[angiesample]

My sister has a 2 year old chihuahua and she just recently took her to the vet for her annual checkup and was diagnosed with patella luxation, which basically means her knees are popping out. I guess its REALLY bad, especially for a dog this young. Obviously we know surgery in inevitable but i was wondering if anyone knew of any supplements that might help her. My sisters already put her on a diet and she has lost about a 1/2 lbs so her dog, Layla is my sisters dogs name, is a perfect weight now. She is 5.2 lbs. I thought of glucosomine, but i wanted to get other peoples opinions. Its especially hard since Layla is so little. Any info is so appreicated!

PS: i posted a few pics of my sisters dog. Thanks!

[Yogi]

Originally Posted by angiesample

My sister has a 2 year old chihuahua and she just recently took her to the vet for her annual checkup and was diagnosed with patella luxation, which basically means her knees are popping out. I guess its REALLY bad, especially for a dog this young. Obviously we know surgery in inevitable but i was wondering if anyone knew of any supplements that might help her. My sisters already put her on a diet and she has lost about a 1/2 lbs so her dog, Layla is my sisters dogs name, is a perfect weight now. She is 5.2 lbs. I thought of glucosomine, but i wanted to get other peoples opinions. Its especially hard since Layla is so little. Any info is so appreicated!

PS: i posted a few pics of my sisters dog. Thanks!

This depends on the grade the dog is with regards to the Patella luxation. There are 4 grades with 4 the worst. If she is grade 1 or 2, glucosamine is the common supplement. If grade 3 or 4 you need to be looking for surgery.
The detaching of the knee cap in early phase can be tolerable and many dogs will just ignore it. It is when it becomes painful that you are at the point where surgery is a must. A friend of mine took her 1 years old male in because of a slight limp. It was favoring one of his hind legs. The vet checked both and found that both legs are suffering from this. Though early, it hardly bothers him but knowing it is going to progress, she is preparing for surgery to repair them. Though many believe this is an inherited disposition in fact more often than not it is due to injury. Primarily reserved for small dogs though larger breeds are not excluded.

[Todd]

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the bad news.

I agree with Yogi here. Just like many other joint disorders, the severity of the disorder is going to determine whether surgery is necessary or if it can merely be controlled with supplementation or medications. Again, as Yogi said, there are four major grades or degrees of patellar luxation. The following is some info I found on the net;

Grade 1

Grade one pets do not experience pain. Their kneecap pops out of place intermittently and can be easily massaged back into place when the leg is extended.

Grade 2

Grade two pets have less stable knees. The kneecap can be massaged back into its groove, but it pops back out again once the knee is manually flexed or they have taken a few steps. With time, some of these pets will develop pain and arthritis associated with their problem.

Grade 3

Those in which the problem seems more pronounced or when persistent pain or arthritic changes are arbitrarily placed in grade 3.

Grade 4

These are pets whose knee cap will not stay in its groove even for short periods. These dogs have a hard time walking. Dogs that have suffered this degree of joint damage for more than a year or two usually have pain, developing arthritis and degenerative joint disease. They usually walk with a crouching stance and stand knock-kneed with their toes turned inward.

Grades 3 & 4 generally occur earlier in life. They may not be brought in to a veterinarian for the problem until they are middle-aged, but they usually never walked normally.

In severe or advanced patellar luxation, changes are occurring that you cannot see. The slick, bony surfaces of the patella and trochlear groove become inflamed in a process called chondromalacia. At time passes, this inflammation becomes more generalized to involve most of the supportive cartilage and fibrous tissues of the knee.

*Did your vet tell you what grade it was? If not this is a very important question to ask him or her.

If it's grade 1 or 2 it may be controlled with supplementation. I would recommend starting her on a glucosamine chondroitin right away. Discuss the proper dosage with your vet. I would also recommend supplementing with fish oil. Fish oil contains omega fatty acids which act as lubricants to the joints (anti-inflammatory). Just like an engine needs their oil change to keep on running smoothly, your dog's joints will be able to move more smoothly with this supplement.

Here are some additional herbs I found online that may be helpful in controlling joint disorders;

Herbs: Boswellia, an herb and devil's claw are both anti-inflammatory, while alfalfa provides basic building blocks for the joints. Also use a variety of Chinese herbs.

Here are some additional therapies;

Acupuncture: Schoen highly recommends acupuncture for dogs with arthritis. It increases circulation to the muscles and joint capsule, which provides more oxygen and slows cell degeneration. It also relieves painful muscle spasms; increases leg strength by stimulating nerves and muscles; and releases endorphins to make the dog feel better, he explains. Acupressure can help your dog between sessions.

Physical therapies: Schoen recommends an exercise program of frequent short walks, daily stretching, and massage for canine arthritis sufferers. If available, try physical therapy, swimming, Tellington Touch, trigger-point therapy, or underwater treadmill exercise at an animal rehabilitation center.

Chiropractic care: Chiropractic adjustments help increase mobility so a dog doesn't compensate for stiffness or pain by walking abnormally, which can create other problems.

Homeopathy: For those who prefer homeopathy, the most common remedies for arthritis are Bryonia and Rhustoxicodendron (poison ivy).

*Diet is also VERY IMPORTANT. What are you currently feeding your dog? I believe the best thing you can feed a dog is a home cooked or raw diet. I have known dogs with bad arthritis and improved tremendously when switching to a raw diet.

Here are several additional links with a lot of info on the different surgeries, cause and treatment of this disorder;

Knee Problems In Your Dog - Patellar Luxation - Luxating Patella

Patella Problems in Dogs

Good luck!

