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Originally Posted by Layla84  I am new to this community today. Today my Layla (8) is in alot of pain. Two days ago she was acting really strange. I took her right to the vet because we thought maybe she had low blood sugar. The Vet realized that her left knee is out of place and was most likely a birth defect. (Knee dysplasia)? The Vet played with her knee alot that day but Layla seemed to be doing better. They sent us home with a prescription for Metacam. Yesterday she was even worse. She barely walks at all and wont go outside by herself. I called the Vet last night and the Dr. said to give it until Monday and the meds should be very effective. Then if she still is having flare ups we could discuss surgery. The surgery is not an outrageous expense considering her age and the thought of spending money on meds every month is kinda scarey too. Today she just seems to be in alot of pain but it just seems so strange that it has gottn worse than it has ever been. Could it be because the Dr. maneurvered the knee so much? Will this get better? |
Hey there! Welcome to YorkieTalk, so bad you had to find it this way
Unfortunately, LP or luxating patella is incredibly common in yorkies. There are a couple ways to manage it. One of which is restricting high-impact movement (such as jumping), joint supplements such as Cosequin, and surgery. My Ranger was diagnosed two weeks ago. He was not in pain everyday, but after lots of activity he would limp a few steps here and there. We decided to opt for surgery asap due to his passion for being crazy-active, his young age and the fact if you put it off, it can get worse and cause arthritis and/or serious problems with the cruciate ligament.
He had surgery Tuesday. There are two threads for Ranger in the Health and Diet section:
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...artbroken.html http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...er-update.html
As for your girl, she is probably sore due to the manipulation from her exam. It could also be that her patella was out-of-place and the vet was able to put it back in, and she feels uncomfortable. Obviously, I opted for surgery, but I believe the choice is very personal. I know there are lots on here with LP and are managed just fine. However, if she's to the point where she's in frequent pain, I sure as heck would have a consult with a surgeon. I hate the thought of them being on nsaids for the rest of their lives. Please let me know if you have any questions or just need to vent.