Indie was pretty much rested solidly for six weeks, I slept downstairs with her during that time next to her crate. She was in a lot of pain initially, it is a big operation for them, so be prepared for an uncomfortable few nights from them.
The tricky part is the pain medication, you don't want them to be in pain, but neither do you want them leaping about as if they can't feel a thing. Pain is there for a reason, it is to tell you that doing that isn't really any good for you. So as soon as you feel you can, wean the medication down and completely off, but you need to judge how you think Lady is doing, you'll know better than anyone and don't be afraid to tell the vet what you want for Lady.
Yes, Indie did do hydro, but she doesn't particularly like swimming, and it didn't help that the insurance only covered the use of certificated hydro places, which are those one's that have the dog stuck in the centre, triangulated on ropes in the middle of the pool so they are swimming nowhere. Looking back, I'd rather have paid for hydro where you/instructor gets in with the dog, and gets them to swim of their own accord.
It took a full 18 months for Indie to get fit again, and despite what the vet said, I wouldn't feel happy taking her on hugely long walks. Their view was that she should be able to run around as a normal dog, but unfortunately, she does show signs of lameness if you overdo it with her. My ex used to take her on ten mile walks, too long for a dog with a rebuilt knee in my books.
What do you feed Lady on? There are a few things you can add to diet, other than the glucosamine/chondroitin, off the top of my head there is also devil's claw and joint aid (which I think contains the g&c mix). I can look up a few others for you as well.
Indie recently took part in a fun gundog day to raise funds for charity, and came third in the scurry, which involved a couple of low jumps over hay bales, and and all out short sprint, not bad at all considering all she's been through, and being up against younger and fitter dogs
