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12-16-2008, 07:15 PM | #1 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Roseville
Posts: 5
| joint supplement My one yr old yorkie has two luxating patellas, but she runs and jumps and it does not seem to bother her yet. I have been reading about joint supplements like Cosequin. Can it be used preventively to reduce the severity of any problems with the patellas? I saw a place online that sells it, presumably for less than at a vet, and was thinking about trying it. The things I have read say that it has helped a dog already in pain. |
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12-16-2008, 08:58 PM | #2 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| Cosequin is wonderful and will help with the arthritis associated with luxating patellas, but it won't fix them or prevent them from getting worse. Keeping her from jumping on and off furniture is the best way to keep them from getting worse. Dogs with luxating patellas are also prone to ACL tears so it's very important that they don't jump. Did your vet grade the luxation? Grade 1 doesn't need surgery, Grade 2 probably won't, but grades 3 & 4 will need surgery. I get Lady's Cosequin from Entirely Pets: Cosequin Regular Strength (90 capsules) |
12-17-2008, 08:55 AM | #3 |
YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Roseville
Posts: 5
| joint supplement Thanks for the reply. So if Misty is not showing lp signs yet, has arthritis already begun to develop, so it may be worth starting the joint supplement at this time? Or should I wait until she is showing signs of joint problems? Also, any suggestions on how to keep her from jumping!? Misty jumps on and off the furniture all the time. Her vet said one knee is a 3/4 and the other knee a 1/2. I don't understand how Misty can have a patella that dislocated, and she can still walk just fine. |
12-17-2008, 09:09 AM | #4 |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | I would start the Cosequin asap. Wylie is a grade 2 - but has never limped or shown any outward clinical sign that he even has LP, it was diagnosed just through exam. I've put him on Cosequin (about 3 mths now) to hopefully help things from deteriorating further.
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |
12-17-2008, 09:40 AM | #5 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| Quote:
Misty was probably born with luxating patellas, but she could have gotten them from jumping. The knee that is a 3/4 will need surgery, the sooner the better to prevent the joint from deteriorating further. This was posted by a vet who is a member on another forum I belong to. It's a great explanation of luxating patellas: Medial patellar luxations are graded to assess severity. Grade I: The kneecap can be moved out of place manually but will fall back into its natural position once the manipulator lets go. Grade 2: Same thing except that the kneecap does not move back to its normal position when the manipulator lets go. These dogs are likely to progress to arthritis development and should be considered for surgery to prevent conformational damage. There is some controversy over whether grade 2 dogs should have surgery. Grade 3: The patella is out of place all the time but can be manipulated back into its normal position manually (though it will not stay there). Grade 4: The patella is not only out of place all the time but cannot even be manipulated back into place by hand. Such a dog has extreme difficulty extending his knees and walks with his knees bent virtually all the time. It is not a good thing to have one's knee cap out of place; the entire weight-bearing stress of the rear leg is altered which, in time, leads to changes in the hips, long bones, and ultimately arthritis. How severe the changes are depends on how severe the luxation is (i.e., the grade as described above) and how long that degree of luxation has been going on. In time, the legs will actually turn inward, making the dog "knock-kneed." The luxation is not considered a painful condition but after enough time and conformational change, arthritis sets in, which is indeed painful. Dogs with Grade I luxations do not require surgical repair. Grade 2 dogs may benefit from surgery and most often the owner is called upon to judge how big a problem the lameness is. Dogs with Grade 3 or 4 disease definitely should have surgery. | |
12-17-2008, 01:25 PM | #6 |
Yorkie Yakker | I took my dog to a few vets when I noticed that she was limping. I took her to her regular vet who diagnosed her with a luxating patella but could not tell us the grade. He recommended an orthopaedic surgeon who I took my puppy too. He said that hers was bad and that it was out of place more than it was in. He did xrays and in the xrays the knee was in place. He also told us that he prefers to do both knees at once because it makes it easier for recovery. He checked her other knee and said it was fine. He told us that if he could make it pop out he would which i thought was a bit off. I took her to my husband's regular vet that he has been using for five years. he also does the surgery and he said that he would absolutely not give her the surgery. I have been giving her the joint supplements that the ortho recommended which are synovi g3 and i order them off amazon. I have also been walking her more because that is supposed to strengthen up the knees too! Good luck! |
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