|
Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member! Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us. |
|
| LinkBack | Thread Tools |
05-14-2014, 07:17 AM | #1 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: May 2014 Location: Boston
Posts: 4
| Luxating Patella, grade 3, < 1 year old Hey guys, I have done some searching but still have a few questions. We have 2 yorkie dogs, both 10 months old (roughly). One has been lifting her back leg since Sunday, she was running around all day and playing, then just laid down! We took her to the vet on Monday morning as it didn't seem to be getting any better. The vet told us its LP and possibly a stage 3. We are getting a second opinion tomorrow afternoon, for now she is on meds and strict rest. We have 2 dogs as mentioned and of course one wants to play with the other. When we separate them they bark and cry like crazy, so we've had success leaving the crate open and she just lays down while he plays around a little, then goes in with her. My questions are: 1. Is 10 months too young to even think of surgery? 2. If we do the surgery how will we keep them separated for a month+? 3. Is there anything we should ask the 2nd vet tomorrow specifically? I appreciate any/all help! Matt |
Welcome Guest! | |
05-14-2014, 08:10 AM | #2 |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | Hi Matt - WELCOME to YT ! Glad you found us. My Wylie went through LP a little over a year ago and does just amazing - you'd never know he had the surgery. Knock on wood. As far as age - I'd let your vets / specialists guide you in that matter - I can't really speak to whether it'd be best to wait or not. You generally don't want to wait toooo long when it's a Grade 3 that also has symptoms, but again, I'd speak at length w/ your vets about this aspect. As far as separation, we have 2 other yorkies and we didn't keep them separated at all. Wylie was encouraged to be mobile and walk around - just no fetching / fast running etc for a good while. So, you may not have to keep them separated, it may just be a matter of figuring out how to avoid running for a while. For what to ask the vet, I'd ask about the recovery - get a really clear picture of what's to be expected both the first several days (very different than later) vs after that. Also, will you be doing BOTH knees or just one? We did both Wylie's knees at one time, and I'm so glad I went that route vs 1 at a time. Ask perhaps what happens if the surgery doesn't go well afterward, what would revisions cost if needed. Ask about chances of arthritis so you're clear on that front. Make sure there is a good pain management plan for afterward -- especially including what is the plan after hours if pain is NOT being managed - what should you do then (most vets will tell you how you should increase the dose properly if meds aren't working at current dose). I hope it goes well for your kiddo - and please keep us posted!
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |
05-14-2014, 09:49 AM | #3 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Urbana, IL USA
Posts: 3,648
| Quote:
Ask the second vet for a referral to a good orthopedic surgeon who has experience with this kind of surgery. Ask about the costs and benefits of waiting until the dog is older before getting the surgery done. My surgeon said I had a year or two to make the decision before arthritis set in, but your surgeon may tell you differently. Our Bella has luxating Patella in both legs, but it was much worse in one leg than the other, so we had only one leg operated on. The surgeon said that the other leg may never get to the stage where it will require surgery. Each dog is different. | |
05-19-2014, 07:13 AM | #4 |
Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: USA
Posts: 7,652
|
__________________ The Above advice/comments/reviews are my personal opinions based on my own experience/education/investigation and research and you can take them any way you want to......Or NOT!!! |
05-20-2014, 04:37 PM | #5 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Katy, Texas USA
Posts: 1,458
| Our surgeon didn't recommend confining Buster all of the time. He wanted Buster to put weight on the leg. We took him out to potty on a leash so that he wouldn't chase the birds or run after our other Yorkie. We didn't keep the two separated unless we weren't home. Since they are both used to sleeping with us, guess who slept on the floor?! If you guessed me, you are correct! We were extra careful that Buster was contained enough that he could not run when Maggie was running, other than that, they weren't really separated.
__________________ Jeanie, mom to Buster and Maggie |
06-04-2014, 05:01 AM | #6 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: May 2014 Location: Boston
Posts: 4
| Quick Update Thanks all for the information and personal experience. We took Mia in for a second opinion and while it was certain she had slid her kneecap out of place we were told its less severe. They had us STOP the opium-like drug and switched to Metacam for 10 days. She's been off meds for over a week now and plays as usual, though we noticed she doesn't run as hard. Not sure if thats because its painful (impossible to tell, though no limping) or she is just scared to pull it again. Either way we are monitoring her and will see how this goes. While not a vet I think she pulled something from running all day (Sunday BBQ at home) and the first vet sent us right to "Worst case scenario" with no real explanation. I'll let you know how the fur baby is in a bit, though her brother (Micah) is quite happy to see her playful and active again, as are we! Matt |
06-04-2014, 05:27 AM | #7 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Urbana, IL USA
Posts: 3,648
| Quote:
| |
06-09-2014, 12:48 AM | #8 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: KS
Posts: 66
| Matt, thanks for posting this. I hope you don't mind if I chime in here and ask some questions. My little guy was just diagnosed with LP in both back legs. I'm told since he's so small at 4 lbs, 2 years old, he doesn't need surgery yet. I'm going back to the vet to ask more questions once I learn a bit about what LP is. I'm wondering if anyone has used any joint supplements or walking at an incline to strengthen? Is that even an option at this point? I wonder how vets can estimate how long he will have before arthritis sets in? As I said, he's 2 years old. Also, can anyone recommend a good pet insurance company that will cover this? Technically it hasn't been documented yet. Matt, best of luck with your baby. This is a tough thing for these little pups to go through.
__________________ Last edited by octobersongs; 06-09-2014 at 12:49 AM. |
06-09-2014, 05:17 AM | #9 | |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Urbana, IL USA
Posts: 3,648
| Quote:
| |
06-13-2014, 03:17 PM | #10 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: May 2014 Location: Boston
Posts: 4
| We have since taken Mia off the Metacam, let her play as normal and noticed a few things. 1. She doesn't run "balls to the wall" like she used to, but still active. 2. She lays down sometimes after playing but then gets up and is fine. Not sure if these are warning signs but will be monitoring closely. We were also recommended a joint supplement and minor exercise but honestly that seems like a REALLY bad idea so we're just keeping her normal. @octobersongs — Hope your little guy gets better!! Thanks! Matt |
09-22-2015, 03:32 PM | #11 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: May 2014 Location: Boston
Posts: 4
| I really appreciate the input this community provided so quickly. Thanks to the links and first-hand knowledge we were able to make some informed decisions. Its been well over a year now and (not so little) Mia is doing well. I know in her mind she knows certain actions can cause issues, like running full out in the yard or sliding back and forth on the floors. However overall she has been healthy and as of right now, no corrective surgery was required. We just keep an eye on any warning signs and have an Advil-like medicine to give if she pulls it to reduce the swelling. Matt |
Bookmarks |
|
|
Thread Tools | |
| |
|
|
SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart