Puppy with luxating patella - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Cin · 09-26-2010, 07:39 PM

Please help,

I would love to get some feedback on anyone that experienced their Yorkie with luxating patella which basically means their knee cap moves out of its proper location.

My dog has been examined by her vet and was diagnosed with this about 5 months ago - the vet said it was mild and she's been taking Omega 3 supplements. I didn't notice before but since a few days ago she's been limping almost all the time she walks. I am very concerned and will be taking her to the vet this week.

Have anyone here gone through this? Please share your story as I am a new Yorkie Mommy.

My baby's name is Ruby and she is 9 months old.

Thank you in advance.

Cin + Ruby

megansmomma · 09-26-2010, 07:46 PM

I have three and they all have some grade of LP. Keep her weight down, get doggie steps and do not allow jumping off the furniture. We don't use a supplement but might sometime in the future.

Connie · 09-26-2010, 07:55 PM

One of my three yorkies has grade 2 LP. She started limping some time before her first birthday. My vet told me to keep her skinny and she should be fine. I've been giving her Flexicose, which is a liquid glucosamine complex and she is now 3 1/2 years and I have not seen her limp or show any pain for a long time. She limped for a couple of weeks and since then, she's been fine. Best wishes to you and your new baby!

brendarash · 09-26-2010, 07:56 PM

My newest, Julie Anna, has LP at 3/4 in both knees. It does not bother her at all. Thank goodness. I called a ortho at the university of Pa, they said unless it really bothers her do not do surgery. So I just watch her. Maybe the reason your little one is limping is it could of popped out. They told be if that happens you can put it back. I do not know how, and hope it does not come to that. Call your local ortho ( animal ) of course. They also have alot of good info on line as well. Good luck. Hope she improves quick.

Ladymom · 09-26-2010, 08:51 PM

Since she is limping all the time, her LP probably got worse. Dogs with LP are also prone to ACL tears.

I would try to get her in to see your vet as early as possible. If she is limping all the time she is in pain.

diannenet · 09-26-2010, 08:53 PM

My little guy has LP Grade 3/4 in his left rear leg. We are on our second week of anti-inflammatory. We have good days and bad days...............am keeping fingers crossed the meds do the trick! Good luck with yours.

Mom to Hot Rod · 09-26-2010, 09:22 PM

We went thru lp surgery with my boy, he was 1 1/2 at the time. He is now 3 and doing well. He was in pain and did not want to walk. His ligament was off to the side which caused his leg to bow outward.

My girl (2 1/2) was recently diagnosed with mild grade 2 but the vet does not see any problems. To see her on her little hinds you would never think she had issues. I was shocked when she was diagnosed.

Both are on Dasuquin which is glucosamine plus. I would for sure talk with the vet about some type of joint supplement along with the omega 3.

Patti · 09-27-2010, 07:47 AM

My Pixie age 4 just had LP surgery this summer. Her problem came on suddenly after walking off the bed. She was diagnosed by 4 vets as Grade 3 Lp in left and grade 2 in right. The reason I had surgery is that she did not cope well with it. She had a hard time walking (falling over) and was in pan. My 5 year old has Grade 4 in both knees and while the knee's are always out it doesn't bother her. She stands on her 2 back legs and does not limp. Due to her not being bothered by it and her other health issues, her vet and I decided to do a watchful waiting to see if she gets worse. My vet said she has treated 14 year old dogs with grade 4 that never needed surgery and did fine their whole lives. I hope you can get her feeling better with crate rest and some meds from your vet.

lovespandp · 09-27-2010, 07:50 AM

Pnut has it in both knees, 2 and 3. He is on supplements and limited running and jumping. He will only lift one knee when he walks. Vet said he will probably have to have sx in the next yr.

Cin · 09-27-2010, 10:04 AM

Thank you all for the great feedback! I feel a bit at ease now...

This website is so informative and everyone very helpful.

