I have a 10mth old staffy bitch, who seems to have this problem so the vet tells me!! (luxating patella) now i was obeisously very concerned for my baby .... but on reading the staffy book when i got home it seems to be a common problem and that in most cases were staffy's are concerned they grow out of it once they fully mature and there muscle development has finished .... any help and advice from more experienced dog owners, especially any staffy owners who may have had similar problems would help put my mind at rest.......... a very worried staffy owner..

I guess you know all this but I'll go through it anyway just in case it helps you to understand what's happening and what can be done.

The Patella (knee cap) is secured to the knee by a cartilage, the Patella Ligament. Normally the Patella is held in place by fitting in a groove in the Femur. Occasionally the groove is too shallow allowing the Patella to Luxate (Slip out). Another possible problem sometimes found is the Tibial Crest, (The point where the Patella Ligament is attached to the Tibia) is misplaced so the Patella does not naturally fit into the groove.

In the case of the shallow groove the operation is to simply file the groove deeper! Although in a lot of cases this type of fault may well not cause too many problems and may not need operating on.

The second type is more serious because as the kneecap is nowhere near the groove it is unlikely to ever stay in place. The operation there is to cut through the Tibial Crest and graft it back into the correct place. As in any bone graft it is a far longer job and although it is usual to wire it in place great care is needed not to undo all the work before the bone has had time to heal.

I knew a Japanese Spitz with the first type who lived out a full life without being operating on and who never seemed to show any distress.

Best wishes, John

thanks for the info, i'm doing some fact finding aswell, she's still quite young, so it can get better with muscle development in a lot of cases, just have to hope she's ok, been told that lead walking on hard ground is good for this and is less stressful on thier legs..! thanks again sc.

Scooby,

Dogs do not grow out of luxating patella, but it may never cause them a problem. If the condition is not severe the stronger the muscles are around the knee the less likely there is to be a problem. Walking on hard ground (like asphalt or concrete) is very stressful on joints, perhaps whoever gave you the advice meant that the dogs is less likely to twist its leg on an even, firm surface, which is sometimes a problem with this condition. Basically, it's easier for the knee joint to slip out of position because it isn't held as securely as it should be so you should be careful not to let her run around off lead on ground full of holes, rocks and so on. Sound advice for any dog really, since none of them are immune to muscle tears and broken legs!

In fact, the best thing to do for muscle development without joint stress is swimming. No ground at all!

Stacey

i've seen a few posts on here about people taking there dogs swimming, not sure where to start looking, not the sort of thing you see down at the local pool, be very handy take the kids at the same time!!! thank for the advice stacey....sc.

There are a few animal Hydra Therapy pools around. There is one close to where I live. Your best bet would be to ask your vet because it is almost certain that he or she would know if anything is available in your area.

Regards, John

Hi Stacey
My young dog (about the same age as yours) has luxating patella in both legs.

I would recommend that you ask your vet to refer you to an orthopaedic specialist. X-rays should show how bad the condition is but surgery isn't necessarily the best option. We decided against it as the specialist we saw couldn't guarantee that the op would be successful. Our little Buddy manages fine at the moment - you wouldn't know he had a problem. There is a risk that he will suffer from arthritis in later years but he's having a great life at the moment ! :D

Joyce