My one year old German Shepherd x Husky has been diagnosed with the above complaint.  About once every couple of days he will pick up his back leg for a few seconds and then click it back into place and carries on as normal. The vet said that he can have an operation but on trawling the internet I found that he is possibly a grade 1 case (they are graded up to 4) The operation has a long recuperation time and according to one site has a 48% chance of reoccurring.  Has anyone had this operaiton done on their dog and has it been worth  the trauma to the dog.
Thanks
Lorraine

Luxating patella (dislocated kneecap) is well worth having repaired, especially in such a young dog. It'll save him from years of pain from early arthritis.

I had this operation performed on a dog years ago.  Both patellas were luxated, and she had her operations 6 weeks apart.  The operations were performed around a year old, and many years later you could quite clearly see the pins in her patella (on x-ray.)  She could run like the wind and still do a standing jump to my shoulder at 14 years old (Toy Poodle.)  I lost her shortly before her 17th birthday.

I had the same operation performed last year on a bitch, and I found keeping her restrained for so long was a nightmare!  I basically had a crate up in the living room for 12 weeks.  And, having a huge garden, I couldn't risk her racing round so she had to be on lead for a wee.  But have to say that I am even more impressed with results.  I am amzed that almost half operations are not successful!    I would expect any competent surgeon to do such a job that it just couldn't happen.  The one last year was particularly difficult, and my own orthopaedic vet said he wouldn't have wanted to attempt it when he first qualified!  But I am 100% happy with results, and have no doubts that my girl will have no further problems.  I can say hand on heart that it is an operation I have no problems with at all.

I think the majority of the ops that fail are due to the owners not allowing enough time for the surgery to heal before allowing the dog free exercise.

Yes I can see that. 

Even one of the guys that I work with mentioned that he bet my vet thought I was good being so rigid in following his advice!  But I can only say that it was worth 12 weeks of restraint.  I am over the moon with the results, and she has since been spayed so we can't pass on her problems.  :-)

If the instructions are followed the chance of failure are very small, and it is so worth doing you just have to do as instructed for the 12 weeks following the operation. There are I believe two forms of this corrective surgery one is to just file out the groove that carries and keeps the tendon that holds the kneecap in position and the other is the filing out and the moving a small hook of bone that holds this tendon so it is in line with the direction of pull. it is the damaging (pulling off) of this tiny piece of bone that can cause failure and will not happen if time to heal is allowed.

I had it done on a rescue dog I had. She didn't appear to be in any pain with it--just hopped occassionally like yours-- but my vet's advice was that it would certainly lead to pain and arthritis. The op was a wonderful success-- she was much more lively and active when healed than before, so I realised it must have been bothering her, and lived to the age of 15 with no arthritis at all in that joint.

Many thanks for the replies

Had this done on a 10 month old Flattie after he injured himself. yes the recovery is quite long....6-8 weeks short lead walks but to see him now it was well worth it. He can run and jump with the best of them and has no trace of a limp.
I think it was me who was traumatised most trying to keep a young Flattie calm!!!

If a luxating patella returns on the same leg a few years after surgery,would surgery be needed again?or could the problem be then managed by medication,maybe rimadyl and metacam?

It would probably need more surgery but I know that the surgery my dog has involved the kneecap being held in place by wires. If something goes wrong it would probably be due to a break in the wire or the screws coming loose rather than a true 'luxating patella' as such.

One of my older dogs had the operation 4 years ago to chisel the groove that the kneecap sits in,was a great success,never a problem,but I was watching him the other day,and I'm convincing myself that he's not moving as well as he was,and am worrying myself sick that it's going to go again.I really don't want him to have anymore surgery,but if he has too then he will.Can I control it with a glucosamine supplement and pain relief,and should I restrict his exercise?I am keeping an eye on his diet,so he doesn't put weight on.

Are you sure it is not a touch of arthritis, I remember being told by our surgeon that this could crop up in a few years time due to him having this surgery.
I have him on glucosamine and chondroitin tablets to try and prevent this happening.

I use Newmarket Joint Supplement,as told by the vet who did the surgery.