Cin + Ruby
xo

LucyKat · 09-27-2010, 11:43 AM

MegansMomma has great suggestions and I would definately keep your puppies weight down and keep her jumping to a minimum. While my pup has not been diagnosed with patella luxation, we are on a second surgery with him due to falls (once off his puppy stairs and we are not sure about the 2nd time). Both surgeries were through a Vet Specilist Clinic and both surgeries were very expensive. Invest in Pet Insurance if you can and research to see if any of them cover the patella luxation - many won't as it is a condition that Yorkies are seen with but perhaps some will cover at least the first surgery if your baby needs it...

Tracy and Pixie · 09-29-2010, 01:41 PM

My baby Pixie had Legg-Perths Disease. At first one of the vets that I seen thought that it was LP but in the end it ended up being LPD. If your dog continues to hold her leg up I would suggest getting her to a vet asap and do a x-ray. The leg could loss muscle mass. If it ends up being legg-perths they tend to compare 2 x-rays to see if the joint is degenerating fast than do surgery. The sooner you do this the better as recover is faster if the leg still has muscle.
Good luck and keep us updated.

Tracy and Pixie · 09-29-2010, 01:48 PM

I should tell you that Legg-perths disease usually shows itself in dogs before they hit 1yr old. I know dogs can have this disease along with LP and you said that she is limping all the time so I would not put this off. With Legg-perths disease the blood stops flowing to the hip and leg joint in turn the bone dies and eventually breaks down and causes pain for your dog. The surgery is very successful. My Pixie recovered soo fast. I would say it was about 4 months and you could not even tell that she had a problem with her leg. What they do is remove the femoral head from the affected joint. If you need more info please feel free to PM me.

09-26-2010, 07:39 PM	#1
Cin YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3	Puppy with luxating patella Please help, I would love to get some feedback on anyone that experienced their Yorkie with luxating patella which basically means their knee cap moves out of its proper location. My dog has been examined by her vet and was diagnosed with this about 5 months ago - the vet said it was mild and she's been taking Omega 3 supplements. I didn't notice before but since a few days ago she's been limping almost all the time she walks. I am very concerned and will be taking her to the vet this week. Have anyone here gone through this? Please share your story as I am a new Yorkie Mommy. My baby's name is Ruby and she is 9 months old. Thank you in advance. Cin + Ruby

09-26-2010, 07:46 PM	#2
megansmomma Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: S. W. Suburbs of Chicago, IL Posts: 12,235	I have three and they all have some grade of LP. Keep her weight down, get doggie steps and do not allow jumping off the furniture. We don't use a supplement but might sometime in the future. __________________ “Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.” Mark Twain

09-26-2010, 07:55 PM	#3
Connie Loved by Maddie & Libby Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: North Dakota Posts: 10,732	One of my three yorkies has grade 2 LP. She started limping some time before her first birthday. My vet told me to keep her skinny and she should be fine. I've been giving her Flexicose, which is a liquid glucosamine complex and she is now 3 1/2 years and I have not seen her limp or show any pain for a long time. She limped for a couple of weeks and since then, she's been fine. Best wishes to you and your new baby! __________________ Custom doggie dresses and vests Memory is a country where I can go to see your face - but where do I go when I miss your embrace?

09-26-2010, 07:56 PM	#4
brendarash Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2010 Location: Eastern Shore of Maryland Posts: 375	LP My newest, Julie Anna, has LP at 3/4 in both knees. It does not bother her at all. Thank goodness. I called a ortho at the university of Pa, they said unless it really bothers her do not do surgery. So I just watch her. Maybe the reason your little one is limping is it could of popped out. They told be if that happens you can put it back. I do not know how, and hope it does not come to that. Call your local ortho ( animal ) of course. They also have alot of good info on line as well. Good luck. Hope she improves quick. __________________ Brenda Jackie,Sadie, Rosie, Julie and Sophie my other non yorkie fur babies Romeo Lillie and Sammie, Jessie, Callie, Cloie.

