Detect and treat patella luxation in dogs
If a dog suffers a patella dislocation, the patella jumps out of its normal position. Patella dislocations can occur in dogs in varying degrees of severity, and generally first manifest as lameness.
The causes of patella luxation in dogs, the breeds of dogs at increased risk and the treatment options are discussed below. We will also give you tips on how to support the health of the musculoskeletal system and, last but not least, how to reduce the likelihood of patella luxation in your dog.
Patella luxation in dogs: what is it?
The kneecap (patella) is a disc-shaped flat bone in dogs. It is located in front of the knee joint, where it is held in the correct position by a series of tendons and ligaments.
However, various factors can cause the patella to pop out in dogs, causing the quadruped to suffer a so-called patella dislocation. Patella dislocation can occur in varying degrees of severity, so the consequences for the dog are not always the same.
Patella luxation in dogs can be divided into the following four degrees of severity:
- Grade 1: The patella only jumps out briefly and slides back into the normal position on its own after a few moments.
- Grade 2: The patella must be manually returned to its normal position.
- Grade 3: The patella jumps out again shortly after manual resetting.
- Grade 4: The dislocation of the patella can no longer be corrected manually and the patella is permanently dislocated.
Why does a patella luxation occur in dogs?
There are various triggers that can lead to patella luxation in dogs. These include accidents, of course, in which in many cases the ligaments in the affected knee also tear.
However, congenital anatomical peculiarities are particularly often responsible for patella luxation in dogs. Possible causes include kneecaps that are too small or too large, as well as a lack of support for the patella due to a too-flat glide channel.
Other factors that can increase the risk of patella dislocation include obesity, weak connective tissue, lack of muscle, misalignment of the hind legs and joint diseases such as osteoarthritis in dogs.
Which dogs are frequently affected by patella luxation?
In theory, any dog can suffer from a patella luxation. However, large breeds are rarely affected, while the risk is naturally high in some small breeds.
The following breeds are among the dogs that are more likely to suffer from patella luxation than others:
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Chihuahua
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Dwarf poodle
- Pekinese
How do you recognise a patella luxation in dogs?
If your dog suffers from patella luxation, this naturally means that the quadruped can no longer move the affected knee joint properly. Apart from this, the kneecap often pops out randomly and is naturally extremely painful.
If your dog suffers from a patella luxation, you will therefore notice this mainly by the fact that he holds the affected leg up at once and tries to protect the knee by walking on three legs.
Dogs with patella luxation are a case for the vet
If you suspect that your dog has suffered a patella luxation, we recommend that you consult a vet immediately. The veterinarian will examine the knee and will be able to determine the severity of the patella luxation and, based on this, determine what treatment measures need to be taken.
How is patella luxation in dogs treated?
In the case of a patella luxation with a severity level of 2, it is usually sufficient to manually adjust the patella and splint and immobilise the joint. In order to avoid unnecessary damage to the knee, we strongly recommend that you leave the resetting of the patella to a vet and do not try to do it yourself.
If your dog suffers repeated patella dislocations, it is likely that conservative treatment methods will no longer be sufficient. In this case, surgery under general anaesthetic is necessary. During the operation, the patella is fixed in its correct position so that it cannot pop out so easily in the future.
After the operation, your dog's knee joint will need to be protected for a few weeks. You should therefore make sure that your four-legged friend does not run around and avoids unnecessary stress, such as climbing stairs.
If necessary, the vet will prescribe a painkiller for your four-legged friend. Apart from this, regular physiotherapy is useful to strengthen the muscles and maintain the mobility of the knee.
Is a patella luxation in dogs curable?
Whether your dog can live with patella luxation without any permanent problems is largely determined by the severity and frequency of the luxation. Patella luxations with a severity of 1 to 3 can usually be permanently repaired without any problems.
Severity 4, on the other hand, is different. In this case, it is quite possible that your dog will have to struggle with the consequences of the patella luxation permanently.
In principle, however, you can assume that the sooner you detect and treat a possible patella dislocation in your dog, the better your chances of a full recovery.
Nutritional supplements for dogs with a patella luxation
A patella luxation causes your dog severe pain and can also become a permanent problem. It is therefore very important that you protect your four-legged friend against them as much as possible, or at least promote healing as much as possible.
More and more dog owners are using special dietary supplements for dogs for this purpose that contain, for example, hyaluronic acid and collagen. This is intended to supply the joints with important nutrients and thus reduce the risk of a patella luxation or support veterinary treatment.
Regardless of this, avoiding becoming overweight is important not only because of the increased risk of suffering a patella luxation. If your dog is carrying too much weight around with him, we therefore recommend that you start a diet as soon as possible. With an appropriate amount of food and a dietary supplement containing our easy-to-digest dietary powder Shiimun Slim, you can ensure a healthy and lasting reduction in weight.
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