| You and your Toy Poodle is at the peak of your | | | | lameness, intermittent skipping gait, pain and stiffness |
| excitement playing fetch when suddenly, Fluffy yelps in | | | | of the hind limb. A dog affected with luxating patella |
| pain, pulls his one leg off the ground and limps in agony. | | | | may show only one or all signs. Some can tolerate the |
| But after around ten agonizing minutes, he is back to | | | | problem for many years, some for all their lives. |
| normal and again on-the-go to play with you. This | | | | Luxating patella should be addressed as soon as |
| seems some sort of a joke but this is not something | | | | possible to prevent osteoarthritis from developing. This |
| to be taken for granted because your dog is definitely | | | | weakness in the knee may also result to other injuries |
| suffering from knee joint abnormality. | | | | such as torn cruciate ligaments. In order for the |
| Luxating patella is one of the most common knee joint | | | | disease to be treated, the four grades of patellar |
| abnormalities in dogs. Also called trick knee, subluxation | | | | luxation must be determined. The treatment is then |
| of patella or floating patella, luxating patella is a | | | | prescribed based on the diagnostic grade. Grades III |
| condition in which the patella or kneecap dislocates and | | | | and IV, and most grade II cases are treated surgically. |
| moves out of its normal location. This patella or | | | | During the surgery, the alignment problem is corrected, |
| kneecap should be located in the center of the knee | | | | the groove in the femur is deepened so the patella will |
| joint but moves out of place because of traumatic | | | | stay in place (sulcoplasty) and the capsule around the |
| injury or congenital deformities. Sometimes, only one | | | | joint is tightened. |
| knee is involved, but this disease can affect both | | | | Ten to fourteen days after the surgery, your pet |
| knees. Toy and miniature dog breeds especially Toy | | | | should be touching the toes to the ground and should |
| Poodles are more likely to develop luxating patella. This | | | | be using the limb well after two to three months. To |
| disease usually develops in dogs between four to six | | | | help your dog recover after the surgery, additional help |
| months old but may also affect new born puppies. | | | | can be given with the use of pet ramps, stairs or |
| The signs of the disease vary depending on the | | | | steps. |
| severity of the condition. Affected dogs usually exhibit | | | | |