[angiesample]

Thanks guys for helping me better understand this condition. My sister has an appointment with a specialist next week. So as of know i do not know what level it is. Although Layla does seem to be in pain. Sometimes she wont walk on one of her back legs for a while. The vet said she has found ways to pop it back in.. she does this really weird stretch where her back legs are perfectly straight. We always thought it was so cute, now we feel so bad that shes probably been hurting for a while and we didnt know. I would have to guess if they want us to see a specialist to talk about our options, i would think that means its bad. I will ask about some of the alternative methods that were suggested and see if maybe we can try some of those first. Thank you so much for the information! It is greatly appreciated!

[pinsnpugs]

Wanted to add: if you try the supplements be sure to get the one that contains all 3 of these: glucosamine, chondroiton and MSM
All work together to make it most effective.

The most affordable one I have found is with Revival , its called Athrisoothe and is the most affordable one that contains all 3 ingredients

[CorkyMax]

You can use human grade supplements for all 3 of these! Prob. better and cheaper. Actually I have given them to one of my dogs before. I got them thru Puritan's Pride when they had a buy 1-get 2 free or another sale they have is buy 2-get 3 free (Not quite as good as the
1st deal--but don't know if they offer the 1st deal anymore, haven't seen it for a while.) You can order from telephone or the web or their catalog---Ask for a free catalog on line or call them--1-800-645-1030 (24 hrs/7 days a week)-- Discount Vitamins & Herbal Supplements from Puritan's Pride --Right now I think the sale is still the buy 2-get 3 free or buy 1-get 1 free. You can see the prices and current sale on their website.

I have bought from this place for many years for my own vitamins,etc. It is a good place. They also sell 3 pet products and 1 is Glucosamine Plus for Pets capsules--This may be new since I had ordered but still think I prefer the human grade. In my catalog it doesn't say exactly what is in it or how many mgs, etc.---But they are easy to call and ask any info you want--I have done this many times. I have gotten the Super Pet Vites for my dogs for at least the past 10 yrs.------Been in business since 1960--Hey that is 50 yrs some time this yr!-maybe they will have a big sale to celebrate in the near future.

[Todd]

Yea I pretty much always use human grade supplements as well. Much cheaper and just as if not more effective.

[Lara's mom]

Check your breeding contract. Most breeders of small dogs guarantee their pups against problems with the patellas. The breeder should offer you some compensation. Also, he/she should know if one of their pups has this condition.

[Yogi]

Originally Posted by Lara's mom

Check your breeding contract. Most breeders of small dogs guarantee their pups against problems with the patellas. The breeder should offer you some compensation. Also, he/she should know if one of their pups has this condition.

Good point so long as this was not caused by injury as opposed as to inherited. Truth be told, even in small breeds the issue with patella luxation is more commonly due to injury than inherited but it is still a good idea to contact the breeder to be sure there is no history in the dam or sire. At the same time, the breeder friend I spoke of purchased hers from another breeder friend and neither its dam or sire have any history of patella luxation. So there is always the rare case where it could be inherited with no prior history going back a couple generations.

[Lara's mom]

How are injuries to the patellas caused? Is it from running?

[Todd]

Originally Posted by Lara's mom

How are injuries to the patellas caused? Is it from running?

The Whole Dog Journal...

What causes luxating patella in the first place?

Occasionally it's caused by an injury, but in the absence of such proof, it is almost always weak tendons and/or a shallow kneecap groove. Luxating patella(s) is considered hereditary.
Never, Ever, breed a Boston Terrier (or any breed of dog) with any degree of luxation (even a "wiggly" knee), whether it has been repaired or not. Fixing the knee doesn't fix the genes that caused the problem.

[Yogi]

Originally Posted by Todd

The Whole Dog Journal...

What causes luxating patella in the first place?

Occasionally it's caused by an injury, but in the absence of such proof, it is almost always weak tendons and/or a shallow kneecap groove. Luxating patella(s) is considered hereditary.
Never, Ever, breed a Boston Terrier (or any breed of dog) with any degree of luxation (even a "wiggly" knee), whether it has been repaired or not. Fixing the knee doesn't fix the genes that caused the problem.

Reverse that Todd, unfortunately this information as most on the internet is assumption written by people who have very little knowledge outside of second hand information. In fact, occasionally it is due to an inherit trait. More often it is due to injury. Pulling excessively on leads is the main culprit as anyone with a small breed or medium breed dog can see. When they are pulling they are driving excessively off their hind legs with very little of the front pads rarely touching the ground. This causes excess strain on the knee which is not developed in the first place for this thus is prone to patella issues. Take it from someone who actually has knowledge of small breeds not from someone who just writes about them. In pretty much all small breeds under health concerns this is listed as a health issue but not because it can be inherited but because it is a health issue. Many breeds have health issues that can be results of injuries or health issues they are susceptible to but this does not mean it is inherited. Many dogs are more prone to epilepsy than others without any links to inheritance through breeding. Same with premature ocular degeneration (early blindness) which some breeds are noted for without having this be an inherited disease. For years I have watched small breeds develop issues with patella and not one time was it inherited but was in fact due to an injury, anything from running through a yard and catching their hind foot in a hole in the ground to the most common, pulling to hard on a lead.

[Lara's mom]

Thanks Yogi:

We're making progress with the pulling thing. The harnesses really helped. Also, every time they start pulling, I turn around and make them go in the opposite direction from which they want to go. They're beginning to "get it."