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Post by Sarah on Sept 13, 2011 7:31:44 GMT
That's very interesting Kristi.
As you know my girls knees are checked yearly at their annual check up (normal ends up withdaisy peeing all over the table because she hates the vet even though she's all tail wagging when she walks in lol)
He's never once suggested an xray I would assume if it was an xray that it would be a series of crate as they manipulate?? For anyone who hasn't had it done they pull the leg about and try to force the patella out the socket.
Another thing is when daisy was 7 months she started skipping I freaked right out and he said her knee cap was loose but not able to pop out at all so wouldn't be a grade one. She still skips but not as much it was checked in feb/march and was told It was solid. She is v close in the back when she moves so I wonder if that's why?
Lotus was checked at 6 months she hasn't been checked since but she will be when I get round to going to the vets (I'm putting off her 1 year booster as they haven't reminded me lol)
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Post by Kristi on Sept 13, 2011 14:17:27 GMT
Well I have now read multiple articles that 'support' my 'theory' which actually isn't mine and was told to me by an orthopedic vet. IMO it is important for people to be aware of all the options not just the option one vet presents. In reading and learning it seems that a more aggressive approach is always better with a higher success rate.
Little Roo on the forum had to have the surgery done TWICE because the first vet did not do a thorough enough job, I don't know all the details but I am sure Paula could share them. The fact is the surgery failed because the approach was too minimal.
On very young puppies placing a stitch in the ligament can cause things to stay in place to minimize boney deformities but the stitch DOES break and surgery is required again later which is not always successful. This has to be done before a puppy can be safely anesthetized or else it isn't effective so...it generally isn't a practice used.
I find reading the actual medical texts very interesting because its not just heresay or one person or vet's theory and the information seems generally the same. Obv there are certain parts where they talk about actual surgical techniques that don't mean a lick to me!
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Post by Kristi on Sept 13, 2011 14:25:08 GMT
Sarah - could Daisy be skipping b'c her hocks click together? The puppy my friends have that we watch sometimes is like that. And if you watch closely whenever her feet/hocks hit each other cuz she is so narrow in the rear, is when she skips.
Laurel had traumatic luxation of her patella at around a year old, one of Miles's roommates ran over her leg with a rolling desk chair and crushed it. Miles could not afford surgery so the vet stabilized the leg in a cast and the patella healed in the completely wrong place and she walks totally normally for the most part other than her twisted leg 7 years later.
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Post by rosiesmum on Sept 13, 2011 14:42:22 GMT
Little Roo on the forum had to have the surgery done TWICE because the first vet did not do a thorough enough job, I don't know all the details but I am sure Paula could share them. The fact is the surgery failed because the approach was too minimal. On very young puppies placing a stitch in the ligament can cause things to stay in place to minimize boney deformities but the stitch DOES break and surgery is required again later which is not always successful. This has to be done before a puppy can be safely anesthetized or else it isn't effective so...it generally isn't a practice used. Yes, indeed, our specialist vet stated that he spent a considerable amount of time correcting botched up patella repair work by other vets. He said it was fortunate that Jago had not had previous surgery As I always say, please take any Chihuahuas with PL to a vet specialising in orthopaedic work and preferable one with a good reputation. Personal recommendation is the best! Never heard of any vet just putting a stitch in the ligament
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Post by Kristi on Sept 13, 2011 14:44:03 GMT
The stitch on the ligament is on pups under 8 weeks of age its not affective much after but if done right it can keep a pup that is grade 3/4 grade 1/2 while the dog grows and help force the bones to grow right. Unfortunately its not safe to anesthetize pups that young.
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Post by rosiesmum on Sept 13, 2011 14:49:01 GMT
The stitch on the ligament is on pups under 8 weeks of age its not affective much after but if done right it can keep a pup that is grade 3/4 grade 1/2 while the dog grows and help force the bones to grow right. Unfortunately its not safe to anesthetize pups that young. Never heard of a puppy needing this done before That's terrible, breeding pups with PL's at birth, how bad does it have to get to stop some peole breeding
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Post by Sarah on Sept 13, 2011 14:51:50 GMT
Yup pretty sure it is as it's in-between speeds too her angulation isn't very good either she's not straight but it's not like it should be which obv wouldn't help her movement.
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ruby
Chihuahua Pup
Aiga
Posts: 53
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Post by ruby on Sept 20, 2011 23:02:53 GMT
Peppi has LP in both legs - grade 1 in one leg & 2/3 in other one. We first noticed that when she was about 8 months old, and only because she just held the leg (with grade 2/3) a bit inwards, otherwise she moved around like any normal dog. She is 4 years old now and has skipped 2-3 times in her life, never had any problems moving around, never was in pain because of it.
I went to 2 Orthopedic Specialists in 2 different countries and they both told me the same things as Kristi wrote here, also about x-ray's (they are not necessary to diagnose PL), about arthritis that it won’t occur that early (if it ever will, because she was born with PL) and other things. We all agreed that ATM she doesn’t need the surgery, anyway I had the final word, so I decided against the surgery for now.
I have insurance for all three dogs, I ask my regular vet to check their knees every time we visit the vet (Peppi goes in every 6 weeks because of her anal glands), so I don’t think I am irresponsible about it and ignoring the problem, she just doesn’t need the surgery. Peppi is only 3.5 lbs and she can't jump on furniture and she won't jump of it either, she uses her little stairs, so that helps a lot.
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