Why so many cases of Luxating Patellas?

[bjh]

I am sorry to hear about Bindi and I hope his problem does not get any worse but from what I have heard and read, I think there is a chance it can get worse with age. Leaping and jumping can cause wear and tear on the patella and eventually he may injure himself. I know it is near impossible to keep him from jumping but just try to do the best you can. Also try to keep him at a good weight and don't let him get over weight.

[mdcote]

Originally Posted by bjh

I am sorry to hear about Bindi and I hope his problem does not get any worse but from what I have heard and read, I think there is a chance it can get worse with age. Leaping and jumping can cause wear and tear on the patella and eventually he may injure himself. I know it is near impossible to keep him from jumping but just try to do the best you can. Also try to keep him at a good weight and don't let him get over weight.

Hi there! Thanx for your reply. Good idea about the weight. He's 4lbs right now, and will make sure he doesn't get overweight. Have a great weekend!

[mypreciouspups]

Originally Posted by RONLYNN

From what I was told at the University of Tennessee when I was there getting Teddi's Liver Shunt surgery the doctor told me that because of their size (Teddi is almost 3 lbs) the knee socket is so small that most of them have this...he said there just isn't enough room to hold the bone in. That being said not all of them will get to the point where they have to have surgery. I think it depends on how active they are and their weight etc. that leads to them having to have surgery.

good post, and this is not just in yorkies, but in any of the small breeds.. it is just very common, and so easy to happen to.. I got my kacee and he did not have this.. but soon did after my BIL decided to teach him at 1.9 pounds to go up and down the deck stairs (high rise) and this should not be done with the small breeds.. I was not a happy camper.. so the slightest thing can make this happen..I have talked to orthopedic surgeons.. and he says it is just a common thing with small breeds.. he said every breed has it's downfalls.. and yorkies are teeth and luxating patella.. I guess everyone has there own ideas, and reasons.. I have not been to a vet yet that said it was hereditary.. again, I am sure some will disagree with me..

[dudley1984]

How many of you are willing to pay extra for puppies whose parents' knees are OFA certified? I'm a breeder making every reasonable effort to produce high quality puppies the average family can afford to buy. When I asked my vet about OFA testing for my breeding dogs he laughed and made the practice sound unnecessary. His rationale is that most toy dogs get some kind of patella issue in their lives and that it is only rarely seriously painful or debilitating. How about letting dog owners be more responsible about how they train their dogs not to do things that are likely to overstress their knees?

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by dudley1984

How many of you are willing to pay extra for puppies whose parents' knees are OFA certified? I'm a breeder making every reasonable effort to produce high quality puppies the average family can afford to buy. When I asked my vet about OFA testing for my breeding dogs he laughed and made the practice sound unnecessary. His rationale is that most toy dogs get some kind of patella issue in their lives and that it is only rarely seriously painful or debilitating. How about letting dog owners be more responsible about how they train their dogs not to do things that are likely to overstress their knees?

I would not buy a puppy whose parents had not had the proper health screening like knees, bile acids, eyes, thyroid, etc. If the purchase price is more, it is well worth it in the long run if you save thousands of dollars in vet bills and the heartache that goes along with it. Bargain basement puppies are usually no bargain in the long run.

I look for a breeder who follows the YTCA's guidelines which includes health testing, breeding to the standard, etc. I have found that prices often don't indicate the quality of a puppy or a breeder. You can get a beautifully bred puppy from a show breeder for the same price or often less than you can from a lot of the breeders out there who don't invest nearly as much in their breeding program (no showing, testing, breeding pet quality dogs, etc.).

[Zanders' mom]

Originally Posted by dudley1984

How many of you are willing to pay extra for puppies whose parents' knees are OFA certified? I'm a breeder making every reasonable effort to produce high quality puppies the average family can afford to buy. When I asked my vet about OFA testing for my breeding dogs he laughed and made the practice sound unnecessary. His rationale is that most toy dogs get some kind of patella issue in their lives and that it is only rarely seriously painful or debilitating. How about letting dog owners be more responsible about how they train their dogs not to do things that are likely to overstress their knees?

Ask your vet how well he would live with a slipped knee cap? Barely able to bend one leg. Dogs are quite pain tolerant from what my vet tells me and from what I can see. Jazzies medial LP is genetics, from the time she has been with me I do not allow her to jump off or on things. In her case she wobbles at times when she walks, if I wobbled when I walked it would mean I am compensating for the pain or discomfort in one leg. Mention to your vet that my daughter damaged her knee cap and YES it does hurt. While your vet is entitled to his opinion... In my observance and opinion your vets rationale is wrong.
Paying more for a well tested dog?, it is probably worth it. It is VERY painful to hear that ones dog has liver shunt, LP or any other type of illness, along with that pain is the pain of - can I afford to fix my puppy so it can lead a happy normal life. When you purchase a dog at lets say 500.00 and it ends up with lp, liver shunt or whatever, the medical expenses take you waaayyy over $3,000.00 for starters. So yes, you pay what seems a high cost in the beginning yet its well worth it if the parents and pup have been tested.

