Hi

While out tonight my Cav with arthritis and dysplasia was running along fine when suddenly he stumbled and one of his rear legs stuck out at a funny angle - not quite 90 degrees but almost.  He limped and stumbled for a few steps then carried on running with his leg stuck out and then just as suddenly the leg went back.

there was no yelp of pain or crying or anything - is this dysplasia that can cause this?

thanks for advice

Maxine

It sounds like patella luxation, which is usually a secondary problem to H/D.  The knee joint pops out, and either pops back in on it's own or can be manipulated back!  Doesn't seem to cause pain, my last dog didn't cry out when this happened, just stood and waited for us to put it back.

ooh thanks - I have to admit I panicked - luckily my husband was with me and nothing phases him and before I'd finished panicking it was all over.  Maybe I should mention it to the vet next week when he goes to get weighed in case it gets 'stuck' when I'm out - standing panicking wont help him so I better find out what to do and how to do it...

thanks

Maxine

Can't answer that for sure, but many years ago my old Golden was running up and down the stairs chasing with a friends Lab. She came into the room with her front leg stuck out at a near enough 90 degree angle. Took her to the Vets who told us to give her half a soluble aspirin twice a day as she had arthritis in her shoulder joint and she had jarred it badly . She was right as ninepence within three days.

Sounds more like Episodic falling than patella problems

Reading that I'd still go for patella problems.  Only ever in all my years of owning Pomeranian's had one with patella problems thankfully.

This isn't a pom but a cavalier & as he has had his hindquarters X rayed they would have spotted any patella problems

EF is quite common in Cavaliers My Joedee has it even though he has only even had one episode

I've seen lots of footage of EF far more detailed than the video clips & several of the Cavaliers had incorrectly been diagnosed(un X rayed)with slipping patellas only to have the subsequent X rays show nothing wrong with the patellas & they were later diagnosed with EF

I knew it wasn't a POM!!!  Just reading what it said on there and the signs didn't really fit, but as I don't know about the disease I can't really state anything and I've not looked into the problem that you mentioned except for that one site!

My last golden's patella was not detected on ex-ray, just his hip problems, his patella was diagnosed by the consultant who manipulated the joint out of socket and then back again - :(

Hi - I've read up on both of those from the links you gave me - thanks very much for your help. I'm going to ask my vet about both.  I couldnt watch the videos of the episodic falling - must have some software missing or something.  I'm going to read up on both things again - the episodic falling the only thing that makes me thing possibly it isnt that is that he didnt fall to the floor and stay there till it was over - he stumbled and then kept going - but I couldnt see the clips of the mild cases only a very severe one - and it wasnt like the sever case I managed to see.  The patellar luxation articles I read did say that arthritis can follow this and as he already has hip dysplasia (bilateral I just read and realised is the term...) it wouldnt surprise me if he had this too.

This poor little fella has enough to contend with but as he obviously hasnt come from good stock and hasnt been looked after throughout the first three years of his life nothing would surprise me now.  I hope for his sake he doesnt get worse...

thanks again - I'll let you know what the vet says when I go next week for his next weigh in,

Maxine

EF has many forms Not all affected dogs fall over even though it is called E. Falling. Joedee didn't fall over he went rigid, arched his back & eash leg went stiff then 30 seconds later he was back to normal !

He doesn't have HD nor slipping patellas but does have EF & SM

Thanks for this link this was a better article than I had found and a couple of the scenarios on it do sound like the incident with Bobby so definitely worth mentioning to the vet.

I hadnt heard of SM before - but just read that as well it sounds awful - poor Joedee.

Maxine