Patellar luxation is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in dogs. But just as often it is “overlooked” by the dog owner, or the typical symptoms are dismissed as a “tick” of the dog. Therefore, treatment also often falls by the wayside. In this case, the popping out of the kneecap is painful for affected dogs and the knee joint is permanently damaged. Arthrosis inevitably develops in the joint.
These are the typical symptoms of patellar luxation
Patellar luxation is usually easy to recognize: Probably the most common symptom is the classic shaking and holding up of the hind leg when walking. It is often misinterpreted as a “tick” of the dog, because he usually shows it from a young age. I’m sure you’ve seen it too. Especially for small dogs. Because especially they run in front of you and keep shaking their hind leg or walk three-legged.
But there are more signs of patellar luxation. And because I want fewer dogs to go through life for many years with an undiagnosed condition, I’ll tell you everything you need to know. This is because patellar luxation can now be treated very well.
- Bouncing on 3 legs
- Lameness
- Pain
- Crepitatory sounds (crunching)
- Touch sensitivity
- Swelling and warming of the knee
- Loss of musculature on the leg
- first symptoms usually appear already in the first 4 months of life
What happens during dislocation of the patella?
In patellar luxation, the kneecap slips out of the glide groove during movement, either laterally or toward the center. This can happen because the rolling groove is not deep enough or the kneecap is too small or too large and therefore does not fit properly into the guide. In addition, connective tissue structures such as ligaments, tendons and the joint capsule may be weakened and provide insufficient support.
In 3/4 of the cases, the patella then slips medially, towards the middle. This usually happens with small dogs. With a quarter, it slips outward, i.e. laterally. This mainly affects large dogs.
Patellar luxation is divided into 4 different degrees of severity:
Grade I: The kneecap pops out. She immediately jumps back to the normal position and the dog bounces briefly on three legs. Surgical treatment is usually not necessary.
Grade II: The patella pops out and remains luxated until the dog extends its leg. The dog sometimes limps more, sometimes less, there are lameness-free phases. When he is lame, he keeps the knee slightly bent and hardly puts any weight on it. From grade II, surgery is usually necessary to prevent osteoarthritis.
Grade III: The kneecap is usually popped out, can be moved back, but usually pops right back out. Affected dogs show varying degrees of lameness, from occasional bouncing to walking permanently on 3 legs.
Grade IV: The patella is permanently dislocated and cannot be retracted, the leg is permanently bent and the dog cannot extend the leg.
Time your dog one or more of the above symptoms? Then I definitely recommend you have him examined by a veterinarian and get to the bottom of the cause.
All the love, your Tina
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