[Nikki+2]

After much searching I've determined it's really hard to do a thorough search on LP on YT due to it being too short and the full term, luxating patella not being used frequently. So I'm sorry in advance for starting a thread that I'm sure has been covered a million times.

Gracie has grade 2 lp in both legs and Sugar was just diagnosed with grade 3 in both. Neither have any symptoms at all with the exceptions of Gracie favoring a leg for a few seconds and that has probably happened 2 or 3 times in her whole life, and one time Sugar got up to run and his legs went out for a split second. At the time I wrote it off to him attempting a full run straight from a deep sleep to join the other dogs barking.

I am so, soooo hesitant to go through with LP surgery when there does not seem to be any pain at all. Sugar, being a 3 would be the first consideration of the 2. He has never been able to jump up or off of furniture so there isn't any danger of him injuring it further by jumping and truthfully, he really isn't a very active dog at all. He doesn't even join in to play with Gracie and Spike but just likes to sit back and watch, wag his tail like crazy and give a little bark here and there to cheer it on.

So at this point I'm going to start cosequin for all three of them. I am actually furious that my vet has never mentioned it and I've left a message for him to call me to see why. For those of you with experience in this; what can I expect and how will I know if it's doing anything? With grade 3 LP, is the most I can hope for is to hold off arthritis? Will it possibly keep Gracie from progressing to stage 3? She's been at 2 for most of her life and I'm guessing in her case it was hereditary and could easily stay a 2. I believe Sugar's is from injury as he has had 2 falls (neither were with me but of course that's beside the point).

I really don't want to put him through surgery unless it's 100% necessary but then I worry if I make the wrong decision, will he end up paying for it later?