I would like to think that conscientious breeders who are looking to improve upon the breed - not just create as many dogs as they can - are doing what they can to ensure their pups don't have LP. I have had a breeder say to me "99% of all Yorkies have LP - you can't prevent it". What I've learned here is that you might be not able to prevent all cases, but you certainly can reduce the occurrences by good breeding techniques.
This thread has been full of great information!!!! Sissy has a very mild case of LP and once identified, we have been using Missing Link + with her. ML+ has a special glucosomine forumla in it for healthy joints. Sissy is not a jumper other than on/off our low couch, and she doesn't jump up and down just for fun. Angel, on the other hand, is like a jack rabbit. Yet, Angel does not show any signs of LP. I do think that regular exercise can help strengthen the ligaments and bones - just like with humans. And whether we'd like to admit this or not, jumping is a form of exercise.
__________________  Sissy & Angel |