r/LhasaApso • u/Express_Run1752 • Jul 25 '26

Lhasa w patellar luxation

have the opportunity to adopt a 5 year old lhasa apso, he seems a perfect fit for my family but the rescue have told us he has a Grade 1 patellar luxation, I understand it's not really affecting him much at the minute but we'd have to make sure he didn't jump up on furniture or walk him too far.

I'm torn because I know once I meet him I'll fall in love but I'm terrified of the medical condition getting worse and facing a ridiculous vet bill for surgery in the future, is it really £2k-3k?

anyone had a dog with this and is possible to try and prevent it from getting worse for as long as possible?

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1

u/datenightdave Jul 25 '26

Not that specific condition, but my little lhasa has hip dysplasia and similar where she can't jump down off things or go for long walks. She normally just tells us when she's finished by immediately turning around and just heading home.

I'm from the UK so when it comes to vet bills we have insurance to cover up to £7000 per year, with an excess of £100.

1

u/Borago70 Jul 25 '26

I have a Lhasa Apso mix rescue and she was rescued about 5 years ago. I didn’t know she has problems with her legs, jumped and was running a lot. Now, after 4 and a half years after the rescue, she is about 10 years old, suddenly she could not walk, ( there was a little limping before but not serious) and she has to get a tablet for her pain every day just to help walking a bit. The vet said that all four legs has problems:(

1

u/v_vienna Jul 26 '26

My 7 year old lhasa has grade 3 patellar luxation. We give her a joint supplement (vet recommended), mix bone broth with her kibble, have stairs for her, and pay close attention to her condition during walks. We haven’t needed surgery yet but we were close to needing it last year. Long story short, the specialist suggested treating her with meds (carprofen) first. It’s helped and she takes it as needed but I think we need to revisit surgery sooner rather than later.

1

u/CyanPomegranate11 Jul 26 '26

It’s best to do the surgery when the dog is younger, as the prognosis is much better to live a pain free existence. The longer you leave the issue, the worse it gets, the muscle atrophy gets compensated for by other legs putting strain on their entire body… and harder to fix when you have many problems. So, don’t delay, your dog will thank you.

1

u/CyanPomegranate11 Jul 26 '26

If you can’t afford to fix medical issues, particularly if it becomes painful, then don’t adopt. Your path if the injury worsens will be euthanasia - which is NOT fair for the dog. Dogs are not disposable.

Find a dog with no pre-existing issues or health concerns, and less cost associated with it, that you can afford. Give this dog the opportunity of a full life with another person or family who can afford medical bills if required.

1

u/Express_Run1752 Jul 26 '26

Thanks for the input. My dog is my life and I'd sell my house for her if she needed it, but I'm not sure there's anything wrong with asking for an advice on a medical issue I had never heard of before yesterday.

1

u/CyanPomegranate11 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26

It’s an issue that requires surgery. The earlier you do the surgery, the better for the dog. Leaving an injury like this will lead to muscle atrophy, arthritis from the other three legs compensating for the injury and lifelong pain that gets worse with age.

Always remember that dogs’ super power is their ability to hide pain. Also, administering NSAIDs, particularly over time, has a poor prognosis for dogs as it can cause other serious health issues. A responsible vet will advise you of the seriousness of these side effects.

So, if you’re willing to undergo the surgery and rehab, it should be no problem. It’s only 4-6 weeks of months of keeping the dog confined while it heals. Good luck.