My pug has a luxating patella. We give him glucosamine chondrotin, any other suggestions besides sugery?

Answer 1

Unless your dog has become lame from it or is in a lot of pain I wouldn't do surgery. The best thing you can do is give the glucosamine and not over work him. But don't stop him from being active either;-)

I have a shih tzu with really bad hips and she is 7 months old and she does not seem to know she has anything wrong with her;-) And I always want to keep her from doing things but I know I can't.. She will jump off the back of the couch!! Makes me cringe! But doesn't bother her even though she rarely lands on all 4's..lol

Do you know the grade of her LP is? if it is 2 and under I would not worry at all about it, 3 and 4 you may eventually have to do surgery as he ages...

Answer 2

I do know quite a bit about luxating patellas. It can range from mild to severe. If the pup has it already, its going to be bad and you will need surgery. I paid $4,500 to have both knees done on a giant breed. Figure at least $1,500 to $2,000 for a small breed. You might be able to get a vet who isn't an orthopedist to do the surgery cheaper, but that depends on where you are. A vet school is also cheaper. The surgery is quite a recovery -- you'll be icing the knees a couple of times a day and doing range of motion exercises for awhile. But when they've recovered, it's done, it doesn't recur after surgery. I personally wouldn't buy a pup with it unless the owner had it surgically corrected for me. Edited to add: Luxating patellas can be genetic or congenital in basis. That is, passed down OR due to position in the uterus. Hard to know which, but if there was a large litter and one pup has luxating patellas, chances are it's congenital (not genetic).

Answer 3

Uncorrected, the patellar ridges will wear, the groove will become even shallower and the dog will become progressively more lame. Arthritis will prematurely affect the joint, causing a permanently swollen knee with poor mobility. Therefore, a good evaluation needs to be done by your veterinarian early in the condition to prevent long-term arthritic crippling.

Treatment for luxating patellas

As would be expected, medical therapy has little corrective ability in this disorder and surgery is therefore required and is the treatment of choice. A surgical treatment is not necessary in every individual with this condition.

Surgery can alter both the affected structures and the movement of the patella. The groove at the base of the femur may be surgically deepened to better contain the knee cap. The knee cap itself may be 'tied down' laterally (on the outside) to prevent it from deviating medially (toward the inside). The bony protuberance at the site of the attachment of the quadriceps tendon on the tibia, may be cut off and then re-attached in a more lateral position. All of these procedures work well and the type performed depends on the individual case and the clinician. The animal should respond quickly after surgery and is usually completely recovered within thirty days, using his legs in normal fashion.

Breeding considerations

Because of the strong genetic relationships, we really feel that animals with this disorder should not be used for breeding. They can still be excellent pets - and those that do require surgery will usually lead perfectly normal lives without any restrictions on activity.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1569&articleid=457

Answer 4

Swimming. If there is a vet university near you they may have an underwater treadmill. Otherwise if you have a deep bathtub that would work. Just be with him closely the first few times. Pugs don't have much of swimming instinct, it is something that they pick up after one or two times in the water though.

I have heard of some pug breeders have good luck with that.

Answer 5

Surgery would be the last resort. You are doing great by giving G/C. I, too, give G/C to my chocolate lab for hip dysplasia. He gets 500mg crushed tab mixed with a treat daily. Even after a week, I saw big difference. Max realizes the treat in the morning helps him move better with less and less pain. He reminds me every morning not to forget his G/C treat. What is your mg amount for Puggy? Maybe 250mg? Do you use any doggy ramp or step? Good luck.

Answer 6

There is no cure for this besides surgery. As your pug ages, he will develop Arthritis in this knee. Surgery is the best and only cure. I hope you have had him neutered as this is hereditary.

Answer 7

My chihuahua has the same thing....keep him from jumping (on/off furniture etc) and be sure he doenst have alot of stairs to walk up/down frequently....eventually surgery may be an option. Good luck!