Luxating Patella

[sharon27]

Has anyone's dog ever been diagnosed with Luxating Patella? My bulldog has been recently diagnosed with that and its really been worrying me alot. I dont think its in its asvanced stage though but he does tend to stiffen up his rear leg after every show. I believe its when he's in his cage and starts turning around looking for a right position that he starts to stress on that patella. Could anyone tell me anything about this disease. Is he inherant? If I opt for a surgery, which my vet has adviced, will the leg totally heal and allow him to continue his show or do you think his gait will most likely change permanently?

I love my bulldog to death and he's shown ALOT of potential in the ring but I very much willing to give all that up for his health to be better....I'm just curious though whether theres still a chance for him even after operation.

Hope to hear advice from you guys soon! Thanks!

[Crossfire Bulldogs]

Hi Sharon,

There can be a number of reasons for a luxating patella and I believe that genetics can play a part. How old is your bully? If surgery is required then by all means get it done to ease the pain but I would strongly suggest getting at least a second opinion before doing so.

[Deutcha]

Hi Sharon27,

My chihuahua had Luxating Patellas over a year ago. They are graded on a 1-5 level (5 being the worst), and Tyler was a 3. I wouldnt worry yourself too much about it, but DO get the surgery. Luckily, this is one of those things that is fixable. LP is usually hereditary, but not necessarily a sign of bad breeding.
You said your dog's leg was 'stiffening', which it probably isnt exactly the case. Picture this - wrap one of your hands into a fist. Take your other hand and wrap that around your closed fist. That is (give or take) a good looking knee. Now if you were to open and flatten your outer hand into more of an open 'cup', that is what a Luxating Patellar looks like. It's when the knee isnt fitting snug in the cap. More than likely, your dog is feeling that his knee is weak, or it is possibly slipping in and out and that is what is bothering him.
My dog's surgery was a total success. He is 7lbs, and jumps off all our furniture, does laps around the living room, etc. He is very agile and obviously doesnt feel a thing. I never noticed a change in his gate, so I dont think that would be a problem for you. All the vet would be doing is taking that outer 'shell' and hollowing it out so his knee sits more snuggly in place. Although while Tyler does have very thin hair already, there are 2 noticable scars on both legs from where the insision was made, and they go down most of his leg. The hair wont grow back over the scars. I don't show my dog, but so I'm not sure if that would matter.
Anyways, I would definately do the surgery. Make sure that whoever performs it has had a lot of experience with LP. Most vets will do this surgery, but there is a real science to it. If your vet hasnt done many of these before, I would consider going to an orthopedic surgeon.
.... And one last thing ... if your vet forgets to mention it ... make sure you get your little one on a good Glucosamine product right away. This surgery will almost guarantee at least a bit of arthitis, so the more you do early on, the longer you can put it off. My favorite is the SynoviCre formulas. You can probably get it from your vet, or else from Drs Foster & Smith. It's a little pricey, but well worth it

[Beryl]

Bumping this up for more experiences.

Latte will be getting the surgery this month. The poor little guy loves to run and jump all over everything. He acts like he is part cat! Unforturnately, he has grade 3 luxating patella -- left rear. He is only 13 months old so I'm thinking that it is best to get this remedied now so he can have a long, comfortable life. Remember him (and me) in your prayers.

The worse thing about this will be keeping him still for up to 4 months. This is how long the vet estimates post op. He doesn't like sitting quiet for 4 hours so this will be a challenge. Does recovery really take that long?

[Rivsky]

I've never had any experience with this sort of thing but really wanted to wish you and Latte all the best and hope the recovery is as smooth as possible for both of you.

[Swiftwind]

My Chihuahua, Abby, was diagnosed with luxating patellas about 3 years ago. She had it quite badly and was limping around everywhere, not putting weight on her back leg. We decided to get the operation done for her, and I'm so glad we did. Since the operation (bar her other bad knee which was operated on later), she's recovered so much, and her kneecaps haven't dislocated since!

I do wish you the best of luck for your Bulldog, and if you go ahead with the operation I hope he makes a full recovery.

[Beryl]

Thanks Rivsky & Swiftwind.

Swiftwind -- was it difficult for your Chi during recovery? How long did it take? Could he eliminate on 3 legs? My Latte (a poodle) is a fetchaholic and I only hope he doesn't give up on his passion during the recovery.

[rmci]

Best wishes for a fast recovery!

[TribalRats]

I hope every thing goes off with out a hitch.

[Swiftwind]

Originally Posted by Beryl

Thanks Rivsky & Swiftwind.

Swiftwind -- was it difficult for your Chi during recovery? How long did it take? Could he eliminate on 3 legs? My Latte (a poodle) is a fetchaholic and I only hope he doesn't give up on his passion during the recovery.

Not too difficult, but probably because she is a smaller breed, it was easier to stop her from doing things. She wanted to run around after her surgery but of course it was best to keep her still (that was a little hard), so she didn't damage/hurt her knee during recovery. She probably took about 1-2 weeks to be 100% recovered from the operation.

Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by 'eliminate on 3 legs'. Do you mean, cope with just the use of 3 legs for a while? My Chi was ok, she hopped around for a few days, and then slowly put pressure on her leg until it was completely healed, and by that time she had the full use of her leg again. If you mean 'go to the toilet using 3 legs', I really can't remember if it was difficult for her. It mustn't have been too bad, though.

[Beryl]

Thanks. That is what I meant -- going to the bathroom.

Latte's appointment is Tuesday. Bless his little heart.

Thanks, everyone, for the positive vibes.

[Swiftwind]

Good luck, I hope all goes well! I personally think the operation is worth it. I'm sure you'll definitely see an improvement!