Reply to Medial Patella Luxation? Experiences please.

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[quote=Anonymous]Our 22-lb terrier mix was diagnosed with this last year.  It is indeed very common in small breedsShe was skipping when she walked, to greater and lesser degrees.  At the time I had a lot going on (my mom was dying) and so I ignored it for awhile and walked her shorter and shorter distances (figured she should take it easy, it must hurt).

After life settled down a bit I got a referral from our vet to an orthopedic vet at VOSM in Annapolis Junction, an amazing facility.  They evaluated her and dx'd luxating patella.  (I think she was Stage 2 but am not 100% sure.)  In any case the vet thought surgery was unnecessary and could be avoided by means of doing two-part physical therapy:   First,  a minimum of one (preferably two)  40+-minute walks/day involving as many hills and stairs as possible, the idea being  to strengthen her leg muscles so that she relies on the muscles (upper leg ones) and not that joint for most of her hind leg movement.   (As it turned out then, "taking it easy" on her was exactly the wrong thing to do.)  Second, hydrotherapy, which entailed her walking on a treadmill in a partially-filled fishtank-type warm water tank at VOSM (I know, crazy).   The resistance involved in water-walking is beneficial to the joint.   We did it 1x/week because as a practical matter, getting to this place 2x/week was just not going to happen.

I can't recall how many weeks we did this PT but I think it was maybe 6-8 weeks?  It was very effective - her leg muscle grew substantially and over time she skipped far, far less.  She still skips, but much less than she used to.  We can't manage two 40-minute walks every day, but we try to get in as many vigorous/uphill/up stairs walks as much as we can so that the problem stays at bay.

We do not plan on surgery unless we absolutely must do it and that doesn't appear to be the case, at least not in the foreseeable future.
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