Jail House Rock

Probably the most stressful part of this ordeal - for me certainly and I imagine for Clover as well - is how much time he has to spend staying still.

Pre-Op, any additional damage to the knee means additional arthritis. Post-Op, too much strain on the knee can make the surgery totally fail. Some movement to build back muscle is good, but it needs to be slow and controlled. So, staying off the knee is a crucial part of the cruciate repair.

I have no idea how people would go through this process without the use of a good exercise pen. They're available at places like Petco or PetEdge in various sizes and heights. They let your dog hang out in a room with you without being on a leash or in your arms. It also gives them some room to stretch out when you're not home.

Frankly, I use them a lot anyway as an alternative to a crate or a free-range dog. In the pic you can see there are two next to each other, one for Clover, and one for my temporary non-fuzzy dog. She sleeps in that orange bucket. It's weird, but, she is a whole other post.

Last time, with all the time I spent carrying around becasted or otherwise immobile Clover, I experienced a sexy boost in upper arm strength and definition. However, I also developed mild tendinitis in my elbows. So I placed the ex-pen where he could see my living room and kitchen and he was reasonably happy there.

Luckily I never really stopped this, and when he hears the cookie container, he'll hop right into his pen and happily settle down when he's there. He's content with it and my life's a little easier as well.