Max has a luxating patella... I am so sad & scared
 

I noticed he was lmping once in a while in the spring. Now he limps a lot when he increases his stride. Does not seem to be in pain.
Took him in to the vet today. She says he has a luxating patella and needs surgery. Better sooner than later she said. Stage 2. She said it will get more uncomfortable for him and he may train himself to walk on 3 legs if wait until it gets worse.
I am SO SAD and SO SCARED. :(
She wants him to go to the Orthopedic Dr. because they do this surgery all the time where as the vets office only does about 1 per month.
He is only 1 12/ years old.
Anyone been through this????
:(

many small dogs have luxating patellas. i would do what your vet advises and go to the orthopedic surgeon for a second opinion +/- surgery. they do this type of surgery every day and its quite easy and simple. do a search on YT and you will find many threads and lots of information. your questions have probably already been asked and answered here before.

I've never heard of a Vet. recommending LP surgery at only stage 2. It's stage 3 or 4. Could be your baby has a torn legiment. Four is when the knee cap cannot be manually slipped back into position. My Azrael now has a grade 4 in both legs, but she never limps and the orthopedic surgeon who just operated on my Zada in July, said Azrael doesn't really need surgery unless she is limping and in discomfort or pain. My Zada had both knees operated on at the same time back in June of 06. She was not limping and showed no signs of pain, but the Vet. (who isn't an orthopedic surgeon) said she needed surgery, so I let him. He botched it. He did not make the groove deeper that the knee cap sits on, so both knee caps slipped out again and I didn't even know it till she tore a ligament in her left knee and started limping. It wasn't until she went in for surgery did I find out what a bad operation she had the first time. She also had a grade 4 in the left leg that he corrected. She also has a grade 4 in her right leg, but he said he wouldn't need to operate on that leg unless she starts limping and in pain.
I know how upset you are. I've been there, so I would just like to say, please take your baby to an orthopedic surgeon, and not a regular Vet. It will be the best course of action.

This is not true. the grade is just a number and that number is not the deciding factor on recommendations for surgery. It depends on the level of discomfort the dog is in and the problems the dog is having.

the orthopedic surgeon will know best what to do.

He does not seem to be in any pain. Just shakes the leg every couple steps or after jumps off something.
I picked up a set of the dog stairs for him tonight so he can use them to get on the bed.
I am going to take him in to an orthopedic doctor to see what he says. I am not going to just scgedule surgery :thumbup:
I re-checked his paper work and it says grade II.
Everything I have read online says that they tend to error on the side of more holistic treatment for the stage he is in.
She could move it in and out of the joint by stratening his leg.
It really seems to be bugging him tonight now that she manipulated it 10 times!:(

I am just so confused. I do not want to put him through surgery if he does not need it right now. But then she said he could start training himself to not use the leg and then if he got surgery later when it is really bad he would not use the leg even though it was fine again.

Thank you...it is VERY upsetting.

I can not even imagine if something happened to him and he passed away in surgery.

Chrissy, I don't where you are in MD but I can highly recommend the hospital in Annapolis. Our surgeon is highly qualified. He did Hot Rod's surgery this past march and he is perfect. He just had a vet visit 2 weeks ago and the vet said that his knee was as tight as could be. :) The hospital will do an evaluation, although I think that it will cost like $120.00.

My 2 neighbors used him, a friend of mine's relative used him and I have to say I totally trust him. He does many of these a week and-he has a yorkie. :) how much more perfect can he be? Please seek a second, qualified opinion. Hot Rod' lp was a grade 4. feel free to pm if you have any questions. Good luck with your decision. Hugs, B :)

It will be interesting to find out what grade the Orthopedic surgeon say it really is.

Mom to Hot Rod- I PMd you :thumbup:
Thanks so much!!! You are only about 45 min from me

I am getting a second opinion... Everything I have researched says to wait until "stage 4" or the pet is in pain.
I do what I need to to be sure.