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12-06-2008, 11:15 PM | #1 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: CA
Posts: 682
| need some advice! Luxating patella... I guess Lucie is just becoming my problem baby. This evening she jumped/fell off the bed. Not sure which, I got up to go to the bathroom (she never tries getting off the bed herself.) When I came back my mom had her and said she came out of the room, I didn't hear a yelp or anything, she was shaking a little so I assumed she fell but she wasn't doing anything wierd. A few hours later I noticed she was holding her back leg up, after checking her out for a few minutes I figured I should take her to the Emergency vet. The girl checked out her leg, and said that it seemed like she has a luxating patella in both legs. She said on a scale of 0-4 with zero being nothing she would rate her at a 2. She told me that there is a good chance that later on she may need surgery for it. Now the breeder that I got her from, has a health guarantee for 1 year for her puppies against congenital defects including luxating patella..It basically states that you can send the puppy back and she will give you another etc..Well I don't want another dog, I want the one I have so shoud I even bother saying anything to her? Also, does anyone have any advice on how I can deal with it for now? Lucie is usually such a wimp, she wines over the smallest things and yet she didn't do anything over this, the vet gave me some pain meds to last a couple days, so I gave her some just in case its hurting. But now I am paranoid about her little legs, I was already worried about broken bones because she is so tiny, but now it's 500x worse because I don't want her leg popping out of place again!
__________________ Kati,Duke,and Lucie |
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12-07-2008, 05:13 AM | #2 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: upstate ny
Posts: 5,847
| I'm not sure you would need surgery for grade 2. I've always been told grade 3 or grade 4 but not grade 2. I don't think it would hurt to mention it to the breeder if you have an open line of communication but I wouldn't want a new puppy if it were me..... |
12-07-2008, 06:08 AM | #3 |
Loved by Layla Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Canada
Posts: 11,257
| I probably wouldn't say anything to your breeder- i'm really surprised that she includes LP in her health guarantee because LP can just happen- and isn't always congenital. I also wouldn't be getting surgery just yet. Layla has stage 2 in one leg and stage 1 on the other. Surgery is usually for stage 3-4. You can put her on a supplement that many on here say has slowed down the progression on LP it's called cosequin. |
12-07-2008, 06:38 AM | #4 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| Luxating patellas can be congenital, but they can also be caused by traumatic injury which is apparently what happened with Lucie. Lucie's breeder would not be responsible. Grade 2 may or may not need surgery. You will just have to wait and see if they get worse. You need to get some steps so she can get up and down on your bed by herself. They have smaller steps for couches and chairs if she jumps up on them, too. Dogs with luxating patellas are very prone to ACL tears and those definitely need surgery. |
12-07-2008, 08:22 AM | #5 |
Yorkie Yakker | my yorkie was diagnosed with luxating patella about 5 months ago. The orthopaedic surgeon said she needed surgery immediately and that her knee was out of place more than it was in. I took her to another vet who does the same surgery and he said that he wouldn't do surgery on her yet. He said that taking them for walks helps strengthen her legs which would help with the knees. The ortho gave us some chondroiton/glucosamine treats that I give her everyday. You can order them off line they are called synovi g3. She takes half of one everyday and they are supposed to help with joints and they do seem to work. Good luck! |
12-07-2008, 01:19 PM | #6 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: CA
Posts: 682
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__________________ Kati,Duke,and Lucie | |
12-07-2008, 01:24 PM | #7 | |
Loved by Layla Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Canada
Posts: 11,257
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12-07-2008, 01:27 PM | #8 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: CA
Posts: 682
| Quote:
Do they have to be taught how to use the steps, or do they catch on to it right away? Neither of them have ever been around stairs.
__________________ Kati,Duke,and Lucie | |
12-07-2008, 01:31 PM | #9 |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: CA
Posts: 682
| New question Are there ways to prevent the knee from moving out of place?? I am afraid now that the slightest things will make it happen again, she started playing with Duke last night, like how they always do, and she yelped all of a sudden and started holding her leg up again, I don't know why she yelped, it didn't happen again. But now I'm paranoid that even tugging on her leg when I try to brush the little knots out will hurt her.
__________________ Kati,Duke,and Lucie |
12-07-2008, 01:44 PM | #10 | |
Loved by Layla Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Canada
Posts: 11,257
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12-07-2008, 01:47 PM | #11 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,317
| Quote:
Grade I: The kneecap can be moved out of place manually but will fall back into its natural position once the manipulator lets go. Grade 2: Same thing except that the kneecap does not move back to its normal position when the manipulator lets go. These dogs are likely to progress to arthritis development and should be considered for surgery to prevent conformational damage. There is some controversy over whether grade 2 dogs should have surgery. Grade 3: The patella is out of place all the time but can be manipulated back into its normal position manually (though it will not stay there). Grade 4: The patella is not only out of place all the time but cannot even be manipulated back into place by hand. Such a dog has extreme difficulty extending his knees and walks with his knees bent virtually all the time. It is not a good thing to have one's knee cap out of place; the entire weight-bearing stress of the rear leg is altered which, in time, leads to changes in the hips, long bones, and ultimately arthritis. How severe the changes are depends on how severe the luxation is (i.e., the grade as described above) and how long that degree of luxation has been going on. In time, the legs will actually turn inward, making the dog "knock-kneed." The luxation is not considered a painful condition but after enough time and conformational change, arthritis sets in, which is indeed painful. Dogs with Grade I luxations do not require surgical repair. Grade 2 dogs may benefit from surgery and most often the owner is called upon to judge how big a problem the lameness is. Dogs with Grade 3 or 4 disease definitely should have surgery. | |
12-07-2008, 02:23 PM | #12 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: CA
Posts: 682
| Quote:
Do you ever have to take Layla to the vet to have it put back in place?
__________________ Kati,Duke,and Lucie | |
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