Cost of Luxating Patella Surgery
 

My furbaby has to have surgery on his knees because his knee caps are dislocated. It is a very expensive surgery. I live in NY and was just wondering how much everyone else who had this surgery paid? Also, was it successful and did your furbaby suffer alot?

Five years back I had a Shih with a Luxation in one Leg. I paid $3500 for the surgery at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan. He was a great surgeon. Hobbs did great but we had a 50/50 chance of if it would totally be ok when it was done. He did great. He did hate the having to be confined post-op. Speak to your vet about that hospital for the surgery. The Dr. that did the surgery was very well known and had done a lot of them. I will check my records and see if I still have his information.

My sissy's Pom had both knees done within the last 10 months at the Univ. of Missouri Vet clinic-It was around 3,800 for both knees, they were done separately. The 1st one went fine, the 2nd one had problems & now they say she needs a 3rd surgery!

Wow that was the cost for only one leg? My vet said $1,500 for one leg and then a discount on the second leg. I am glad it went well but that is a bit high for one leg. Please give me the info anyway because it is good to have a second opinion.

Yeah that is what it cost me for the one leg. That included the preliminaries with the xrays and the bloods and all that non-sense, then the surgery itself, post-op meds to go home.

Here is their website:

http://www.amcny.org/

The Dr. I used was the head of the Orthopedic Surgery Division. They also have a clinic there that you can take the dog or you can just call up the clinic and make an appt with the surgeon for the consult and they will ask you to have the records sent to them for review pre-appointment.

I paid $3000 per knee.......and we had 3 done last year!

Being from NY too, and having gone to 2 different Ortho Specialists, I'd be a little leary that $1500 was too little...

Roxy had LP in both rear legs.
The first Ortho Specialist I went to was in Farmingdale (Long Island). He wanted about $3500 per leg, one leg at a time.

The second Ortho Specialist I went to was in Westbury. Dr. Laura Hinton at http://www.vetspecialist.com/index.p...late=frontnews

Dr. Hinton did surgery for Roxy, both legs at the same time for a few dollars under $3000. If I did one at a time, it would have been about $2500 each leg. :(

I do have faith in Dr. Hinton, but unfortunatley Roxy had to have a 2nd surgery b/c her right leg didn't stablize :( The 2nd surgery I had to pay for meds and hospital stays, etc. cost about $700.

And, I am just so upset about it, but Roxy has her 3rd surgery scheduled for June 27th (next Weds.) It turns out that her left leg is no longer stablized. And I am sure that the 3rd surgery will be another $700. I go tomorrow to meet with Dr. Hinton, but my regular vet said last month (when she got her shots) that her left leg is luxating again!

So in the end for me about $5000 (3 surgeries later)

I have written so much about LP and so has Yorkiemalt.

Do a search here on YT for: Luxating Patella
you'll find lots of stuff!

Wow then I guess I am getting a "good deal" for $1,500. My vet is a surgeon so I trust him. I can't believe your baby had to have 3 surgeries. I hope mine doesn't. Good luck.

I just found out recently that Lacy has luxating patellas in both knees as well - grade 3 in right leg and 2 in left. They told me we'll just have to monitor her - she may or may not need surgery one day. Their advice for now was to keep her at a healthy weight and I'm giving her glucosamine and chondroiton supplements every day. They told me if she ever needed surgery it would be $700-$800 per leg. There are a ton of vets in College Station and one of the best vet schools in the country. I've been really happy with the vet I've been using so far but if I ever need a surgery this serious done I would consult an orthopedic specialist first.

Are those supplements supposed to help the luxating patella? I know my furbaby has one knee that is worse than the other but I forgot to ask what grade it was. The vet did tell me that it is grinding the bone and it will get worse. He was limping a couple of days ago and crying so I guess he is pain. I don't know if I should try those supplements before I go ahead with the surgery. Wow, $700 is a great price. I wish I lived in TX.

My Codie had LP surgery 2 years ago and he's doing amazing ever since. He had the surgery done to her rear left knee. It cost about $1,100 not including pain meds and anti-biotics. The 2 vets that worked on him were amazing and his recovery was unbelieveably fast, faster than most dogs. Even my vets were shocked with how quickly he recovered ... and keep in mind that he had a grade 4 LP.

If you'd like my vet's info, just PM me. I HIGHLY recommend them.

Cost of Luxating Patella Surgery
 

My Buster is almost two years old and from the first visit to the vet I was told he had luxating patella in both knees. At the vet visit earlier this week, the vet said he was a grade 4 but that surgery could wait for a while as long as we kept his weight down. He weighs 3.8 lbs. He sometimes carries one of his back legs when we are out for his walk. For the most part you would never know anything was wrong with him. I am concerned with the cost as my girl yorkie who just turned one also has luxating patella. The vet said she was a grade 2. She weighs 5.8 lbs. I think my vet is expensive but he is also an orthopedic specialist. He is very good and can usually see us on short notice. I have read that once they are a grade 4 they need surgery or they will get arthritis. Does anyone know if this is correct? I am willing to wait as long as I can reassure myself he is not in pain. The vet said he will carry his leg when he is in pain, he does this sometimes. However, when my girl yorkie chases him around the yard, you would never know anything is wrong with either of them.

I am not sure if they get arthritis once they are grade 4 but my orthopedic specialist said as long as he doesn't show any sign of pain I can wait. Once he starts limping then he needs surgery. So I pray the day never comes because he is fine for now. I hope your Buster doesn't need the surgery either.

We had one knee done this year and it was $1900. The surgeon is well known and board certified, and does many of these types of surgies. It included one night hosp stay, follow up check-ups and any pre-op tests. The initial consult was an additional $120.00 (I think). Good luck with your baby. Ours was done pretty much as soon as it manifested itself and it was a grade 3. The surgeon says that Hot Rod should not develop arthritis in that knee. :)

Everytime the patella dislocates it scrapes across femur and stretches the cartiledge that is supposed to hold it in place. These little insults to the bone eventually can cause bony changes or arthritis. If its allowed to go on for too long, it can lesson the chance of a full recovery or even become irrepairable in some cases.

I think you have to look at the full picture and decide from there. Like Hot Rod's mom, we decided to do surgery at the intitial on-set of the disease. We're seven or so months post-op and doing great. Good luck with your decision!