Luxating Patella

[danakay9]

Hi everyone,

On Friday my 2 and a half year old Pomeranian got diagnosed with a luxating patella. We were advised by our vet that surgery is the way to go otherwise there will be long term arthitis issues. I knew straight away that i had to do the surgery for her longterm wellbeing and happiness. I have booked the surgery for this Thursday!!

Im really anxious about her going into surgery but i know its for the better. I know there will be atleast a 2month recovery process which is making me nervous.

Ive heard alot about crating, but let me tell you that it wont be an option. My dog was crated as a puppy and she used to go crazy. She loves being around us so the idea of crating her after surgery is very slim since i dont want her putting any pressure on her leg or herself.

Has anyone had any experiences with this surgery? Can i please get tips and advice on how to go about the recovery process? I know luxating patella's are a very common condition in small dogs so im hoping you guys can help.

Edit:

-The vet said it is a grade 3

-She weighs 3.8kgs

-The only signs that she has is when she runs around too much and gets excited she will lift her leg up for a few seconds then place it back down

THANK YOU :D

Edited July 10, 2016 by danakay9

[*kirty*]

What grade is the luxation? Does the dog show any clinical signs? And how much does she weigh?

[danakay9]

What grade is the luxation? Does the dog show any clinical signs? And how much does she weigh?

I edited my post :) i accidentally left out that info. Thanks!

[sas]

I'm sure she'll be fine :)

You can opt to have a regular Vet do the surgery or have a specialist, that will be up to you and your budget. They generally will tell you what to do and not to do, however there's no harm in seeking out the guidance of an Animal Physio and Canine Rehab Therapist to get your ready for surgery and post surgery if your budget allows - in Sydney there are a few to choose from.

[Loving my Oldies]

GET A SECOND OPINION AND IF YOU GO AHEAD GET A SPECIALIST TO DO IT.

[Rascalmyshadow]

I have been through this twice and I personally would never do it again unless the dog was in constant pain.

Obviously I'm not a vet but in your situation I would be stalling the surgery and getting another opinion.

[minxy]

Our Akita has had this surgery done on one knee. He ended up not needing the other knee done as it was strengthened from supporting the other leg as it recovered. We had Kyojin confined to our laundry with a baby gate when we weren't home rather than crating him as he was crated for sleeping at night and we didn't want him in it 24/7. It was so so worth it for our dog. We had the surgery performed by a specialist.

[Xyz]

Second having the surgery done by a specialist. Crating is really important for recovery, the tissue then the bone need time to heal. Sooner done the better the long term outlook, less arthritis and pain for the dog.

[persephone]

I had my boy's surgery done by an orthopedic surgeon at my vet's suggestion .:) ( 18 kg dog) The leg was immobilised by heavy bandaging , and recovery took a while . The result was fantastic - and he had another 10 yrs of extremely active life with no problems whatsoever .

it IS important to be vigilant with the confinement /restrictions .

Edited July 11, 2016 by persephone

[*kirty*]

I would not be rushing into surgery at all. If it isn't bothering her, leave her be. And if you are concerned, see a specialist. It is not a straightforward procedure.

[Dogsfevr]

Agree with others would not be rushing at all,I would get a second opinion,if the dog is over weight I would be getting it fit,I would be re educating the dog to its new restrictions before surgery if you go ahead .

There is no point having surgery without following the after care restrictions , the f your dog needs to be groomed do so before the surgery

[ness]

I would also advise against rushing to surgery. I would consider consulting with a rehab vet phyio and given your in NSW my recommendation would be to see Dr Jamie Jackson at Primal Paws. I would consult with her and trust her judgement as to whether surgery was necessary at this stage or whether a more conservative wait and see approach with some structured physio exercise program would be suitable.

Edited July 11, 2016 by ness

[asal]

I would also advise against rushing to surgery. I would consider consulting with a rehab vet phyio and given your in NSW my recommendation would be to see Dr Jamie Jackson at Primal Paws. I would consult with her and trust her judgement as to whether surgery was necessary at this stage or whether a more conservative wait and see approach with some structured physio exercise program would be suitable.

