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Old 10-30-2010, 12:00 PM   #1
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Default Needing information about luxating patella?

My yorkie is about 9 months old and I have been noticing that when we play rough or if he jumps off something he will hold one of his two back legs up and cry? I have been reading in my books and see that the closest thing it could be would be is a stage 1 luxating patella. After he hurts himself he cries for about 2 mins and limps and then he is back to normal. I have a vet appointment set up on Nov. 24th when I go home for Thanksgiving break but until then I dont know what I should do to try and keep this from happening. It started happening after I took him to a new groomer and I thought that maybe they just hurt him and never told me so I let it go thinking they might have strained one of his back leg muscles. After about two weeks of nothing happening he had another "attack" with his right leg again. He doesn't always cry when it happens sometimes he just holds his leg up for about 2 mins and then he is back to normal like nothing ever happened? Just yesterday he had another "attack" only this time it was with his left leg so now both of them have had an attack. I also read that LP could have been caused/made more severe after nuetering because of them being tied down during surgery? I realized that the leg issue also occured about 3 weeks after he was nuetered. I heard that this is something that can possibly just go away with age and could be treated by joint medication.

Any information or stories on what I should do or expect to happen would be much appreciated?!?!

I am a college kid so surgery is out of the question for me but I will do everything else I can to try and get my little buddy to feel better

Please help!!!
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Old 10-30-2010, 12:34 PM   #2
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Hi ~ Sorry to hear about your baby. You should really try to get him to a vet sooner than that. If it is anything serious and it is not seen by a vet it will get a lot worse very quickly. I understand about lack of funds but if he does need surgery and cannot afford it there are wonderful rescue organizations that can help. United Yorkie Rescue is one of the better known and I believe they help throughout the US.

I cannot stress enough that your baby should be seen immediately. Permanent damage can sometimes be done when we wait and see. He may have a sprain or it may be something more serious. In the meantime I wouldn't play rough and try to keep the jumping off of things to a minimum if possible ~ he is a yorkie after all! Keep me posted ~ positive thoughts that everything works out...♥
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Old 10-30-2010, 02:05 PM   #3
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Yeah, I agree that you should get to a vet sooner. Xrays should be able to show what the problem is. A luxating patella is pretty common, especially in smaller dogs. Most of the time, surgery is not required. However, if surgery is required, you should do your research. I've known dogs who have gotten the surgery for LP and ended up slightly worse.

My Vinnie does have a LP, but it is minor and my vet said that it was not severe enough to do anything about. My vet did recommend Keeping Vinnie's weight down, exercising him regularly, giving him glucosamine (to prevent inflamation and joint damage), and doing some massaging exercises on the inside of his leg (to loosen up the tight ligament). I will say that I have more or less following this regimen for the entire 6-7 years I've had Vinnie and he has not had a single issue with his LP. Every once in a blue moon (maybe once or twice a year) his patella will luxate, but it only slows him down for a minute and then he's fine.

You mention that you are in college and that surgery is out of the question. You need to consider that having a dog is costly, and a serious responsibility. I will not go so far to say that you should not have a dog, but you need to be prepared. You should stash away whatever money you can for a rainy day fund, a fund that you can use for emergency vet treatment. Most of us who have dogs WILL require some emergency vet care at some time. And it is expensive. Look into pet insurance.

