Fido has patella luxation :( ! - YorkieTalk.com Forums

FidoTheYorkie · 01-16-2011, 12:13 PM

Two days ago I went with Fido to the vets cause he had so much itch in his paw, I got shampoo to bathe the paw with and its OK now.
The vet was checking him out, felt his knees and said to me that he has Patella luxation

When I think back, he has often started limp in walks just out of no where , I always thought he stepped on a stone or something , but it has been this.
Also, often he screams (makes this awfaul loud squeeking sound, never heard it from a dog before) and puts his tail between his legs, I thought he just had to get his anal glands squeesed or something, but then again it was his knee.
Most often he doesnt ''scream'' , sometimes he does that but not often, maybe once in 1-3 months, sometimes he does it many times a day , sometimes not for half a year.

He has this in his left back leg only.

Do your dogs suffer from this??
what do you do to keep them good?
Can I let my dog run free with this?
Can I go jogging with him and take him with me on a bikeride ? (I bike, he runs besides me)

Please let me know how your dogs live with this.

yorkieusa · 01-16-2011, 12:31 PM

No, mine doesn't have that. It's a painful condition, though, and I would think that your veterinarian would have told you what he recommended. I would recommend surgery. It sounds like he is having a lot of pain. I wouldn't want him running around without surgery. It will only get worse as time goes by and all of that running will just make it worse.

bjh · 01-16-2011, 12:32 PM

How old is Fido and how much does he weigh? Patella luxation is fairly common to one degree or another in yorkies. Most yorkies can live with it with no problem. Did you vet say what grade he has? Most people would not recommend surgery unless he starts showing signs of pain.

I think just regular exercise would be okay but you want to limit his jumping up and down. Some yorkies that are kept in exercise pens or behind gates will jump up and down over and over again and that will eventually lead to patella problems.

A glucosamine product might be helpful also.

yorkieusa · 01-16-2011, 12:49 PM

This link may answer a few questions you have. Also, if you go to YouTube.com, there are quite a few videos about luxating patella. I hope Fido will be ok.

http://taylormadeyorkies.blogspot.co...a-kneecap.html

JDS · 01-16-2011, 12:54 PM

How old is Fido, what does he weigh, & what grade is the LP? My Lulu was just recently diagnosed with grade 3 LP in her right rear leg & grade 2 in her left rear leg. It came on suddenly, she never showed any symptoms and then one day I felt it pop & took her to the vet. Lulu never cried with it, she just tucked her leg up and limped. I chose to see a board certified surgeon & he recommended surgery. It's been 2.5 weeks since her surgery & she is recovering well.

I think you should definitely get a second opinion about this. Not that I think your vet is wrong, but with my experience it was very helpful & reassuring to hear at least 2 vets confirm the diagnosis and recommend treatment. My normal vet recommended glucosamine supplements & omega 3 supplements for life. Not all babies with LP have to have surgery. However, I believe a board certified surgeon is the best person to evaluate and make recommendations.

BTW, the surgeon said that Lulu's other leg (grade 2) may or may not need surgery eventually. As of right now, it does not. But it is something that we will have to keep an eye on. I am hoping that the supplements & exercises will help decrease her chance of needing LP repair on that leg. Feel free to pm me if you have specific questions or concerns. I'm by no means an expert, but I will gladly share my experience...it's still very fresh in my mind.

JDS · 01-16-2011, 12:56 PM

I forgot to add that Lulu was 8 months old & 3 lbs 6 oz when she was diagnosed. She did very well with the surgery & the recovery is going well. Although crate rest is hard on all of us!

FidoTheYorkie · 01-16-2011, 12:58 PM

Thanks for the answers.

I dont want to do a surgery on him, its not often that he limps, maybe 1-4 times in a year, he does not often ''scream'', when he does it its just in 1-5 seconds then he goes back to normal.
Im not sure its pain, I think he's just scared, doesnt know ''what that was''.

