The Complete Guide to Patellar Luxation in Dogs

Patellar Luxation is one of the most common causes of lameness in dogs of all breeds: small or big. The luxation can be mostly medical due to injuries. According to the researches, patellar luxation occurs ten times more in smaller dog breeds than the larger ones.

What is Patellar Luxation? 

Patella and Luxation are two words that interpret ‘Patella’ meaning Kneecap and ‘Luxation’ meaning dislocation or separation. So Patellar Luxation simply means when a dog has been injured or has dislocated his kneecaps. It is seen as one of the most common orthopedic problems in dogs, especially dogs of smaller breeds like Frenchies, poodles, chihuahuas, pugs, etc.

The Complete Guide to Patellar Luxation in Dogs can be graded as follows: 

o Grade I – In this case, the patella or the knee caps can be manually luxated or dislocated, but it allows to return to the normal position when released. This means that your Frenchie dog is facing a semi injury.

o Grade II – In this case, the patella luxates on manual manipulation and remains dislocated until the manual replacement is done.

o Grade III – In this case, things are a bit severe as the patella luxated will continue, which means that even if it is replaced manually, it will remain dislocated when the pressure is removed.

o Grade IV – This is the last stage of the patella luxation. Here it cannot be replaced manually and remains dislocated. In this case, surgery is needed to get it medically fixed.

Causes 

 It is revealed that Patellar Luxation is most likely a genetic condition and very rarely caused by injury or muscle trauma. The patella ligament is placed from the bottom to the Libia. If the patellar ligament is attached too far inward, then your dog is likely to have Patellar Luxation. And when constantly in motion, this tears down the ligament causing injury.

Treatment for Dogs

There are many different treatments for Patellar Luxation, some of which are:

Homeopathic Treatment: Homeopathic treatments involve an all-natural treatment that focuses on weight management for your dog, all organic homemade diet and exercise.

Surgical or Medical Treatment: This involves taking proper medication, visiting the vet and even undergoing surgeries to help any damaged ligaments.

How to Prevent Patellar Luxation?

It is very important to prevent any illness or injury, and if your dog has Patellar Luxation, giving proper food and performing exercises may help reduce it. However, Patellar Luxation is a common genetic disorder, hence preventing it completely is not possible. It would be of great help to use French Bulldog Pajamas to let them feel comfortable.