signs for problem patella

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signs for problem patella
by Pia
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
signs for problem patellaOur 1-yr. old Maltese, Alfie, has developed a limp on his rear left leg. At times he is able to walk normally, other times he's hopping on three legs. Of course we promptly took him to the vet. She said it may be a sprain due to the fact that Alfie didn't express any pain when she examined his leg. She prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug and to keep him from unneccesary rough play. We still fear that it may very well be a patella problem. Are there any sure fire signs that would let one know if a patella-related problem is the cause? (We're one week into the treatment and still no improvement.) It's extremely difficult to keep him from running around since he has a 10 month old Maltese brother, Booji-Boy. We could use some wise words from other Maltese parents!

DISCUSSION:

Well, the signs are basically limping, slight pain in the joint, and sometimes difficulty in straightening the knee. You also sometimes hear a kind of popping sound as the patella slips in and out of place (not always). These signs can also mean a sprain or other injury though, so they are not what I'd call "sure fire" signs. Take her back to the vet or at least call to let them know the treatment is not working. You may want to specifically ask about the patella if you hadn't done so in the first visit. If you are not confident in your vet's ability to diagnose the problem, try another vet.
Aimee

Have ex-rays done! Sounds like patella to me! My dog has a mild case usually from jumping on furniture wrong way seem to not be much of a problem now since she was fixed and matured. Get another vet to give you a second opinion. One vet told me she was a class 5 another said she didn't need surgery unless the problem continued. After about a years wait and no further problems I took her back to original vet and downgrader her class to 1-2. It has now been another year and has not had any further occurances.
Carolyn

Pia, our Surgar Bear had problems with patella luxation in both hind legs. Several years ago she had surgery on both, one at a time. When it all began you could actually hear the "popping" sound when the patella went out of place. She would then limp around. The Vet. showed us how to move or pop the patella back into place.Sugar would actually come to us to do it for her. She would still limp around until the soreness wore off. After the surgeries she was fine. However, recently she started limping again on occasion. It seems to be when she has been asleep or jumps off of something the wrong way. It is an impossible task to keep them from running, playing rough or jumping. Especially when there are other dogs around. The Vet. feels now she may have some arthritis setting in because of her past problems. I would think your Vet. would identify a patella luxation problem (upon examination) because they do pop or move around. My Vet. told me long ago that a dog will limp or favor a leg for a long period after the injury has healed. As long is there is no pain and the dog does not cry out or whine, I would suspect a pulled muscle or sore muscle. If it does not get any better you might want to check with your Vet. again. Call him right away if there is swelling. There is always the possibility of a torn cartlidge. Good luck.
Zee

Oliver displayed the same sympthoms around the same age. After discussing this with his breeder we took him for x-rays and it was confirmed that he had a luxating patella. We told it would become arthritic if not corrected. After consulting with an orhtopedic surgeon we decided to go ahead with the surgery. He was in discomfort for a few weeks, but fully recovered. The following year he had to undergo surgery again for his other leg. I can honestly say that he is not 100% on one leg but better than he was before. Please make sure you get a second opinion and make sure the surgeon is qualified! Good luck with Alfie!!
Glorya

Tia, Baxter as a puppy and when playing, would suddenly act like he had broken his hind leg. He would hop around in obvious pain for a few minutes and of course I would pick him up and make of him frantically wondering what's wrong. It would disappear as fast as it came. The vet said his knee caps would slip and it was common in small dogs (laxating patella?). It happened maybe a half a dozen times. There's not much we could do outside extensive surgery and the vet said he would not recommend that. He's two yrs 3 mos now and it hasn't happened in a long time. He had a check up the other day and the vet said it had improved (obviously). Maybe it gets better with age. He did say he would probably have arthritis when he got older. Hope this is all that is wrong with Alfie. Good luck.
Marie

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. Your support was a great consolation to us! I've learned a lot more about our beloved breed since I've accessed this site. (Thanks Jay and Bev!!) I think we are going to have Alfie looked at by another vet. We ideally wouldn't want to have him go through surgery, so we shall be researching all the other alternatives.
Pia

Pia, Rastus was diagnosed with subluxating patellas when he was about 4 or 5 years old. I hadn't noticed ANY symptoms in all this time. The vet (this was our first visit to him, none of the previous vets had noticed any problems) said that, had Rastus been younger, surgery would fix the problem but by now too much damage had already been done and that arthritis had already set in, so he didn't recommend surgery. I don't think that arthritis shortened his life (he died at 16 and was always quite active) but it certainly made it more painful for him, especially in the last few years. If I ever have another dog diagnosed with this at a young enough age for surgery to be effective and can afford it, I'll have no hesitation in going ahead with surgery to prevent or minimise the pain of aching joints.
Deanna (Moose & Squirrel)