I think he has just 1 grade, im not sure, im going back to the vet in 2-4 weeks to buy dog food, I'm going to ask the vet what grade he has then.

gemy · 01-16-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FidoTheYorkie

Two days ago I went with Fido to the vets cause he had so much itch in his paw, I got shampoo to bathe the paw with and its OK now.
The vet was checking him out, felt his knees and said to me that he has Patella luxation

When I think back, he has often started limp in walks just out of no where , I always thought he stepped on a stone or something , but it has been this.
Also, often he screams (makes this awfaul loud squeeking sound, never heard it from a dog before) and puts his tail between his legs, I thought he just had to get his anal glands squeesed or something, but then again it was his knee.
Most often he doesnt ''scream'' , sometimes he does that but not often, maybe once in 1-3 months, sometimes he does it many times a day , sometimes not for half a year.

He has this in his left back leg only.

Do your dogs suffer from this??
what do you do to keep them good?
Can I let my dog run free with this?
Can I go jogging with him and take him with me on a bikeride ? (I bike, he runs besides me)

Please let me know how your dogs live with this.

Well in terms of LP what grade did the general vet diagnose? You should take him to a specialist in orthopaedic medicene for a confirmation. Screaming from a dog from no apparent reason is a huge warning sign to the owner.

In terms of what you can do: first no 7 km jogging beside your bike. Walking even 3km is fine. Get him in swimming an exercise that is stress free for the joints, and is very good aerobically.

Add glucosamine and chondrotin to his food, check with your vet about this and dosage and well respected brand names in your country.

For your dog, no jumping off of couches or chairs or beds.

FidoTheYorkie · 01-16-2011, 01:13 PM

Fido's like a little girl haha

he cries out of something that is nothing, If i step on his coat he screams also! even if he doesnt hurt a bit

if he's uncomftorble he screams.

Fido wheighs 6 kilo's , i think its about 15-16 lbs, he's very big.
Right now he's 6,5 kilos, he was 7,5 kilosthis summer cause I changed his food and it made him get really really fat! when he's in the right wheigh he's about 5,5 -6 kilos, something under 6 kilos propably.

The surgery here costs about 1 thousand and 500 dollars, its EXPENSIVE ! but if this gets worse and he's often in pain (Fido is never in pain i think) then ofcourse I will get him into surgery, its just also long recovery time and the surgery would be so hard for him, I dont want to do it if I dont have to.

Fido is 2 and a half years old

He was born 13 July 2008.

My vet reccomanded me that I keep him in a good shape, exercise him well, so he gets much muscle around the knee.
Do you think that is wrong ??? they are very good vetnarians that I know personally, I work at their clinic.

Fido does not jump much, hardly anything, he just jumps in my bed and sometimes in the sofa (not often).

bjh · 01-16-2011, 01:25 PM

Lol, he is a big boy. Just make sure he is not over weight, that is not good for his knees. Some yorkies have knees that pop in and out and the never require surgery. Just keep an eye on him and try to keep him from over exerting himself. Do ask the vet about giving him a joint supplement.

yorkieusa · 01-16-2011, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FidoTheYorkie

Two days ago I went with Fido to the vets cause he had so much itch in his paw, I got shampoo to bathe the paw with and its OK now.
The vet was checking him out, felt his knees and said to me that he has Patella luxation

When I think back, he has often started limp in walks just out of no where , I always thought he stepped on a stone or something , but it has been this.
Also, often he screams (makes this awfaul loud squeeking sound, never heard it from a dog before) and puts his tail between his legs, I thought he just had to get his anal glands squeesed or something, but then again it was his knee.
Most often he doesnt ''scream'' , sometimes he does that but not often, maybe once in 1-3 months, sometimes he does it many times a day , sometimes not for half a year.

He has this in his left back leg only.

Do your dogs suffer from this??
what do you do to keep them good?
Can I let my dog run free with this?
Can I go jogging with him and take him with me on a bikeride ? (I bike, he runs besides me)

Please let me know how your dogs live with this.

