Uni diagnosed with luxating patella stage 3
 

I feel sick to my stomach, and I am so upset. As some of you know we took Uni to the beach on Sunday. On monday I noticed she was walking a little funny, skipping. I asked bf if he noticed, of course he said no. Then this morning when she needed to go to potty at around 7:30 am I put her down on the floor and opened the door and walked out. She usually follows me. I went down a few steps and turned around and saw she only took a few steps and was peeking out from behind the corner. So I picked her up and carried her downstairs to go potty. As she did her circles I noticed she was limping BIG time. It was on her left side. I freaked out.

I went back upstairs with her and told bf what i saw and that I was going to take her to the vet today. I couldn't go back to sleep. Uni went right back to sleep I think. We got up around 9:30 and I tried to show bf how she was walking, but now went back to the skipping walk she was doing on monday that bf thought looked like nothing. I had Uni do a little slow run to show him, and finally he saw the skip. He still didn't think it was a big deal and that she's tough and she'll be fine. But I said I'm going anyway, just to know, and plus she needs her shots to get up to date.

I have always known about LP and that she had it, but never was told what stage (from my old Banfield vet) b/c she was too young still and he said it may not get worse. Well I took her to my humane society vet today, whom I like and trust very much. I told him we went to the beach, etc. etc. he checked her spine and everything, and when he got to the knees he said LP, which I knew already but was afraid of the diagnosis. I asked what stage, he said 3, surgery highly recommended. Her kneecaps come out very easily and go back easily.

I am so upset, that i tried reading some threads here to see what others have done about their babies, but I can't get myself to really read. It's not just the money (which is tight now anyway) but I would feel like a terrible mommy if i don't do this for her. If I don't she will get arthritis, then for sure she will be in pain. She is only 2 1/2 years. I know bf doesn't want to get it b/c of the money. He grew up with a family that never s/n their dogs, hardly did anything for them, basically irresponsible pet owners. Even though Uni is his baby too, he doesn't share my concern with this.

Also the vet said limit activity, but how can I with Uni? She is a little rocket! And a jumper! So now I am neurotically obsessive about her jumping around places. i know I did not cause this to happen to her, but somehow I feel responsible.

What did you do when you found out? How many got surgery for stage 3? Both her knees are stage 3. She's not in any physical pain, but I know she will be in her future years if I don't do this. *big sigh* :sickie:

So sorry Uni has LP!:( I don't know too much about this, but Mom to Hot Rod & a few others just recently went through LP surgery w/their babies. Hopefully, they'll see this thread, or maybe you can PM them.

I'm sorry, I don't know anything about LP either, but I wish little Uni the best. :(

I am sorry she is going through this. I know how you must feel. As fur parents we want to take care of them the best we can. We see them as our children and would never want our children in any pain. I will pray for you and your furbaby.:aimeeyork:aimeeyork:aimeeyork:aimeeyork

Sorry to hear about Uni's LP. My cali has grade 4 LP in both legs but she has never limped or lifted her back legs. My vet and I discussed it and with Cali's other medical problems we decided to take a watchful waiting. She is 4 now and has never shown any symptoms other than her legs when she stands are bent a little. I have always used ramps and stairs so she never jumps off of furniture. My vet said she had a dog that lived to be 14 years old with grade 4 and never needed surgery. This is just the situation with Cali and you have to go with your vet's and your decision. I hope she feels better soon.

Thanks for your input Patti, that made me feel a little better. She has never limped or lifted her leg like this before. So I'm guessing it was too much fun at the beach on sunday. I just spoke with one of my customers. Turns out he is a vet tech at an animal hospital just up the road from me. As soon as he saw Uni he asked if she was limping, and I told him what happened. He said a lot of times on small breed dogs the surgeries don't always come out well, or they have to do it again down the road. he said his boss (the DVM) has a mini dachsund (sp?) that has LP and decided against surgery for his dog. He also offered me to come in and will waive the office visit fee for me too, so i can get an second opinion.

Meanwhile, Uni still wants to play like crazy and I feel bad for not letting her. She still wants to jump up and down on things, and she is so fast I don't even get to her in time to put her up or down on the chairs and stuff.

Thanks to everyone for your sweet thoughts and wishes for Uni.

I was just looking at your sweet girl playing at the beach today. Poor baby! If it was a question of the money....I would do whatever it took. Sell anything I had. I will pray for you and your little Uni.

cont'd
I really hope you do not need the surgery and that she feels better soon!

I am so sorry to hear about poor Uni. How much is the surgery? I wish there was something I could do to help. I am sending good thoughts your way.

