Dezoginating Pegonia...errr...Liguilating Portobella...Wait, what's it called again?

Monday, as my faithful readers know, I went to the veterinarian where Mommy works (not the witch doctor). It turns out that I have a medial patellar luxation. What this basically means is that my kneecap keeps moving out of place. This is bad.

You see, at the end of my femur, my patella sits in a groove called the trochlear groove. Along side that groove are ridges called trochlear ridges that sort-of serve to keep my patella in place. In well-conformed dogs, the patella would ride up and down the trochlear groove.

Picture taken from Veterinary Surgical Services, "Patellar Luxation" http://www.vetsurg1.com/patellarluxation.html

Sometimes the trochlear groove grows to be shallow allowing the patella to move outside of the ridges. It can also be because the extensor muscles are also misaligned medially or laterally causing bowleggedness. Basically, the femur, tibia and patella and the surrounding muscles are all not aligned properly. A patella can luxate medially or laterally. For me, it luxates medially and is thus a hereditary issue. A lateral patellar luxation is caused by an injury.

Picture taken from Veterinary Surgical Services, "Patellar Luxation" http://www.vetsurg1.com/patellarluxation.html

Mommy has always thought my right leg looked a little bowlegged, however the Dr.s never thought this was an issue. Because, this commonly occurs in small breed dogs, it is a standard test during routine exams.

Patellar luxation is graded on a four point scale. I have Grade II luxation which means that my patella can easily be pushed out of place, but at the same time will go back into place easily. Grade I means that it can't be pushed out-of-place and Grade IV means that it can't be put into place at all.

Grade III and Grade IV luxation always requires surgery. Surgery is recommended for Grade II but may or may not be necessary. The Orthopedic Surgeons at OSU are recommending that I undergo a sulcoplasty +/- tibial tuberoscity surgery as soon as possible.

Not undergoing surgery increases the risks of of getting degenerative joint disease, arthritis and lameness. The more wear-and-tear on the femoral joint, the more the likelihood of complications occuring and the chances of reluxation occuring after surgery is high (although, chances of reluxation are always possible in Grades II-IV, it is less severe in lower stages and may possibly go away).

My Mother is very torn up on what to do. As the Vet told her that some dogs with Grade II continue to have a normal life without surgery, although in most cases they may develop arthritis and it may not affect the quality of their life. In other cases, it will cause arthritis or lameness. Other dogs, will develop Grade III in which surgery is pretty much required. After speaking with an orthopedic surgeon, she said they strongly recommend surgery at this point.

This surgery is very expensive and I will require a lot of post-operative care afterwards. I would be required to be on crate rest for several weeks, then I'd go through physical therapy and then I will only be allowed light leash walking for the next several weeks after.

There is also a very, very high chance that I will have bilateral luxation, meaning that patellar luxation would occur in my left leg as well. Research shows a high percentage of dogs with medial patellar luxation will most likely get luxation in their other hind leg.



Picture taken from Veterinary Surgical Specialists, "Surgical Solutions for Canine Patellar Luxation" http://www.vssoc.com/petella.html

At this point, I can't even have surgery until January because of everything going on over the next couple of months. Mommy and Daddy will be traveling and I will go with them some of the time and then it's the Holidays! Crate rest won't be an option then.

Plus, because of how expensive this surgery is, my parents have to have a couple of months to save up for it. I guess the timing of everything is good. Post-op care isn't feasible until January leaving my parents time to save up money and then it'll be too cold and snowy to really do anything anyways.


Here's what I think of surgery: I don't like the idea one bit! I won't even be able to walk! Anyway, I will have to tell you about what we did on Monday that almost got Mommy in trouble!


She didn't really almost get in trouble!