That doesn't sound like a dog that doesn't have much pain.

LDMomma · 01-16-2011, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FidoTheYorkie

Two days ago I went with Fido to the vets cause he had so much itch in his paw, I got shampoo to bathe the paw with and its OK now.
The vet was checking him out, felt his knees and said to me that he has Patella luxation

When I think back, he has often started limp in walks just out of no where , I always thought he stepped on a stone or something , but it has been this.
Also, often he screams (makes this awfaul loud squeeking sound, never heard it from a dog before) and puts his tail between his legs, I thought he just had to get his anal glands squeesed or something, but then again it was his knee.
Most often he doesnt ''scream'' , sometimes he does that but not often, maybe once in 1-3 months, sometimes he does it many times a day , sometimes not for half a year.

He has this in his left back leg only.

Do your dogs suffer from this??
what do you do to keep them good?
Can I let my dog run free with this?
Can I go jogging with him and take him with me on a bikeride? (I bike, he runs besides me)

Please let me know how your dogs live with this.

I have two dogs that suffer from grade 3 LP in both rear legs. They were diagnosed shortly after their first birthdays. They live very close to normal lives.

One very helpful thing that you can do is limit jumping as much as possible. Get stairs or ramps for your dog to get on/off the furniture.

Give a joint supplement daily. We use Glyco-flex III. Another good one is Nupro (silver) Joint Support.

We allow our dogs to run free at the dog park.

I would not continue with the jogging behind the bike.

Daisy's rear left leg was luxating about 1x per week when she first got diagnosed. Since giving the Glyco-Flex, it has cut back to about once every 6 months or so. I have seen a large improvement.

JDS · 01-16-2011, 02:02 PM

I wasn't recommending surgery for Fido. However, I do believe a second opinion would be a good thing. You definitely need to know what grade LP he has. Lulu's grade 3 leg was out pretty much all the time. It would go back in with manipulation, but would quickly luxate after the vet released pressure...that is why surgery was recommended for her. She couldn't run around without showing symptoms (pulling up her leg) so I knew surgery was needed. As I stated before her grade 2 leg, she never shows symptoms so surgery wasn't recommended at this time. But I felt much better hearing that from a surgeon who did this all the time. JMO, of course. And FWIW, Lulu's surgery set us back $2,000. But it's been more than worth it. And if the day comes where her other leg needs surgery, we will proceed with that as well.

For now, I would ask your vet about beginning the glucosamine supplements. Lulu takes Dasuquin(??spelling). Also, as others have mentioned, no jumping on or off furntiure & keep Fido's weight to a healthy range. Water exercise was recommended by my vet as well. She said it's a great way to exercise without stressing the joints. As small as Lulu is, she will begin her water therapy in our bath tub as soon as she is released by the surgeon.

Sammy Mommy · 01-16-2011, 02:38 PM

Sammy has grade 1 luxating patella. He takes glucosamine & chondroiton. The vet put her hand over mine and showed me how to move it back to place. Maybe your vet could do that. No jumping, no stairs! Also keep the weight to the normal range. Good luck!!

dinkyweil · 01-16-2011, 03:17 PM

Dinky has it too. The vet told us just to watch it and told us that in his case surgery was probably not necessary.
Just the other day when we tried to walk outside, it started to bother him, and he started to walk on 3 legs. We brought him right in and got him warm. So we are keeping an eye on him.
Just another reason that I do not like winter!