Thanks for your thoughts. I have calmed down a lot more now after the initial shock. I felt like I was gonna pass out for awhile. Cost of surgery can range depending on where it is done. The vet tech that I just talked to said his DVM charges about $1500, but another place said about $2700. I am still going to get a second opinion. After I've read some more threads, it seems there are doggies out there who don't get the surgery and are still ok. Uni doesn't have any pain, but in the future it may be in her cards.

Poor Uni I am sorry! Hopefully she will be fine without the surgery. Think positive :)

I am sorry to hear about Uni. Sadie just had LP surgery on both knees (one was grade 4 the other grade 3) a week ago yesterday. I hesitated at first because I didn't want her to go through surgery at all but when two surgeons told me they would have it done if she was theirs I scheduled immediately. The first 5 days post surgery were tough but each day is getting better for both of us. Please let me know if you have any questions. Hope Uni feels better soon!

I am so sorry about her LP. I don't have any advice, just wanted to send you some hugs. :getwell:

Oh I am so sorry to hear about Uni! Yes, we went thru lp surgery for Hot Rod. When you go to this 2nd vet, make sure that he takes xrays. Also make sure that he knows how to correctly read them. I don't mean to kick a gift horse in the mouth as it is very nice of him to be doing you a favor but it wouldn't be helpful if the diagnosis isn't right on.

Having said all of that, our normal vet did not want to speculate on the xrays and recommended immediately to make an appt with the ortho surgeon. The surgeon immediately diagnosed and took some more rays and discovered that Hot Rod's ligament was on the side of his leg and his little leg was bowed because of it. Our normal vet was not sure if he was having a hip issue or if it was lp, which incidentally went from a grade 1 in Nov (at his annual checkup) to a 3 in March.

You could also find out about physical therapy. I've heard that it could be very helpful. In Hot Rod's case, his knee cap needed to be deepened and ligament realigned. His surgery was 3/31/09 and hubby just (last week) took him back because he's been skipping and limping alot. Good news is that the surgeon gave him thumbs up and said that his leg should be good to go and he should not have any knee problems every again. He said the the skipping and limping is probably Hot Rod favouring it from remembering the pain. Maggie also attacks him and jumps on his hind part quite a bit so taking all of that into consideration, he's doing really well. We walk just about 1 1/2 miles a day...still short of what we used to do but I am slowly getting him back up to that.

In our case also, Hot Rod will not have any issues with arthritis so I am very happy. Please make sure you find a qualified ortho surgeon that you feel comfortable with and ask any and all questions that you may have. I can say that I am very glad we went thru with it but it was definitely a different story during his 6 week recovery period. Whew! Also, money being what it is today, we got Care credit to help with the cost of surgery. Coincidentally, I jsut made the last payment tonight! lol. Feel free to pm with any questions. Good luck and I hope little Uni stays well. Hugs to you and Uni. :)

I'm sorry Uni has been diagnosed with grade 3 LP. I remember enjoying watching her have fun at the beach.
Mom to Hot Rod, you're soo sweet to share your experience and offer to share with her your experience.

Sammy had surgery on her grade 3's. Her knees still pop, but she definitely walks better and her back is straighter. She used to have an arched back and her knees would stay stiff when she walked. She still jumped on everything (and still does:rolleyes:) I wish the surgery would have done more for her, but I know she would have had more trouble if we had not done it. My vet hinted that she might need repeat surgery, which we are not considering unless I feel that she is in pain or her movement is restricted. The recovery was not fun for the active little thing that she is. Don't rush into anything - they say the best time for surgery is when they are 1-2 years old. Waiting a few months is not going to change anything.

i am so sorry! :( poor baby uni. i recommend getting her Cosequin ASAP. like if i were you, i would order it RIGHT NOW!

milu also has LP. but it is only grade 2. but it did go from no LP to grade one LP and then to grade 2 LP.

i asked for some advice and people recommended Cosequin to me. here is the thread if you would like to read it. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...ng-sounds.html

i know that there are other threads on here about LP. so you might want to do a search and see what comes up.

milu was at the vet yesterday, and i asked the vet to check her knees real quick, and he said her knees are good. and i ask him what grade, and he said "what did i say last time?" of course i wasn't going to tell him.

so he told me it was grade 1. i know that LP can not be reversed. at least that's what ppl tell me. (and the vet did check it kinda quick) but i know that if you take this supplement, at least it will stop it from getting worse.

let me know if you have any questions. i am no expert. but i can tell you what i do know.

hugs,

yen & milu

also, when the vet first diagnosed milu's LP. i asked him about supplements, and he said no need, and that toy breeds tend to have knee problems.

but of course i didn't want to listen to that. i want to do something to make sure it didn't get worse since milu wasn't born with LP and didn't have it before.

plus i felt that milu is too young (15 months) to have LP already!

