In my opinion, if he shows no signs of pain or lameness, no matter what the grade be, I would not have surgery done. If I were concerned that the dog was in pain, then I would seek the opinion of a board certified orthopedic surgeon and have them take proper x-rays and evaluate the dog.
A dog can need surgery at any grade if they are in pain. I would not use the number as a part in my decision for surgery.
My yorkie has grade 3-4 LP in both legs. She's had this problem since she was a baby however she has never shown any outward signs of pain or lameness. I had her evaluated twice by the orthopedic surgeons I used to work for. Once at 6 months and then again at 4 years. We came to the decision that since she shows no signs of pain, lameness, or discomfort it is not worth it to put her through the pain of surgery. The benefits of surgery will not out weigh the negatives and in the end she will still end up with arthritis.
The best things to do in my yorkies situation is to keep her at a healthy weight (and even slightly below it if necessary) and to build up the muscles in her rear legs by going for daily walks. A healthy weight will keep stress off of her joints, and good muscle mass will help strengthen her rear legs. Since she has bilateral LPs her rear legs are naturally leaner then her front legs. She over compensates with her front half. If she were a bigger dog this would cause a problem but since she is so small she should be fine the rest of her life by just being proactive and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
__________________ Kellie  and  Morgan |