Dog Community

Puppy Knee Injury

Posted : 10/20/2008 4:40:55 PM

I could REALLY use some advice on what to do about my puppy's knee. Two months ago while playing a game of fetch with a tennis ball in my backyard he slipped and came up lame, and it turned out to be a luxated patella (kneecap) in his hind leg. Needless to say over the past two months we've been through x-rays, surgery, painkillers, leg casts, rehab, etc. Last week I went for my final visit to the vet so the doctor could make sure everything's was healing properly when I got the bombshell--the interior suture/stitches have been torn, the kneecap is again floating in and out of place, and we'll have to go through the entire procedure again. I guess what I'm asking is do I have any alternatives to another surgery and painful recovery for him? The doctor was blunt but honest and basically said "sometimes this happens and there's no guarantee this won't keep happening." I've already spent a ton of money and missed several days of work and I can't bear to think of this happening over and over again.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated--thanks.

janet_rose

Posted : 10/20/2008 5:21:10 PM

holt7153
I got the bombshell--the interior suture/stitches have been torn, the kneecap is again floating in and out of place, and we'll have to go through the entire procedure again.

Poor puppy! I don't know of any options other than re-doing the surgery, but I would have it done at a vet school next time. You may even find the cost cheaper there.

Here is a site for locating a vet school: http://www.veterinaryschools.com/dvm-schools-colleges-programs.html

calliecritturs

Posted : 10/20/2008 5:38:55 PM

Absolutely -- you don't say where you are located but often a vet school is your best bet. What one vet may say is 'torn' another may say was just not well done ... or maybe it IS torn.

You don't say how old the 'puppy' is -- but often with a young dog it is actually important to use either herbs or even pharmaceuticals to keep them chilled out enough so they aren't climbing walls due to inactivity. A diet modification can even be helpful - giving a puppy a high protein food and then not letting it exercise is like igniting rocket fuel with no where to go!

Call your state's best vet school and see what they'd charge for a consult. I surely wouldn't do the same thing with the same vet -- it could be something completely different or caused by some specific thing.

janet_rose

Posted : 10/20/2008 5:46:41 PM

Next time you might want to consider a brace until the knee is completely healed:

Do note that luxating patellas do not heal properly on their own.

holt7153

Posted : 10/20/2008 6:02:51 PM

Thanks for the great suggestions, especially about the brace. I don't want to second guess the doctor but he only wore the cast for 13 days, which seems like a fairly short period of time to me. If I opt to have the surgery again I'll insist his knee is somehow stabilized for a longer period of time. Also he was 10 1/2 months old when he injured his knee and we live in the L.A. area. Thanks again.

whtsthfrequency

Posted : 10/22/2008 10:35:33 PM

Reluxating is very common. Traumatic reluxation, especially if it is high grade, reoccurs inanywhere from 30-50% of surgeries - I doubt it is anything the vet did (surgically speaking) however -->

I'm confused as to the timeline. You said it has been two months since it happened...when did the surgery occur? After invasive orthopedic surgery, especially to the knee, dog NEEDS to be cratebound or pen-bound for a minimum of a month, preferably two, with restricted activity for a few months afterwards.

I've never heard of telling an owner that a dog with a luxated patella should run around in a cast for two weeks. At VERY least cratebound + cast for two weeks, and that would be only if it was a very, very mild grade 1 luxation. Yikes....my ortho surg prof would flip.