day she stayed in the office with Austin and I. I worked from the floor so she did not need to look for me or get on her hind legs to get my attention. In the evening I carried her to the couch where she would eat dinner and socialize with whomever was not making (human) dinner.
In addition, she pretty much slept through the night with the exception of a few times she got up to reposition.

Day seven (7): I felt comfortable enough with our routine to return to my workout schedule. Kamea stayed in the office with Austin when I left. I would text him on my way home so he would have time to pick her up to ensure she did not hurt herself due to excitement when I returned.
Kamea had another bandage change and she was much better behaved.
Days eight-eleven (8-11): Our days looked fairly similar to previous days, but I felt comfortable enough to carry her outside on short walks. In addition, we did take her to our local winery for about an hour, where I held her but she could still interact with other people (and not be stuck inside), which I think she appreciated.
Day twelve & thirteen (12-13): Our routine was pretty much the same however I noticed Kamea shaking her leg and starting the chew at the bandage. Due to all of her allergies I began giving her Benadryl (after confirming with the office there was no interaction with her prescribed medications).
Because she was so uncomfortable she did not sleep well. She moved a lot through the night and thumped her leg on the ground.
Day fourteen (14): Kamea had another bandage change and stitches removal scheduled (thank goodness because her lack of sleep contributed to my lack of sleep).
However, when the tech removed her bandage Kamea’s foot was really swollen so they were unable to apply a new badge (in order to let her foot get some air) and they did not remove all the stitches (I am not sure if that was the orginal plan or not).
But, without the bandage (aka extra support) we had to be even more careful with Kamea. This meant Kamea and Mama were still sleeping on the floor in the office and I had to section the office off even more to prevent her from going behind the desks (by the chairs and cords).
Also, because there was no bandage Kamea had to start wearing a cone (when I was not watching her) for the first time post-op.
Side note: Dr. Pedraza did not think the swelling in Kamea’s foot was due to surgery but related to the bandage. I agree because she had a rash on her leg where the tape was applied and the swelling went down substantially in a few hours. If you did not know, Kamea has a lot of allergies. We had her tested when she was a pup so we know most of them, but I think it is difficult to pin point every allergy in every situation; hence, when I started giving her Benadryl when she appeared itchy.

I will update after our appointment on day sixteen (16), if you want more day by day updates before to follow Kamea‘s instagram stories! 🩷J
*Note I am not a veterinarian nor a medical practitioner, this is not medical advice nor should it be used in place of instructions provided by your veterinarian/surgeon, this is simply my experience.

