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01-13-2006, 04:39 PM | #1 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chicago Suburbs
Posts: 3,306
| Grade 2 Luxating Patella Loki was diagnosed today with grade 2 LP. I already guessed this was the case and I am relieved it is grade 2 and not 3, although the vet said it might stay the same but could get worse. She did not recommend surgery at this time, and we don't need to confine him. She just suggested he not jump from extremely high places (he doesn't) and that he can't do agility. He can still do the weave and the tunnel though! I got some glucosamine & chondroitin and we'll check back with her in a month or two. We really like our vet and she always takes good care of Loki, so I'm not worried. What happens happens and they can fix it if they need to. What really bugs me is that I called the breeder tonight. I let her know he has been diagnosed with LP. (He is 14 months old.) I didn't expect anything, except to give her the names of his parents so that she could OFA test them or check their lines/offspring for LP. She says she has not had problems and that a grade 2 is "no big deal". She said that all toy dogs and especially yorkies have "loose knees" Now, I'm not gullible enough to believe this although I admit I did not specifically ask this question when I got him. I asked SO many questions before I bought him and I thought she gave me very good answers. Even tonight she was interested in hearing about him and his training, color, size, personality, etc. I could tell that she wasn't feeding me crap but actually does not think that a grade 2 is a big deal. Now her lines have won many awards, they are breed standard (not tinies) and overall I honestly thought/think? she is a good breeder. But I DON'T understand how you can knowingly breed a dog with even a grade 1 LP and say it is acceptable? I feel so stupid because I thought I did so much research (and I did!) before I got him. I interviewed breeders. I waited and did not impulse buy. I knew what I wanted (I waited my whole life for him!) I am the first to educate someone on why not to buy from a pet store, on why to buy good food and on why to train your dog. I love learning more and doing research. I just can't believe this. I want my baby to be OK. I'm interested on how all of you feel about this and if you've had similar experiences. I'd like to get Loki a little sister someday when we have a big fenced yard for them to play in and I don't want to make a mistake. I wouldn't trade Loki for anything! I just am so upset because it broke my heart this week to see Loki have to sit out of obedience class because his knee was acting up. I'm worried it will get worse. I love my little monster so much!
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01-14-2006, 05:46 PM | #2 |
YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: USA
Posts: 2,992
| Sorry this article is a little long - but it is informative - --------------- Luxating Patellas Luxating patellas are graded on a scale of 1 to 4 (some sources use 1 to 5). Grade 1 are patella luxations that are found on physical exam by looking for them when the dog shows little to no clinical signs -- the patella can be luxated manually but doesn't do this much on its own. Grade 2 luxations occur when there is occasional spontaneous lameness but the patella returns to normal positioning easily enough that the dog usually isn't pained much by it. This is typically the dog that occasionally carries a rear leg for two or three steps on occasion but then puts it back down and goes as if nothing was wrong. Grade 3 luxations is usually used to describe dogs who are beginning to have a loss of function due to the luxation of the patella. They have more frequent "skipping" episodes, may not want to jump up onto things, they may have pain and the patella doesn't always return to normal positioning when it is deliberately pushed out of its groove during a physical examination. Grade 4 luxations are when the legs are painful enough that the dog tries not to use them, when the leg can not be fully straightened manually and the dog shows evidence of chronic pain or disability, including poor to no ability to jump. Grade 5 (or severe grade 4 depending on the grading scheme) is when the dog won't use the legs or when the gait is stiff legged due to the patella being underdeveloped or permanently dislocated and fixed in place outside its normal position. Most veterinary orthopedic surgeons recommend repairing dogs in Grade 3+ without question and advocate fixing grade 2 dogs frequently. So a 2.5 grade is probably one in which the examining veterinarian is leaning towards thinking surgery is necessary. That is just my best guess on the interpretation, though. It is better to ask the vet who made it. I think that most dogs generally get worse over time and move from Grade 1 to Grade 2 or from Grade 2 to 3, for example. The changes may not happen until later in life, though. A lot of dogs with Grade 1 or Grade 2 patella luxation early in life will have pretty stiff knee joints when they are 14 or 15 years old that probably are at least partially this way due to arthritis from the years of luxating patellae. There is a lot of other wear and tear in a long life so this is only a partial contributor but I know that some surgeons really feel that when the whole lifetime is looked at early surgery looks better. On the other hand, there are dogs who have bad outcomes from the surgery, too. I lean towards leaving knees alone until the Grade 3 stage, personally. Mike Richards, DVM Carol Jean |
01-16-2006, 09:37 AM | #3 |
Charmed by Sophie & Daisy Donating Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: North Alabama
Posts: 593
| Daisy was diagnosed today with a grade 3 LP. Her vet suggested holding off on surgery, to see if she develops any limping or pain. Right now, she has an occasional limp, but it is in the *opposite* leg. I'm off to do more research. Thanks for the article posted above.
__________________ Sophie's Dogster Page: http://www.dogster.com/pet_page.php?...7b7111603b900e Daisy's Dogster Page: http://www.dogster.com/pet_page.php?i=176642&j=t |
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