09-26-2010, 08:51 PM	#5
Ladymom Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 8,317	Since she is limping all the time, her LP probably got worse. Dogs with LP are also prone to ACL tears. I would try to get her in to see your vet as early as possible. If she is limping all the time she is in pain. __________________ http://www.myladysdogbows.com/ http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref...6213341?ref=nf

09-26-2010, 08:53 PM	#6
diannenet Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 1,363	My little guy has LP Grade 3/4 in his left rear leg. We are on our second week of anti-inflammatory. We have good days and bad days...............am keeping fingers crossed the meds do the trick! Good luck with yours. __________________ *Dianne Toby Speedy*

09-26-2010, 09:22 PM	#7
Mom to Hot Rod Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MD Posts: 10,908	We went thru lp surgery with my boy, he was 1 1/2 at the time. He is now 3 and doing well. He was in pain and did not want to walk. His ligament was off to the side which caused his leg to bow outward. My girl (2 1/2) was recently diagnosed with mild grade 2 but the vet does not see any problems. To see her on her little hinds you would never think she had issues. I was shocked when she was diagnosed. Both are on Dasuquin which is glucosamine plus. I would for sure talk with the vet about some type of joint supplement along with the omega 3. __________________ www.kissecollar.com Soft Cone Collars for Post-surgery and much more! 10% (non-food) - Discount code YT10

09-27-2010, 07:47 AM	#8
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	My Pixie age 4 just had LP surgery this summer. Her problem came on suddenly after walking off the bed. She was diagnosed by 4 vets as Grade 3 Lp in left and grade 2 in right. The reason I had surgery is that she did not cope well with it. She had a hard time walking (falling over) and was in pan. My 5 year old has Grade 4 in both knees and while the knee's are always out it doesn't bother her. She stands on her 2 back legs and does not limp. Due to her not being bothered by it and her other health issues, her vet and I decided to do a watchful waiting to see if she gets worse. My vet said she has treated 14 year old dogs with grade 4 that never needed surgery and did fine their whole lives. I hope you can get her feeling better with crate rest and some meds from your vet. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

09-27-2010, 07:50 AM	#9
lovespandp ♥Momma's Bambino♥ Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ca Posts: 10,026	Pnut has it in both knees, 2 and 3. He is on supplements and limited running and jumping. He will only lift one knee when he walks. Vet said he will probably have to have sx in the next yr. __________________ "People with nothing to hide don't usually feel the need to say so."

09-27-2010, 10:04 AM	#10
Cin YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3	Thank you all for the great feedback! I feel a bit at ease now... This website is so informative and everyone very helpful. Cin + Ruby xo

09-27-2010, 11:43 AM	#11
LucyKat Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Jacksonville, Florida, USA Posts: 14	MegansMomma has great suggestions and I would definately keep your puppies weight down and keep her jumping to a minimum. While my pup has not been diagnosed with patella luxation, we are on a second surgery with him due to falls (once off his puppy stairs and we are not sure about the 2nd time). Both surgeries were through a Vet Specilist Clinic and both surgeries were very expensive. Invest in Pet Insurance if you can and research to see if any of them cover the patella luxation - many won't as it is a condition that Yorkies are seen with but perhaps some will cover at least the first surgery if your baby needs it... __________________ Coco Riley

09-29-2010, 01:41 PM	#12
Tracy and Pixie Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 43	My baby Pixie had Legg-Perths Disease. At first one of the vets that I seen thought that it was LP but in the end it ended up being LPD. If your dog continues to hold her leg up I would suggest getting her to a vet asap and do a x-ray. The leg could loss muscle mass. If it ends up being legg-perths they tend to compare 2 x-rays to see if the joint is degenerating fast than do surgery. The sooner you do this the better as recover is faster if the leg still has muscle. Good luck and keep us updated.

09-29-2010, 01:48 PM	#13
Tracy and Pixie Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Posts: 43	I should tell you that Legg-perths disease usually shows itself in dogs before they hit 1yr old. I know dogs can have this disease along with LP and you said that she is limping all the time so I would not put this off. With Legg-perths disease the blood stops flowing to the hip and leg joint in turn the bone dies and eventually breaks down and causes pain for your dog. The surgery is very successful. My Pixie recovered soo fast. I would say it was about 4 months and you could not even tell that she had a problem with her leg. What they do is remove the femoral head from the affected joint. If you need more info please feel free to PM me.