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Originally Posted by ruggy  THANKS FOR all the tips...hmm, i really dont want to put him through surgery  but yeah, i guess it's better for him in the long run...so you recommend i do both legs? i guess there's that chance the other leg can be affected later on... |
Its unfortunate but most dogs do eventually need to get both legs done. In bigger dogs usually only one leg shows signs of LP, but since they are using the good leg to over compensate for the bad leg, by the time the bad leg is healed from surgery the good leg starts showing signs as well. In small dogs, its a very common thing to have both done at the same time because most small dogs have LPs, whether they show signs or not. Depending on the dog and the severity some vets will do both at the same time, some won't. So if you go and see an orthopedic surgeon i would ask them what they think. They are board certified in most cases and have more knowledge about what they are doing then regular DVMs. Some regular DVMs do knees on a refular basis, but most do not, so i would seek a second opinion with a orthopedic surgeon after you talk to your own vet.