Patellar Luxation (poodle, terrier, vet, toy)

[Janipoo]

Does anyone have any information on this that they can shed a light on? I have a mixed breed (Pomeranian and poodle) that only around a week ago she started putting her hind leg up (didn't appear to be in pain) and in a couple of seconds or minutes she put is down and went on running for rabbits or being frisky. When I did a search for a cause I came up with this Patellar Luxation that is common in toy breeds.

My main questions are:

Does this come on all of a sudden? My dog is 5 years old.

Is this relevant in puppies and not older dogs?

Does this cause pain? (even though I have been giving my dog ibuprofen for inflammation)

Any information will be greatly appreciated since I want to be informed before going to the vet, especially since I see that surgery is sometimes needed. I want to be well informed before shelling out money that may not make my little girl feel any better.

Like everyone, money is tight, but I will spend what I need to get her better, but at the same time I don't want to spend it on something that isn't going to help her.

[Viralmd]

This is a condition very common in small dogs, especially.

The patella (kneecap) is a sesamoid bone, which means that it's completely enclosed in a tendon. The tendon of the quadriceps muscle, the major muscle of the thigh is all around the patella and then, as you move toward the leg (the area of the lower extremity below the knee) the tendon narrows and runs through a groove in the tibia (the main bone of the leg) and finally attaches to the tibia.

When the tibial groove is shallow, the tendon tends to slip out, and that produces the luxated (displaced) patella, as well as pain.

This is more common as dogs age and tendon ages, and is also more common in dogs that are overweight. A vet can assess a dog on physical examination for degree of luxation.

For 3+ or 4+ luxation, surgical repair works very well. Essentially, the groove for the tendon is made deeper and the tendon fixed into it. There is a two week cage rest period (the most difficult part for dog and owner) but it's a very successful surgery.

Hope this helps.

[leorah]

ViralMD is correct. There doesn't appear to be pain associated with the joint when the knee is out of place. The more the knee moves out of the groove it rotates on, the more the joint wears, leading to more frequent dislocation. . Hopping on three legs with the bad leg held up can create issues for the joints in the other legs including arthritis and bone and ligament problems, particularly in overweight dogs.

Your veterinarian can give you more info and can tell what stage of luxation your dog has. Unfortunately, surgery is really the only way to fix the problem permanently. The outcome is usually excellent if no other problems related to the luxation have occurred. Arthritis, once it appears, isn't reversible.

[maggiekate]

I had 2 dogs who had it, they did not need surgery, and were in no pain. I think
there are 4 stages of it. Surgery is neede if it is real bad. When the dogs would get
up they would strech back and front legs. Alot of times this puts the socket back in place.

[kacvb1974]

Personally, I like to get a 2nd opinion with a LP diagnosis. Some vets see a loose/slipping knee and want to jump into surgery immediately. Not all surgeons are created equally and here in TX I've had quotes for as low as $600 and as high as $2100. My eldest Boston Terrier was given three different grades of LP, by three different vets all in a very short period of time. I finally found a vet I trusted and she counseled me to see if weight loss and supplements would do the trick for what turned out to be very mild case, Grade 1. It did. And I haven't seen his knee slip in over 3 years. I have him reexamined every year because I do worry about arthritis. But the general rule of thumb is not to operate on anything under a Grade 2. Just in my experience.

BTW, *I* am not comfortable giving my dogs Ibuprofen. It can be toxic even in small doses and also can result in major stomach problems. Just to be on the safe side, maybe your vet can prescribe a NSAID that is canine approved...since sometimes, though rarely, a similar acting patella issue can be injury induced. A dog with LP may look miserable skipping and dragging along, but it's really not a painful condition and probably hurts the owner more than the dog.

[riveree]

What my dog had was a little bit different, it was a cruciated tendon (ligament?).

She could not put any weight on the leg at all, she held it tucked up under herself. Our vet had us wait for a period of time (I think it was 2 weeks?) before considering surgery. We did end up doing the surgery and he put some artificial parts in her knee/leg.

It was a big surgery and the recovery time was long, but it's been 4+ years now and she's doing great . We give her glucosamine supplements to help her, but it's been a long time since she's even had a bit of a limp, so she's really well healed now.

Aside from the big cost, the other big issue for us was the recovery - it was really hard getting her to rest enough to let her leg heal .

[Janipoo]

Thanks everyone for your response. My dog doesn't seem to be overweight but she may be a few pounds according to her size but I will have to take her to the vet and get her weighed.

We moved to a new state so I am not really affiliated with any vet so that is why I am a little nervous.

[leorah]

I think you may be close to Martinsburg. If so, there are probably a number of good vets there. Ask around at local groomers, shelters and dog training facilities that meet yoiur standards. It's likely that the vets they like will also be acceptable. You may want to look for a vet hospital that is AAHA certified, and a surgeon that is board-certified (just ask them if they are.)

[Janipoo]

I have 1 more question.........How do they determine this by an Xray?

[Katie1]

Dont take her to any vets in WV...take her to MD....Cumberland Valley Vet Clinic on Rt 11 in Halfway.