Has your dog ever been running and suddenly
picked up one of his back legs and started running on three legs? Usually, this will be for a short distance. Then, he will give his leg a shake and go back
to running on all four legs.
Your dog is experiencing something called
Patellar Luxation. Sounds complicated,
but it is really very simple. The
patella (knee cap) is a small bone that sits in a groove at the front of the
knee. For some dogs, the groove the
patella sits in is too shallow. So, when
the patella is experiencing a lot of movement (i.e. the dog is running), it
will slip out of the groove and cause the knee to lock up. The dog will hold the leg up and sometimes
give it a little shake causing the patella to slip back into its groove.
Patellar Luxation is a congenital problem caused
by the failure of the bone to develop correctly. It is a common problem for small breed dogs
such as Pomeranians, Poodles, and Chihuahuas. The luxation itself isn't painful. It is more of a nuisance. However, over time, the action of the patella
sliding up and over the groove will cause “wear and tear” on the cartilage of the
knee joint. Eventually, this will lead
to arthritis.
If you have a dog that has a luxating patella,
then it is important to make sure they maintain a healthy weight. This will help slow the progression of the
arthritis. Patellar Luxation can also be
surgically repaired. The surgeon will go
into the knee joint and deepen the groove the patella sits in, causing a
tighter fit. Surgery is the best
solution, but can be expensive. Most
dogs with Patellar Luxation do very well even without treatment.
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