Luxating Patella Issue (updated 7 Weeks Post Surgery)

[ness]

She has been using it ok since post surgery but its the random completely buckling episodes that started around week 3 that concerned me. Specialist wasn't concerned at the time but was a little more concerned when he found the patella had reluxated a little bit on her 6 weeks check.

Its the randomness with the 3 legged episodes that bothers me. She has also started sitting with that leg out to the side whereas she has always had a nice tight sit.

The 3 legged episodes happen about once or twice a day for not necessarily any reason and have definitely been a good deal worse since her trip back to the specialist. She is otherwise moving fine and mostly walking really well. The specialist and physio both said to give her freedom at home so other than being carried up and down the stairs she is allowed to walk around. Physio even said she can go back to being loose overnight and not crated so long as she isn't jumping on and off the bed more then a few times.

She is reasonably good though once I lift her onto the bed she usually stays put most of the night or will jump off and sleep on a bed in the corner.

We went up to my parents place over the weekend and with no risk of fence running she had much more freedom and was even allowed to wander around outside. Leg looked fine and my parents weren't sure what I was worrying about until yesterdays stretching episode .

[ness]

So the physio verdict is to keep her to the 2 x 10 min walks she is doing and only try and increase if things don't look any worse by Friday .

[dragonwoman]

We are now just over 7 weeks post surgery and the situation is not all as it should be. Kenz had her follow up appointment at 6 weeks and unfortunately the patella didn't stabilise 100% . She had a physio appointment 2 days after her specialist trip and lots of muscle spasms in the surgery leg. She has moderate muscle wastage (if her weight is anything to go by she was 13.7kg on the day of surgery but only 12.7kg at the moment) and we are trying to rebuild muscle and hope that is enough to support the patella and prevent it from popping out.

This last week has been really worrying. She has spent more time on three legs then she has to this point. Most days she ends up 3 legged lame. Sometimes its when we are out doing our 5-10 min walks and other times its just been when she has got up at home and had a stretch. She has been given permission to roam freely at home so long as its within reason and also start with leash walks at whatever distance she is comfortable (not very far).

Specialist has said to see how she gets on over the next 3-4 weeks with increasing the muscle support and if the situation still remains the same after that time she is to go back and see him and we will discuss what we need to do to change things .

I am so stressed by it - for a surgery that was suppose to be relatively straight forward with few complications to have a dog more lame now then she has been pre surgery scares me to bits.

Starting to have regrets about having felt pressured to do the surgery in the first place and thats not a great feeling .

As a specialist once said to me many years ago, re post op BC, "trouble is you can go faster on three", so the trick is to encourage use of all four which I now know takes a while................and maybe a bit of ingenuity. In our case it involved strapping the good leg and forcing use of weak one on increasing walks Dog lived to 16 and retired on his 12th birthday................trust your experts and hang in there

[ness]

She is using it mostly except when she seems to have been using it and then something hurts so she picks it up. She uses it most then she doesn't.

[ness]

Well its been one of those nights - she is acting so miserable . Biting at the leg, not wanting to sit with it and when she does sticking it out to the side but also being generally pathetic . Wish she could tell me exactly what is up.

Edited July 2, 2012 by ness

[OSoSwift]

So sorry to hear that Ness, there is obviously something that is making her unhappy Poor girl

[Mason_Gibbs]

Yeah I wouldn't be very happy either Ness, wish u could fly her to my specialist

[ness]

Yeah grrrrrrr she has had a dose of pain killer though now. She was walking on it fine during her walks today and we only went around the block . Seemed enthusiastic and would have gone longer then I took her for. Still keen when we got home again.

She was wanting to train stuff at tea time and was quite happy offering hand touches but when she didn't then start throwing any other behavior at me I knew something was a little a miss.

So hard to know what is going on and its not like they can tell you exactly whats up. She may well just be being precious but I can't for the life of me think she has ever been in the past so why exactly now I don't know.

Edited July 2, 2012 by ness