I paid a good amount for Jazzie trusting the breeder, that I was getting a healthy dog and while she is fine, and I would not trade her. ....the LP surgery is costly, from what the vet surgeon says, her MLP is a complicated one.

[BakersDozen]

Perhaps I am missing something with the OFA cert., but I don't understand why everyone assumes that being OFA certified is better than simply a vet check.....OFA does not look at x-rays to certify the dog as not having LP. All they do is go from what your vet says. Being OFA certified only means that you have sent them a signed and filled out form from your vet saying what grade the dogs does or doesn't have (and of course the $$ to register). So as far as being sure the dog doesn't have it, OFA doesn't add any protection. Other than being able to say 'my dog is OFA certified' there's no difference than only having your vet check the dog.

Maybe someone can enlighten me....

[Zanders' mom]

Ooooh, I figured OFA meant a vet checked for LP, liver shunt, etc. In that case if the yorkie parents have been examined by a vet, all tests done and the breeder has proof of that, I would be more inclined, thrilled to purchase a puppy from her/him. Don't know if that is the norm for most breeders. My breeder gave me a verbal AOK on Jazzie, yet she knew Jazzie had LP, didn't mention it until I had taken Jazzie to the vet, we were in LOVE with her and returning her was not an option.

[dudley1984]

This is a survey. How much are you willing to pay for a Yorkie that has had whose patellas are OFA certified?

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by dudley1984

This is a survey. How much are you willing to pay for a Yorkie that has had whose patellas are OFA certified?

I don't think you can price a puppy ala carte, like $100 more for OFA certified parents, $200 more for bile acid tested, etc. That's the same as some of the breeders I have seen charge more for a smaller size or champion parents.

It's a whole package, a Yorkie puppy who has been bred by a breeder who follows the YTCA guidelines, which includes:

4) All stud dogs and bitches shall be screened prior to breeding for both infectious and
hereditary diseases using the then generally accepted and available techniques

[gypsyqueen]

Im trying a holistic cure of young living oils dont mock now my son had a dislocated shoulder that needed surgery I used lemongrass grade a oil ans birch in two months of use his shoulder has never came out again its been 4yrs 2 doctors said surgery was the only way Nickis is not that bad yet but Im hoping to cure it with valor and lemon grass

[bjh]

Originally Posted by dudley1984

This is a survey. How much are you willing to pay for a Yorkie that has had whose patellas are OFA certified?

From what I read on OFA website a dog would have to be over one year old in order to be OFA certified. Anyone who buys a puppy should have a vet check the patella's as part of the health checkup.

http://www.offa.org/patluxinfo.html

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by bjh

From what I read on OFA website a dog would have to be over one year old in order to be OFA certified. Anyone who buys a puppy should have a vet check the patella's as part of the health checkup.

http://www.offa.org/patluxinfo.html

Good point. I assumed she meant that the parents were OFA certified, but you may be right. That makes more sense when she asked about paying extra.

[dudley1984]

oops, I didn't ask that very well...OFA stand for Orthopaedic Foundation of America, I think, and they register dogs that have had the appropriate x-rays to prove the're clear of knee problems. They're not easy x-rays to do;they require the dogs to be put to sleep, not a quick, easy, cheap thing. It's a nice thing for a breeder to do if they have lots of extra time and money and don't mind the risk of anesthesia. So, OFA cert. means the parents have good knees, still no assurance offspring will not have problems. I can pretty much see from how they move, and my vet can feel, if my adult dogs have knee problems. Obviously it is irresponsible to breed dogs with bad patellas. FYI, this is so common that I believe a grade 1 luxation is acceptable even in a show dog, at least in the toy category.
(I love the belly bands---they've made a huge difference in my quality of life with two intact males in the house...)

[BakersDozen]

Just to clarify: OFA stands for Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. For patellar luxation, they do not require x-rays, they require your vet to palpate the dog and classify it as not having luxation, or as having a grade 1, 2, 3, or 4 luxation. The vet fills out a form provided by OFA, signs it, and you send it in with your $. The dog is then entered into OFA's database and becomes OFA certified.

So as far as any extra verification of not having patellar luxation, OFA cannot provide this, as they never see the dog. All the OFA certification means is that your vet has examined the dog, signed the form, you sent it to OFA and they entered it.

Perhaps some are thinking of being OFA certified for hip dysplasia (usually done for large breeds).....OFA does require the x-rays for this.