When do you know

[Roberta]

When to allow them to get out of crate or play pen. Amy has improved, last night she was back to lying on her back and happy to go outside (carried) to go girlies. To-day she is protesting about being in her bed which has a cage round it. I plan to take her back to the Vets to-morrow. My Mother in law came over to lunch, I saw her coming in the drive so picked her up to take to the door as Oliver would bark a welcome, well she yelped and squealled when I would not put her down, not in pain, just annoyed at not being let do what she wants. I'm thinking she needs a few more days in the play pen, I let her out in our bedroom with the door closed when I had a shower.
Roberta

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

That's always a tough one. They say two weeks strictly crated out to potty and right back in no matter how good they seem to feel, to give the disc time to heal well so there is less chance of reoccurance. It was explained to me that it is like a toothpaste tube with the cap off, when there is a tear in the disc, so that the toothpaste, like the disc material, can ooze out with any pressue on the "tube" (such as walking about) and until it heals well there is greater risk of further herniation or rupture. But things may be different for wee Amy because of the type of surgery she had? My Jessie was fenestrated cervical and lumbar and she still had painful episodes about every 9 months but I liked to think they weren't as bad as they might have been had she not had surgery...hard to say though. I did crate her for a couple weeks each time it was miserable for us both I feel for you hang in there Roberta! It's very good Amy seems to be feeling normal.

[Leslie]

Then a few more days it is.
Our surgeon explained it pretty much the same way that Dee Dee did.  The area needs to heal completely to prevent further injury.  You can never OVER rest the darn thing.

I know that Loki's activty level is way too high for a post surgical dawg.  (but she otherwise, in excellent shape--very muscular). She goes down two steps to get out the door, BUT she does jump up and down on the sofa. 

(In my tiny house, there is no way we can keep her off the sofa unlesss we want to be tripping over baby gates.  And let's face it, the fuss that dawg puts up is enough to wake the dead in Sydney.  But everyone has to find their own level of comfort. The bed bed is strictly off limits, though.)

We have not talked about how we would pay for another surgery if needed.  We really didn't "pay" for the last one as that very week DH got a car insurance check for an auto accident for almost the exact amount of the surgery--so at least I didn't have put it on a credit card and pay month after month of interest. (not that it was cheap. KA-Ching)

But I digress.  Just remember that dogs do not understand the concept of cause and effect. They don't get "if I do this, it will hurt later."

Good luck with that playpen rest.   

[LUVMYGUNNER]

My little guy Gunner had surgery 6 weeks ago,  and was taken off crate rest at 4 weeks,  by the neuro but I'm keeping him crate for 8 week,  since we have another dog. He gets to go on 5 minute walks 4-5 times a day to excercise his legs and we do sit outside with him,  but he is always on a harness and leash.
A good place to get info is www.dodgerslist.com They deal with IVDD on a daily basis and is a good place to get into.
I did a lot of research since Gunner went down and found a great supplement,  that has everything in it,  that is needed for them its calle" free and easy." You might want to check into it.