OMG! We are in almost the same situation! Am so very sorry to hear about Uni's diagnosis and wish you both the best in getting through this!!!

Remy is 11 months, at 6 months he jumped off my bed and seemed to hurt his leg. He was limping so off to the vet we went. Xrays were taken and they said it was just a muscle strain. I even took my xrays to a second vet - more highly regarded - and had him examined to get a second opinion. At that point I specifically asked about LP because I knew it was a concern and BOTH said he did not have it.

Well last month he must have done something because he began limping again. Back to the vet - where the tech said he had stage 2 and an orthro said stage 3. I was very upset, and also very frustrated because I could not "see" the orthro - they took him out of the room and the tech came back saying "she said stage 3". They also said surgery is OK at his age (11 months) which seems odd because I doubt he is finished growing

Bottomline on our current situation, he was on Metacam and is now walking normally again. Remy is a jumper, and a climber, I am doing my best to limit his activity, but it sure is hard!!

In the meantime, I have been reading a lot on LP, the confusing thing from my perspective is how do you say at one point he definitively DOES NOT have it, esp when xrays were done, and then just a few months later say stage 3?? Based on recommendations from YT I have found a vet that is an orthropedic and surgery specialist in Virginia. I plan to take him there to be examined and to have yet another opinion rendered.

With Uni your plan of getting another opinion sounds wise. At least it will give you more information. Perhaps the second vet has more orthropedic and surgery expertise (?) With Remy, I do not yet know whether we are going to have surgery, or not. I want to see what the outcome is of our next exam....and possibly explore therapy options

Again, very,very sorry to hear about Uni!

I hate this for Uni and for you. My thing though, is ALWAYS get a second or even 3rd opinion from a trusted dr. I wouldn't anymore put Curly through unnecessary procedures than I would my kids. Surgical types are always gung ho to get you in there so I always consult with a few non surgical and homeopathic docs. And believe me, I've had a lot of surgeries but not nearly as many as were recommended!
If you don't think it's urgent, and it sounds like it's not since she's not usually in pain, maybe take some time to watch her and think things through without being in a panic. Let her behave normally, running and jumping because that's who she is. But keep an eye out for symptoms of ls and go from there.
Ultimately, you're the momma so go with your gut.:)

I'm sorry Uni was diagnosed with stage 3 LP.
There are several member's here who babies have went through
the surgery and I am sure will be very supportive to you and
help you get threw it.
Wishing your baby good luck.

Thanks for the info. How old is Sadie? Was she constantly skipping or limping? Uni is still skipping when she runs, but when walking normally she seems ok. May I ask how much you paid?

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and knowledge.

I'm so sorry to here about Uni. I really have no experience with this though and I hope everything works out. Think positive :)

Wow thank you all for all your replies and info!
Thank you Erin, yorkiepuppie, RemydeHaviland, shannonroselive, Archie, and anyone else I forgot!

I'm going to order the cosequin now. I have to *hide* all the stuff I've been buying for Uni from bf. He always says "Now what have you bought her?" He doesn't like the Royal coat I got her b/c it "makes her smell like fish". Well, it's fish oil what you you expect? :rolleyes:

I'm the same way about the fish oil - I had to stop giving it to them because smelling their breath was making me sick LOL!

Here's an old video of Sam 1 week after surgery: YouTube - yorkiemischief's Channel

The first 2 nights were bad with the pain meds wearing off too soon and she got a UTI. Days 3-7 were gradually better each day. She figured out how to walk on the casts because she had to go outside to potty (plastic wrap was our friend!) We tried pads but she just looked me like, what the heck are these? Then she was bad for 2 more days after the casts came off because she lost her stability. Once she was confident walking again, the trouble began because she wanted to be active and she needed to stay calm for 4 weeks. She spent a lot of time on my lap wrapped in a blanket so she would not run away!

I'm sorry to hear about Uni's lp. Chelsea was been diagnosed with it in both knees when she was about 5 months old. I thought we would be needing surgery right about now but her dr says it hasn't progressed as much as he would have thought so we're going to have her re-checked in 6 months. Cosequin has really seemed to help her, I'm glad to hear you're going to get her some. Let us know how she does on it.

Thanks for sharing that vid with me! She looked like she was doing pretty good. Those bandages looked like leg warmers! LOL. the little ones do heal fast don't they?

How lond have you been using the cosequin and how old is Chelsea now? I'm glad to hear that it is working!

