Hi Carla and Diego, welcome! Sorry you had to join our club but we are glad you found us. You ask great questions!

Regarding pain medication: most dogs are on medication until stitches come out, but some may need meds a little longer. It really depends on age, fitness level before surgery, etc. Sounds like Diego is at a good weight for a male GSD (yay! that makes a huge difference!), so what I'm thinking is that he might be getting too much activity, too soon. Some questions for you:

• What is a day in the life of Diego like? Are there other dogs he plays with? 
• How long/far has he been walking?
• Do you have slippery floors?
• What kind of pain signals is he giving?

For now, yes it would be good to have him on some kind of pain management . Ironically, Tramadol has been proven to be ineffective at controlling major pain. But, some vets feel that when used in conjunction with another medication like Gabapentin (nerve pain reducer) and also an NSAID like Metacam, it works synergistically for pain relief. I think it would be good to have a conversation with your vet about helping Diego with his acute pain symptoms.

When can I expect him to be a bit more back to normal? 

Again, it depends on the dog's situation. It's important to take things slow and give him time to build strength (that's where the rehab therapy can come in). I'd say in general, if you take it slow and easy you can expect to see him get his mojo back in a month, month and a half. But even then it's important to keep his activity level lower than it was before surgery (see below). 

I have some Dasaquin with MSM coming tomorrow.  Has anyone found that to help?  

Great choice! Yes it's clinically proven and vet-approved. Keep in mind that supplements won't show their real effectiveness for at least 4-6 weeks.

Any thoughts on what I should expect over the next month or 2 would be great!

Sure! Slow, easy and gentle activity is best. All dogs try to do too much too soon so it's up to us to regulate their activity so they don't injure themselves. Shorter more frequent walks no more than 15 min each are better than one or two long ones. And interactive brain games can keep him entertained and engaged while allowing his body to heal. 

Also, please consider having him evaluated by a canine rehabilitation therapist. These folks are masters at pinpointing the cause of stiffness and can come up with a program that helps you help him build strength and remain injury free. The best part is the Tripawds Foundation can pay for your first rehab visit so please take advantage of the program. Also, the Tripawds rehab program by Dr. Waterhouse is another learning tool that can make a difference in his recuperation, and we also have our e-book Loving Life On Three Legs that focuses on fitness.

I hope this helps! Let us know what your vet says about his pain issue OK? We are here to help!