01-16-2011, 12:13 PM	#1
FidoTheYorkie YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hafnafjörður, Iceland , North Europe Posts: 728	Fido has patella luxation :( ! Two days ago I went with Fido to the vets cause he had so much itch in his paw, I got shampoo to bathe the paw with and its OK now. The vet was checking him out, felt his knees and said to me that he has Patella luxation When I think back, he has often started limp in walks just out of no where , I always thought he stepped on a stone or something , but it has been this. Also, often he screams (makes this awfaul loud squeeking sound, never heard it from a dog before) and puts his tail between his legs, I thought he just had to get his anal glands squeesed or something, but then again it was his knee. Most often he doesnt ''scream'' , sometimes he does that but not often, maybe once in 1-3 months, sometimes he does it many times a day , sometimes not for half a year. He has this in his left back leg only. Do your dogs suffer from this?? what do you do to keep them good? Can I let my dog run free with this? Can I go jogging with him and take him with me on a bikeride ? (I bike, he runs besides me) Please let me know how your dogs live with this. __________________ Sun [Owner] ,Fido [Yorkie] ,Mímir [Chinese Crested] ,Kría [Icelandic cat] ,Skuggi [Forrest cat]

01-16-2011, 12:31 PM	#2
yorkieusa Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 21,173	No, mine doesn't have that. It's a painful condition, though, and I would think that your veterinarian would have told you what he recommended. I would recommend surgery. It sounds like he is having a lot of pain. I wouldn't want him running around without surgery. It will only get worse as time goes by and all of that running will just make it worse. __________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel Last edited by yorkieusa; 01-16-2011 at 12:32 PM.

01-16-2011, 12:32 PM	#3
bjh Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 7,959	How old is Fido and how much does he weigh? Patella luxation is fairly common to one degree or another in yorkies. Most yorkies can live with it with no problem. Did you vet say what grade he has? Most people would not recommend surgery unless he starts showing signs of pain. I think just regular exercise would be okay but you want to limit his jumping up and down. Some yorkies that are kept in exercise pens or behind gates will jump up and down over and over again and that will eventually lead to patella problems. A glucosamine product might be helpful also. __________________ "Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

01-16-2011, 12:49 PM	#4
yorkieusa Crazy about Kacee! Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kansas Posts: 21,173	This link may answer a few questions you have. Also, if you go to YouTube.com, there are quite a few videos about luxating patella. I hope Fido will be ok. http://taylormadeyorkies.blogspot.co...a-kneecap.html __________________ Karen Kacee Muffin 1991-2005 Rest in Peace My Little Angel

01-16-2011, 12:54 PM	#5
JDS YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: the good 'ol South Posts: 683	How old is Fido, what does he weigh, & what grade is the LP? My Lulu was just recently diagnosed with grade 3 LP in her right rear leg & grade 2 in her left rear leg. It came on suddenly, she never showed any symptoms and then one day I felt it pop & took her to the vet. Lulu never cried with it, she just tucked her leg up and limped. I chose to see a board certified surgeon & he recommended surgery. It's been 2.5 weeks since her surgery & she is recovering well. I think you should definitely get a second opinion about this. Not that I think your vet is wrong, but with my experience it was very helpful & reassuring to hear at least 2 vets confirm the diagnosis and recommend treatment. My normal vet recommended glucosamine supplements & omega 3 supplements for life. Not all babies with LP have to have surgery. However, I believe a board certified surgeon is the best person to evaluate and make recommendations. BTW, the surgeon said that Lulu's other leg (grade 2) may or may not need surgery eventually. As of right now, it does not. But it is something that we will have to keep an eye on. I am hoping that the supplements & exercises will help decrease her chance of needing LP repair on that leg. Feel free to pm me if you have specific questions or concerns. I'm by no means an expert, but I will gladly share my experience...it's still very fresh in my mind. __________________ Jenn & Lulu

01-16-2011, 12:56 PM	#6
JDS YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: the good 'ol South Posts: 683	I forgot to add that Lulu was 8 months old & 3 lbs 6 oz when she was diagnosed. She did very well with the surgery & the recovery is going well. Although crate rest is hard on all of us! __________________ Jenn & Lulu

01-16-2011, 12:58 PM	#7
FidoTheYorkie YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hafnafjörður, Iceland , North Europe Posts: 728	Thanks for the answers. I dont want to do a surgery on him, its not often that he limps, maybe 1-4 times in a year, he does not often ''scream'', when he does it its just in 1-5 seconds then he goes back to normal. Im not sure its pain, I think he's just scared, doesnt know ''what that was''. I think he has just 1 grade, im not sure, im going back to the vet in 2-4 weeks to buy dog food, I'm going to ask the vet what grade he has then. __________________ Sun [Owner] ,Fido [Yorkie] ,Mímir [Chinese Crested] ,Kría [Icelandic cat] ,Skuggi [Forrest cat]

