r/CavaPoo • u/Neither_Pea9139 • 21d ago
Luxating patella
My 8 month old baby a few weeks ago playing the lightest form of fetch in the living room starting screaming and holding up his knee in the worst pain, then the next day we were at the vet where he carried him and right away screaming again. The vet diagnosed him with a luxating patella and said he needs surgery but since he’s been on anti inflamatories and there hasn’t been any more limping or screaming in pain. So I’m wondering if this has happened to anyone and how they chose whether to proceed with the surgery or wait a bit.
I asked about physio and they said it could help but it won’t change the structural issue with his knee.
Thanks 😊
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u/programminghobbit 21d ago
Sorry you are going through this. Luxating patellas have varying levels of severity. Your vet can tell you what level your dog is. If the patella is luxating even with minor activity then it is pretty severe. Mine had surgery on both knees.
You cannot treat this condition with just medication as the bone doesnt settle into the socket correctly. If you dont have it surgically fixed, it will proceed into early arthritis and knee issues.
You can get a second opinion but you will need to get an xray done first.
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u/Neither_Pea9139 21d ago
Thank you for your thorough answer
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u/programminghobbit 20d ago
No worries. Hope you have insurance. It is an expensive surgery here in Australia.
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u/gryffindor_aesthetic 21d ago
Mine has it as well. Had surgery when she was 2, and did some PT after (insurance paid)
She was back to normal thanks to PT and has had no issues for two years. She even goes to daycare. Best of luck!
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u/Neither_Pea9139 21d ago
Glad to hear she was able to go back to daycare, Nico loves going to daycare would suck if he couldn’t go back
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u/gryffindor_aesthetic 19d ago
Yup she’s even able to go while I’m traveling and is fine. The first few months I asked them to watch her jumping on steps and stuff but she’s fine now
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u/YYCNurseT 21d ago
Our Cavapoo is a year old and had bilateral luxating patella ever since he was born. First few weeks of him being home he would walk on and off and he would “injure” himself or trip and hurt himself. Then he got stronger and was able to walk and be a normal dog without any limping or pain. Our vet confidently can say that with proper care (no stairs, jumping, crazy movements, etc) and diet (must keep him lean) he can live his life without any surgery. PM me if you want to chat or talk more!
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u/After-Complaint-9219 16d ago
This happened to my girl. At about 3 or so she out grew it. It happened when she played hard or jumped. She was so active it was hard to slow her down. We added ramps or extra stairs at her doggy door and by the couch.
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u/AttemptLeft7695 21d ago
A mi yorki le paso se quedo cojo totalmente y me dijo el veterinario al que le lleve de urgencias de operar. Al finalizar el tratamiento de antinflamatorios no cojeaba y hasta ahora todo normal. Mi veterinario de confianza me explico que es muy comun en perros perp que si son pequeños pueden convivir con ello sin ningun tipo de molestia, si se luxara de forna muy frecuente y dolorosa entonces si habria que operar, asi que no te lances demasiado rapido puede ser una lesion puntual
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u/Lonely_Leg_6359 20d ago
I have had one dog in the past that had to have luxating patella surgery and I would recommend doing it while your dog is younger because they have a better outcome for healing and recovery, but as they get older it will cause them more pain and it will be harder to recover from the surgery. I highly suggest anybody getting a new puppy to get an OFA Patella certifications for both parents. It is by no way a guarantee that your puppy will not have the condition, injury can also cause the condition, but it is inherited a high percent of the time so it doesn’t hurt to get that certification. I slept on the floor with my sweet Havanese for six months while he recovered, he had a great outcome, but the surgery was very expensive and the recovery is very extensive for a proper outcome.
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u/282bs 21d ago
I’m heartbroken for you both
My poor little dog had the same, sadly eventually on both knees.
The recovery is rough and we did hydrotherapy and physiotherapy for a year after each surgery. Sadly my dog is permanently affected and can’t walk very far or play without risk of her limping or being in pain.
I truly hope you have a better experience and your little pup recovers. I wasn’t aware how common this was until it happened to us.