Oh I am so sorry I just read this... darn it I hope the second opinion gives is a better diagnosis and no surgery is needed. And dont hide what you buy her... from what you have told me you work hard for your money....spend it the way you like lol. Good luck and keep me updated.

The general cost I've seen posted here depending on area seems to range from $1500-4000 depending on whether you're doing one knee or both and if by an orthopedic surgeon or your regular veterinarian.

When I consulted with our local orthopedic surgeon, he gave me the low ($3100) and high ($3800) estimate for the procedure (for both knees as it's a bilateral disease if it was congenital--as it is with us because generally, unless caused by trauma/injury, at this young age, it is a condition inherited from birth). He did say that generally, it costs more to the lower end of the scale, especially in our case, and I think he's the honest type in that regard.

Here is the breakdown (for deepening groove & pinning) in case you're curious as I find the quotes I get for various services are generally similar or more than various parts of the USA as I am located in Canada but in a town sporting a relatively high cost of living compared to most other cities in the country. :)

Consultation-Surgeon - $160.00
I.V. Catheter Set-Up - 60.00
I.V. Fluids Per Bag - 28.34
I.V. Infusion Pump/Cassette 134.96
Anesthesia Induction - 130.00
Anesthesia Isoflurane/Hour - 253.86 x 2L or 2.5H = 507.72 / 634.65
Anesthesia Monitoring 2 - 270.00
Surgical Prep 2 - 58.34
Patellar Luxation - 690 x 1L or 1.5H = 690 / 1,035.00
Surg. Materials - 25.00 x 8 = 200.00
Surg. Implants - 50.00 x 1L or 2H = 50 / 100
Injection of Medication - 36.24 x 10 = 362.40
RADS-ACCG-Initial 2 Views - 140.00
Estimate of Meds - 50.00
Wards - 1 - 150 x 1L / 2H = 150.00 / 300.00
--------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal : 2,991.76 / 3,663.69
Tax : 147.10 / 180.69
--------------------------------------------------------
Balance: 3,138.86 / 3,844.38
============================================

When I had inquired about the glucosamine supplements, he did say it will help, but of course, it wouldn't cure the problem. The specialist also voiced his concern regarding arthritis setting in the later we operate as the tissues, cartilege around the joint continues to be worn down with each dislocation/relocation.

With us, we never knew she had the problem until she had gone through a physical exam with one doctor who was just doing the routine exam on her pre-dental work for our first visit with him. However, he did not diagnose her with LP. She just came home displaying symptoms of LP--limping every so often while running and chasing the cat.

This was happening every other day until another vet (breeder's referred one) we took her to for an x-ray examined her. Then it became daily. This was all within a week or half that.

Then with her 3rd vet (had gone to her in the need of a referral to the specialist), after checking the knees, and while waiting for our appointment for the orthopedic specialist to be arranged, she lost all symptoms. No longer limped no matter how hard she played and chased the cat. It went from daily to nothing. I'm not even sure it was slipping and just repositioning itself on its own at that point. It didn't even seem like it was slipping. No clicking noise, nothing. Her vet called it her gentle touch or maybe it was the ortho. who said that. Can't recall. But even after the orthopedic specialist had manipulated her knees to check for himself, she never limped since.

I know it's just a matter of time that she'll need to be operated on. I am hoping for her recovery time to take place during the fall/winter season(s) and then when she's full grown (which she should be now at almost 1.5 yrs). She really is hard on her legs when she's playing without a care in the world. At the first sign of bowleggedness and/or limping, I plan to have her operated on and hopefully, it will be before she's 5 as I'd want her to recover during her "youth" and good overall health. :) Since I find myself staring at her hind legs looking for any hint of bowleggedness constantly when she's walking ahead of me, I had recently taken her in for an updated x-ray to monitor the progress of her knees. The results were good. So it helped to ease my mind for now. :)

If your dog doesn't run, jump, at all athletic, and doesn't show any symptoms--limping, etc, I would think for the time being, supplements should be enough and perhaps some hydrotherapy or other to help strengthen muscles. Personally, if my girl limps, I already think it's gotten far enough to require surgical correction to prevent arthritis, etc, and simply just to allow her to be herself as she LOVES running and playing rough. What I feel now is that I am buying some time because as hard as she is on her legs, even if she wasn't born with the condition, I'd be worried she'd need to be operated on at some point anyway simply from wear and tear. :p I don't want to put her through that kind of painful experience more than once as is necessary.

Hope for the best for Uni and her mommy! It is heartbreaking to see them limp while just doing normal daily "dog" stuff. :(