01-16-2011, 01:13 PM	#9
FidoTheYorkie YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hafnafjörður, Iceland , North Europe Posts: 728	Fido's like a little girl haha he cries out of something that is nothing, If i step on his coat he screams also! even if he doesnt hurt a bit if he's uncomftorble he screams. Fido wheighs 6 kilo's , i think its about 15-16 lbs, he's very big. Right now he's 6,5 kilos, he was 7,5 kilosthis summer cause I changed his food and it made him get really really fat! when he's in the right wheigh he's about 5,5 -6 kilos, something under 6 kilos propably. The surgery here costs about 1 thousand and 500 dollars, its EXPENSIVE ! but if this gets worse and he's often in pain (Fido is never in pain i think) then ofcourse I will get him into surgery, its just also long recovery time and the surgery would be so hard for him, I dont want to do it if I dont have to. Fido is 2 and a half years old He was born 13 July 2008. My vet reccomanded me that I keep him in a good shape, exercise him well, so he gets much muscle around the knee. Do you think that is wrong ??? they are very good vetnarians that I know personally, I work at their clinic. Fido does not jump much, hardly anything, he just jumps in my bed and sometimes in the sofa (not often). __________________ Sun [Owner] ,Fido [Yorkie] ,Mímir [Chinese Crested] ,Kría [Icelandic cat] ,Skuggi [Forrest cat]

01-16-2011, 01:25 PM	#10
bjh Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 7,959	Lol, he is a big boy. Just make sure he is not over weight, that is not good for his knees. Some yorkies have knees that pop in and out and the never require surgery. Just keep an eye on him and try to keep him from over exerting himself. Do ask the vet about giving him a joint supplement. __________________ "Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

01-16-2011, 02:02 PM	#13
JDS YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: the good 'ol South Posts: 683	I wasn't recommending surgery for Fido. However, I do believe a second opinion would be a good thing. You definitely need to know what grade LP he has. Lulu's grade 3 leg was out pretty much all the time. It would go back in with manipulation, but would quickly luxate after the vet released pressure...that is why surgery was recommended for her. She couldn't run around without showing symptoms (pulling up her leg) so I knew surgery was needed. As I stated before her grade 2 leg, she never shows symptoms so surgery wasn't recommended at this time. But I felt much better hearing that from a surgeon who did this all the time. JMO, of course. And FWIW, Lulu's surgery set us back $2,000. But it's been more than worth it. And if the day comes where her other leg needs surgery, we will proceed with that as well. For now, I would ask your vet about beginning the glucosamine supplements. Lulu takes Dasuquin(??spelling). Also, as others have mentioned, no jumping on or off furntiure & keep Fido's weight to a healthy range. Water exercise was recommended by my vet as well. She said it's a great way to exercise without stressing the joints. As small as Lulu is, she will begin her water therapy in our bath tub as soon as she is released by the surgeon. __________________ Jenn & Lulu

01-16-2011, 02:38 PM	#14
Sammy Mommy Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New York Posts: 3,896	Sammy has grade 1 luxating patella. He takes glucosamine & chondroiton. The vet put her hand over mine and showed me how to move it back to place. Maybe your vet could do that. No jumping, no stairs! Also keep the weight to the normal range. Good luck!!

01-16-2011, 03:17 PM	#15
dinkyweil YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Nebo, NC Posts: 479	Dinky has it too. The vet told us just to watch it and told us that in his case surgery was probably not necessary. Just the other day when we tried to walk outside, it started to bother him, and he started to walk on 3 legs. We brought him right in and got him warm. So we are keeping an eye on him. Just another reason that I do not like winter!