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yorkiemalt · 05-06-2010, 05:58 AM

Good Morning! I'm so sorry to hear your Harley is uncomfortable but you are right, it's a problem that can be fixed. In a 10 month period I had to do both my maltese's knees and one on my yorkie. We are 3 years post-op this month with Chandler and I'm happy to report you would never know for one minute that he had surgery. Phoebi too! Both run, jump and play like puppies. I do supplement with Cosequin to help them out.

I'm not going to pretend to know all about lp but I'd be happy to tell you what questions I would be asking a perspective orthopaedic surgeon. Some of these I did ask myself but some I found out about along the way.

1. are you board certified? very important! you want somebody who keeps up with his education. ask what year they were last certified? I've heard of some saying yes but it turns out it was back in the 1970's. I wanted somebody who has taken the time to learn all the new procedures because let's face it...medical things change rapidly.

2. how many lp surgeries do you do in a week? I wanted somebody who did enough and who also had a high success rate. I'll never forget when I asked the receptionist that question. She hesitated and I thought oh God but came back quickly and said there were too many to count. BINGO! I live in an area where Veterinary care is very competitive and knowing he did so many was a relief to me.

3. if Harley truly is a Grade 4, what procedure do you plan to use? there are 2 versions to this surgery. in simple terms, there is one where the groove in the knee cap is just deepened and there is another (which both mine had) where the tibia is also cut and pinned to help align the knee in the future. my guess would be the 2nd version is the one he is going to suggest.

4. can you give me a basic rundown on your aftercare instructions? ask if Harley will be up and walking the next morning (with support). the knee should never, EVER be restricted by a bandage. the most important part of recovery is to get the joint moving as soon as possible after surgery. we started with 3 minutes walks (supported) 3X a day for the first few days and then slowly increased according to his directions.

I know I just threw a ton of info at you and if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

05-06-2010, 05:58 AM	#7
yorkiemalt Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 3,468	Good Morning! I'm so sorry to hear your Harley is uncomfortable but you are right, it's a problem that can be fixed. In a 10 month period I had to do both my maltese's knees and one on my yorkie. We are 3 years post-op this month with Chandler and I'm happy to report you would never know for one minute that he had surgery. Phoebi too! Both run, jump and play like puppies. I do supplement with Cosequin to help them out. I'm not going to pretend to know all about lp but I'd be happy to tell you what questions I would be asking a perspective orthopaedic surgeon. Some of these I did ask myself but some I found out about along the way. 1. are you board certified? very important! you want somebody who keeps up with his education. ask what year they were last certified? I've heard of some saying yes but it turns out it was back in the 1970's. I wanted somebody who has taken the time to learn all the new procedures because let's face it...medical things change rapidly. 2. how many lp surgeries do you do in a week? I wanted somebody who did enough and who also had a high success rate. I'll never forget when I asked the receptionist that question. She hesitated and I thought oh God but came back quickly and said there were too many to count. BINGO! I live in an area where Veterinary care is very competitive and knowing he did so many was a relief to me. 3. if Harley truly is a Grade 4, what procedure do you plan to use? there are 2 versions to this surgery. in simple terms, there is one where the groove in the knee cap is just deepened and there is another (which both mine had) where the tibia is also cut and pinned to help align the knee in the future. my guess would be the 2nd version is the one he is going to suggest. 4. can you give me a basic rundown on your aftercare instructions? ask if Harley will be up and walking the next morning (with support). the knee should never, EVER be restricted by a bandage. the most important part of recovery is to get the joint moving as soon as possible after surgery. we started with 3 minutes walks (supported) 3X a day for the first few days and then slowly increased according to his directions. I know I just threw a ton of info at you and if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. __________________ KimPhoebiChandler