Hi, I can only address part of your questions. I'm sure others will chime in, though. My Bella was diagnosed with luxating patella after I noticed her walking on three legs a lot. She has luxating patella in both hind legs, but it was more severe in the one she kept off the floor. Bella weighs six pounds, and the vet said that she didn't need to be operated on right away since arthritis can take a year or two to set in, but I didn't want to take any chances and had her operated on right away. Three months later, she has made almost a complete recovery in the operated leg--she uses all four legs the vast majority of the time. I was told that she will not need surgery on her other leg unless it starts bothering her. So, my advice is, if your dog seems to have trouble walking with one or both hind legs, it's better to have surgery sooner than later, especially if this is something that has been going on for a long time. Also, avoid slipping and sliding on smooth floors and jumping on and off furniture--ligament tears could happen as a result, and that would make things much worse. If you finally do decide on surgery, find a board certified orthopedic surgeon with lots of experience with this kind of surgery. Good luck! |