When I adopted Vinnie, I was in grad school and money was tight. However, I was very careful to have money put aside, and I dipped into that money on more than one occasion for him. Just please consider!!
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Old 11-10-2010, 06:33 AM   #4
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My baby has LP too... We noticed something wasn't right with him last week and brought him to the vet. The vet said it's common in small breeds and it's not severe so no surgery is required for him. It breaks my heart because he just recently having his cast removed after a surgery (poor thing broke his front right leg in summer) and now he has LP
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Old 11-10-2010, 11:01 PM   #5
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The first thing you need to do is to teach him not to jump up on furniture and off! Get stairs or a ramp and teach him to use them. Every time he jumps off of something he is adding more stress to his knees.
Not every pup with LP needs surgery!
Good luck and listen to the others. Start stashing money just in case because you just never know what can crop up with these little ones. As for knees, I seriously doubt it is so serious that surgery must be done right away! I would encourage you to spend a few extra dollars and get the opinion of a board certified surgeon. They usually do not operate on LP unless it is a constant and serious problem! You can ask your vet for a referral or find one at: www.acvs.org
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Old 11-15-2010, 11:57 AM   #6
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My yorkie was 1 year old on September and at the end of August she was diagnosed with Luxating Patella in both back legs. She had been favoring the back left and we went on vacation in August and she pretty much quit using the leg, however she would run on it. My vet said the faster the gait that they can still use the leg. She referred me to a specialist in Pittsburgh and she was diagnosed with stage 4 in the left and stage 3 in the right. On September 29th she had the left knee fixed. She will have to have the right one done after the first of the year. My vet and the specialist said that the only way to correct LP is surgery. The specialist said that when they are young that they can usually do both legs at the same time (which is actually cheaper in the long run) but her left one was so bad he wanted to do them seperately. She is going on 7 weeks with her recovery and goes for her 8 week checkup next Tuesday the 23rd. So hopefully the x-rays will show good news. personally I would not put it off. It can cause lots of other problems like a twisted femur and then you are looking at hip problems which can lead to back problems. The vets could not even manipulate her left knee back into the socket. She acted fine though no crying and she ran and played like nothing. The only sign she showed as a problem was not using the leg when walking. LP is very common in small breed dogs and it can be genetic. I am sorry he is having these problems but if it is LP you will have to consider surgery. It will not go away it will only get worse. I hope when you see your vet it is good news and he does not have LP. Good Luck
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Old 11-15-2010, 12:45 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deanfam5 View Post
My yorkie was 1 year old on September and at the end of August she was diagnosed with Luxating Patella in both back legs. She had been favoring the back left and we went on vacation in August and she pretty much quit using the leg, however she would run on it. My vet said the faster the gait that they can still use the leg. She referred me to a specialist in Pittsburgh and she was diagnosed with stage 4 in the left and stage 3 in the right. On September 29th she had the left knee fixed. She will have to have the right one done after the first of the year. My vet and the specialist said that the only way to correct LP is surgery. The specialist said that when they are young that they can usually do both legs at the same time (which is actually cheaper in the long run) but her left one was so bad he wanted to do them seperately. She is going on 7 weeks with her recovery and goes for her 8 week checkup next Tuesday the 23rd. So hopefully the x-rays will show good news. personally I would not put it off. It can cause lots of other problems like a twisted femur and then you are looking at hip problems which can lead to back problems. The vets could not even manipulate her left knee back into the socket. She acted fine though no crying and she ran and played like nothing. The only sign she showed as a problem was not using the leg when walking. LP is very common in small breed dogs and it can be genetic. I am sorry he is having these problems but if it is LP you will have to consider surgery. It will not go away it will only get worse. I hope when you see your vet it is good news and he does not have LP. Good Luck

Each case is different. What I can tell you is that most vets these days do not recommend surgery on these knees unless there is a problem with ambulation.
Just curious: was this surgeon board certified?
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Old 11-15-2010, 06:01 PM   #8
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Yes the surgeon was Board Certified. He was very thorough with the initial exam and he made sure my husband and I understood everything that was going on. My dogs left knee would NOT go back in place with any manipulation and my vet tried as well as the surgeon. I know it has been 6 weeks and she is using the leg when she walks just fine now and does not seem to be uncomfortable at all. I am glad we had this done for her.
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Old 11-15-2010, 06:06 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deanfam5 View Post
Yes the surgeon was Board Certified. He was very thorough with the initial exam and he made sure my husband and I understood everything that was going on. My dogs left knee would NOT go back in place with any manipulation and my vet tried as well as the surgeon. I know it has been 6 weeks and she is using the leg when she walks just fine now and does not seem to be uncomfortable at all. I am glad we had this done for her.
I am not suggesting that surgery should not have been done. I merely said that it differs from case to case.

Many pups DO need surgery, but the vast majority do not. They used to do them more routinely and now the trend is away from surgery unless there is a problem.

Oh, and I want to add that LP does not always get worse as you suggested. I have had pups for many years with LP that stayed exactly the same. Often just keeping the weight down and keeping them from jumping off of furniture is enough to keep them stable.

