Luxating patella in dogs?

[bubblebabblebubbles]

The vets diagnosed my 4months old puppy with luxating patella stage 3 recently
Anyone's dogs have this problem too? Anyone brought their dogs in for surgery?

I'm wondering if joint supplement will keep it from worsening.. gonk
I really dont want my puppy to have to go through surgery, also it costs thousands!

[Nelo777Neko]

What breed is your dog? Large or small type puppy? Seems young to have this type of surgery. If it were me and the puppy is not in obvious pain I'll try supplements first to see if he'll grow out of it.

[bubblebabblebubbles]

Nelo777Neko

What breed is your dog? Large or small type puppy?

Small type, he's 8 lbs now chihuahua poodle sad

[Nelo777Neko]

Is he in so much pain he can't move?

[Nelo777Neko]

Pet insurance might be a good option for you if you have to get surgery.

[SolitarySiren]

Luxating patellas are more common in smaller and tiny dogs. This means the knee cap floats in and out of the joint. It is assigned certain grades based on the severity. I believe it is out of 4. So a 3/4 is pretty severe.

However, there are some things to help the condition before surgery.
- Maintain a healthy body weight to limit stress on the joints
- Light exercise regularly to keep your pet moving. Toned muscles help anchor the knee cap better than loose ones.
- Glycosaminoglycans might help, but talk to your vet before administering.
- Discourage large jumps up or down. Provide your pet with size appropriate stairs if he wants up on the bed/couch etc.
- Focus on proper diet. Low carbs can help reduce inflammation around the joints.

Keep an open dialogue with your vet about the condition. Patellar Luxation is not something that dogs just grow out of. There isn't a medication that can make this better. But, usually patellar surgery is less expensive and less invasive than other types. However I would probably wait until your pup is done growing, and have a vet look at the knees again. Growing puppies are often misdiagnosed, but if the diagnosis remains the same as a mature adult you will need to consider your options.

But, it's really on a per pet basis. As stated earlier, I would look into pet insurance. Though most of them have a preexisting condition clause; this condition is now preexisting; however, they might help with expenses. Otherwise, discuss with your vet about a payment plan or perhaps utilize Care Credit if necessary. Surgery is always a last resort and if your vet is urging you forward at this stage, it never hurts to get a second opinion.

Good luck!

[TheGorgeousDovahkiin]

Nelo777Neko

Pet insurance might be a good option for you if you have to get surgery.

But they can't have any pre-existing conditions in order to get insurance, as far as I'm aware.

CareCredit would be an option.

[Nelo777Neko]

AFeistyFeline

Nelo777Neko

Pet insurance might be a good option for you if you have to get surgery.

But they can't have any pre-existing conditions in order to get insurance, as far as I'm aware.

CareCredit would be an option.

They can..and there are ways around it.

[missfox22]

Weird, I was just speaking to my friend about this the last couple of days as her Pom / Pap mix who is 5 years old is having issues with.

Her dog has been lifting it's leg and walking around. And she was told to not worry about it from the vet unless it gets worse. I guess it is just supposed to pop back in on it's own.

We always have our morning walks during the week, so I'm not sure if she is going to start giving joint supplements. I would definitely have a seperate savings account in case of future surgeries.

[Melisserz]

My SIL has a Boston Terrier with luxating patellas in his hind legs. They usually pop back into place on their own after a short while.
Just keep an eye on your pup. If it's happening too frequently you'll probably want to get the surgery.
Definitely look into pet insurance, or a credit card that you use only for vet care.

(I have luxating patellas... My knee caps pop out of place at least bi-monthly. All I have to do is lift it up and shift it back into place, and ice the knee; then I'm good to go to work the next day and stand/walk for 8 hours.