Patella luxation in both back legs in my Yorkie at 3 years olf

[tmac48]

Vet say Buddy has Patellar luxation based on exam. It came on kind of suddenly. Now he is limping and gimpy. Vet called it Grade 2.
He can walk and still will jump off the couch. It isn't the kind of dog to sit still in a crate. Anybody have experience on best choice of treatment. I tend to not like surgery and let him adjust to his new limitations. Any experienced help you be appreciated.

[matese]

You absolutely must stop the couch jumping for the sake of his well being. What I did was put pillows and folded blankets on the love seat and sofa, too high for my dog to jump up on, thus, eliminating the jumping.


When I needed to use the sofa for TV watching I only cleared a spot for me to sit, when he wanted up or down, I picked him up and put him down. (he was recovering from a back injury).


No, my living room wasn't attractive, but my dogs injury was a priory.


If you're not going to have surgery you will have to adjust your life style for the sake of your pup.



I bought a blow up mattress and slept on the floor in one of my spare bedrooms because my pup needs to sleep with his momma, I kept my bed room door closed at all times so he had no access to the bed. Mine was a 3 month recovery period, I did what I had to do for the sake of my pup.



If it was a life time of no jumping on sofa and bed, that's how I would have lived.



I hope this helps.

[ladyjane]

Personally I would not do surgery on a 3 yo with grade 2. Patellar luxation is SO common. BUT, there are ortho surgeons who might recommend it because it stabilizes the knee and prevents wear and tear on the ligaments.

I would try my best to prevent him from jumping on and off furniture....get ramps and/or steps. I have both and most of my pups use them. I have one who thinks he is superman and flies off the bed. Work in progress.

There are quite a few informational posts here on YT about patellar luxations and cruciate ligament tears (also common in yorkies) due to wear and tear on the ligament due to patellar luxation.

I have never seen a dog limp due to patellar luxation...sometimes they will pop out and pop back in. If you really want to have more in depth knowledge about this, I highly recommend you see a board certified orthopedic surgeon....and one who is very experienced with knees. www.acvs.org

[ladyjane]

I think UC Davis is close to you?? Might be a good option for an opinion.