Last edited by ladyjane; 11-15-2010 at 06:08 PM.
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Old 11-15-2010, 06:09 PM   #10
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AlysiaMae, good luck. I won't guess on the causes because I have little experience in the area, but you might see if there are any organizations in your area offer assistance if surgery were to be recommended. See if the vet can suggest anything or call local animal control.
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Old 11-15-2010, 06:51 PM   #11
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I just kmow what the vets told me this was my first experience with LP. Every dog has a different situation and every vet is different to in how they handle things. AlysiaMae I wish you and your little dog the best. And look into some financial help as suggested. Then maybe one day when you finish college you can pay it forward to another God Bless
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Old 11-15-2010, 07:44 PM   #12
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Alysia, in your original post you asked for information about LP and rather than just tell you, perhaps it is best for you to read. As you read the link below, which is from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, please note that surgery is considered in anything over a grade two, but not automatic unless there is a problem........the following paragraph explains it.

What Options are Available for Treating Patellar Luxation?
Patellar luxations that do not cause any clinical sign should be monitored but do not typically warrant surgical correction, especially in small dogs. Surgery is considered in grades 2 and over (see above).


ACVS - Patellar Luxations

Hopefully your baby will improve and not have a problem where he needs surgical intervention. I can tell you that I have owned and fostered many pups with LP and to date I have not had one severe enough to do surgery on. I do not cut corners on vetting expenses, so it was not a cost saving measure....my vet and the specialist I use do not suggest surgery unless there are clinical signs that persist. I do suggest as I said before to keep him from jumping. You mentioned that he jumps on furniture..that is a problem for these pups. Best to get stairs or ramps for them. I have never heard of a femur twisting because a pup did not have LP surgery. The only complication I know of is that they can be at increased risk of tearing the cruciate ligament. You really need to read up on this condition and do your best to try and keep your pup from aggravating it.

As for funding, I have not seen anyone get funding for surgery, but I do have a list of organizations that I would be happy to send to you if you PM your email address to me . I would suggest that you look into Care Credit. It is good to have in an emergency.

Last edited by ladyjane; 11-15-2010 at 07:46 PM.
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Old 11-15-2010, 08:07 PM   #13
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My Pixie who was 4 1/2 at the time, had LP surgery in June. She was fine until Nikki, the male yorkie I took in scared her and she walked off the end of the bed. A day later she was falling over and couldn't stand on her left leg. I took her to the ER and the vet said LP. I was surprised since she had never been diagnosed with LP. I took her home and took her back later that night and got a different er vet and he said LP also and did an Xray. Both er vets said her left knee was out and would not stay in (grade 3/4) and would need surgery. I took her to my vet the next day and she agreed with them and advised a ortho consult. I took her for that and the board certified surgeon said surgery was needed. I left her right then and they did the surgery. She has since recovered nicely. I also have Cali 5 1/2 years old with grade 4 in both knees and they are permanently out but she shows no signs of it bothering her. Since she has mild MVD my vet and I agreed to just do a wait and see and hopefully she will never need surgery. My vet said she has treated dogs with Grade 4 that lived to 14 and never needed surgery. So it really is a case by case situation. All of mine use ramps and stairs and I am trying to keep their weight down to help reduce the need for surgery in the future. All 4 of mine have some degree of LP. I used the Care Credit for Pixie's surgery and it was 2600.00 just for surgery. I hope your baby can manage without surgery.
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Old 11-15-2010, 08:14 PM   #14
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Ladyjane definitely knows what she's talking about. My Toby has Grade 3/4 LP in his left rear leg and instead of making this a lengthy post, long story short...........he weighed 11.1 lbs. when he was diagnosed with it and surgery was a consideration only if nothing else worked............ortho put him on anti-inflammatory and glucosamine & chondroitin and a strict feeding schedule (no free feeding). Eight weeks later he is down to 10.0 lbs. and no longer taking the anti-inflammatory and back to his happy go lucky self. My husband built some doggy stairs for the bed which he now uses and he runs and plays and we are careful not to let him play too hard or rough. He still has a couple pounds to lose but just getting the weight off made a world of difference. If down the road surgery would ever be needed, I would get it for him in a heartbeat. No doubt about it. I too thought I was facing surgery but following the suggestions from Ladyjane, Megansmomma, 107barney, the vet and the ortho surgeon, we don't see surgery in our future. I'm determined to give Toby the quality of life he deserves and he loves to run around the yard and play with his big sister, Speedy.
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Old 11-16-2010, 05:05 AM   #15
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AlysiaMae I am sorry I did not mention that surgery is only needed in higher grades of LP. Bailey had a grade 4 in her left. So sorry that I left that out. I really do hope that things work out for your little dog I am sure they will Please keep us posted on things

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