TPLO Recovery: Crate required or playpen ok?

[makehimfirst]

TLDR; Can I use a playpen to confine my couch potato post TPLO or does he have to be in his crate?

My adult 11 pound (5 kg) chihuahua mix is scheduled to get a TPLO surgery at the end of the month. During the surgical consult, the vet went over some basic post-op info and they informed me that my dog will need to be completely crated for the first 6 weeks of recovery.

On one hand, my dog is a couch potato that sleeps 18-20 hrs per day so being crated all day for 6 weeks probably won't be an extremely miserable experience for him compared to more active dogs. On the other hand, it seems a bit cruel and uncomfortable. Will he even be able to fit comfortably in his crate with the cone of shame?

My dog has been on cage rest since late Nov and we have 2 playpens set up for him: a 24" x 48" (60 cm x 122 cm) space in the living room and a 36" (91 cm) diameter playpen that connects to his 18" x 24" (45 x 60 cm) crate in the bedroom. These spaces are probably a bit large for a small dog but will these playpens be okay for his recovery? (I WFH so I can easily keep watch during the day) And just crate him at night while I sleep? He's not jumpy or athletic so he has never made any attempts to escape and usually doesn't move around other than to change sleeping positions and the occasional stretch/shake. The playpen spaces do not have any slippery surfaces.

Another concern is because it is hard to see the inside of his crate, it will be hard to keep an eye on him whereas with the playpens, my view is not obstructed. Also, I presume I will be picking him up fairly often to take him out to potty and it will be much easier to do so from a playpen than an enclosed crate. Especially since he hates getting picked up and will squirm around to fight it.

Lastly, I adopted him from our local shelter last summer and he was terrified of kennels/crates when I got him and it took him almost 3 months to feel comfortable going inside of his crate. I keep the crate door open and now, after being home for 7 months, he chooses to sleep in his crate 1-2 times a week. I hesitate to crate him 24/7 for 6 weeks because I am afraid that he might go back to being terrified of crates again.

Must my dog be crated all day for 6 weeks post-op?

 

[valda]

@makehimfirst I've had luck with using a playpen in lieu of a crate for many of the reasons you mentioned. It is IMPERATIVE that your dog WILL NOT jump or climb or crawl under out of the pen. If you don't feel like you know him well enough to trust him for something like that, don't do it, just buy a size or two larger crate. You also need to shrink the playpen down to where it's crate size. Maybe a teeny larger than his crate, but still needs to be a very small space so he can lay down, stand up, and turn around.

 

[rockhound570]

@valda Sorry to revive this thread, but in your experience, was a dog bed safe for small dogs to get on and off of?

Ours had TTA last week. He’s a 10 lb chihuahua mix and even though his crate mat is maybe 2” thick, he has to bunny hop on and off. I’m worried that’s too much like jumping, but I also want him to be comfortable and have his joints cushioned during recovery.

 

[valda]

@rockhound570 Seems like a reasonable concern when you think about those little Chihuahua legs. It wouldn't hurt to reach out to your surgeon and ask. Maybe you have a nice soft blanket or something that you can fold up in there instead while you wait to hear back. It's probably fine, but it's always better to err on the side of caution.

 

[makehimfirst]

@valda I'll look into buying a crate for him in a size or two larger as you suggested to be safe. Thank you!