Add my vote to that, the surgery involves cutting a groove into the bone, that alone can give the dog arthritis where it did not have it before.

many dogs live long happy lives without surgery, BUT that includes making sure it never gets overweight.

some vets make a great living operating on dogs that never needed surgery according to my vet.

boarded some dogs for a friend and had never seen the funny skip and leg stretch one of her dogs would do at times. rushed her to my vet thinking something awful was wrong and he laughed and explained she had learned how to unlock her legs herself with the stretch she was doing and explained what she had. that dog made it to 18 arthritis free.

some years later a puppy I bred the new owner rang me furious that her 10 months old pup had needed surgery on both patellas and wanted me to pay for it. The surgery had already been done without even contacting me or my vet prior to it being done. my vet was furious, he had found no hint of a problem and added a dog that young should never have been operated on as it was still growing.

definitely get second opinions.

another breeder was phoned and told she would have to pay for the op as the puppy was obviously defective and requested a second opinion and the second vet discovered the problem was fractures, questioning revealed the puppy having jumped off the new owners verandah

another cause is the same as the puppy above, a friend bought a new bed much higher from the floor. her 4 and 5 year old chihuahuas began to limp in the hindlegs and it was discovered they had damaged their patellas jumping off the bed. their vet was on of the best in the state and had been their vet all their lives so asked what has been changed at home as their patellas had been perfect at all previous checkups.

a set of stairs were installed beside the bed.

Edited July 11, 2016 by asal

[Loving my Oldies]

Add my vote to that, the surgery involves cutting a groove into the bone, that alone can give the dog arthritis where it did not have it before.

some vets make a great living operating on dogs that never needed surgery according to my vet.

I am so glad to read this because there is almost an epidemic of unnecessary operations which are damaging healthy dogs.

When I first became a dog owner in 1993, my brother was a vet with his own hospital. Good for my budget, but not good for my peace of mind. Even over a couple of decades later and he has long since retired, some of the stories he told me still haunt me. And some of the worst were about dogs operated upon for supposed luxating patella. He showed me a couple of times how easy it was to slip out the bones particularly in little dogs’ legs. He said, that vets would do this in front of the dog’s owner and go, “Oh no - luxating patella!! If not operated upon your dog will have arthritis.” Owners would panic and immediately agree to what was (as asal’s vet says) totally unnecessary surgery.

Most dogs (and people) will have touches of arthritis if they live long enough, but a dog operated upon for luxating patellas is virtually condemned to have arthritis probably long before they would have normally.

He told me about a conference he’d been to when the person at the lectern was going on about luxating patellas and the need for surgery. He turned to the vet beside him (whom he did not know but was a lot younger) and said that in his over 30 year career, he’d done about two of these operations and how, in his opinion, they were mostly quite unnecessary. The other vet said something along the lines of, “Don’t say that, mate, that’s how I make my money.”

My brother used to say that they were “tantamount to mutilation”.

[Daisys Mum]

My CKCS has had 2 LP surgeries.. One a grade 3 and a grade 4 , the main reason I decided to have them done was because she was still very young.. 2 1/2 & 3 1/2 when done.

Long term i put Sashas Blend in her food everyday and we go for walks everyday .. In the end it's up to you if you think it's worth doing, don't be pressured either way.

[Papillon Kisses]

I'd be getting a second opinion and taking conservative measures first, e.g. physics therapy, but if you do go ahead please reconsider training calm relaxed behaviour when confined.

I have nursed my dog through strict bed rest without a crate or pen and it's not for the faint of heart. When they are on pain meds, as they should be as pain should NOT be used as a restraint, a lot of dogs seem to think they're puppies again and want to do non stop zoomies and leap off furniture. Terrifying. Looking after them requires constant vigilance and you can't go anywhere or do anything unless you have someone you trust 1000% to take your place.

[Rascalmyshadow]

Please listen and don't jump into the surgery, both my

Pomxchi and my purebred chi have each one luxating patella and unlike the two dogs I did go ahead and do surgery on these two are coping much better, keep your dog fit and active, not overweight, and avoid jumping and sudden stops/turns as much as possible.