# caring for pup with LP



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

Just wondering if anyone has any advice on what to do & what not to do as far as caring with for a dog with luxating patella. Domo has grade III on both rear legs. 

He uses stairs 100% of the time for all furniture. 
He's never been one to like to go for walks so we don't do that much.
We do have a back yard that he loves to go out in and walk around and sniff stuff. He likes to chase the ball too. Is running okay with him having LP?

His weight is good. He gets a joint supplement. He eats 4-5 star foods. 

Anything else? Thanks in advance!


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

we use a ramp in my room..it helps loads with her not havin to use too much pressure to get up. im not too sure myself on what else there is to do as KC has lp on both hind legs and i remember Dex having it before. we give nupro here and it seemed to have helped a bit since the knees dont popout anymore randomly.


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## LostLakeLua (Sep 6, 2009)

Sounds like you're on the right track with the diet and supplements! =D I'm all too familiar with LP and one thing I've really noticed is how unaware most of the sufferers are. One of my fosters Millicent as a senior who had awful knees that you could actually see rarely rested in the proper place... but she was always happy as can be, and energetic too. Her new owners had a dog park membership for her. Dogs deal with pain much more differently than people, and if it is just a mild discomfort many are resilient enough that it doesn't affect their quality of life at all. It is especially true for dogs who have suffered it their whole lives. Don't get me wrong, it is still an issue that is far too common in Chi's and many small breeds for that matter; but at least many of the dogs who have luxating patellas are able to lead normal lives none the wiser. You'll know when it actually becomes uncomfortable for him; and until then just avoid lots of jumping and peter-panning it off the couch and Domo will be one content pooch. =D Keep up with what you're doing, a little extra TLC never hurt and lets be honest that's the fun in having a dog... LOL...


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## doginthedesert (Oct 10, 2011)

It sounds like you are on the right track as everyone else has said! One thing that is important is to keep the dog well muscled and lean. There is nothing wrong with letting running and chasing happen because you want to encourage plenty of exercise, the stronger the muscles are the more stability the joint will have. I have a girl with LP in both knees and a few other joint issues as well. Other than occasionally skipping she never shows signs of it. I don't think it causes her anything other than mild discomfort and I don't limit her activity at all. My vet has told me that small dogs are lucky, they have so much less stress on their joints because of their size that something that would cause major arthritis in a bigger dog might never progress in a tiny one. Of course some chis also will have a harder time with it, but you will know if it progresses, just keep am eye out. The trick is supplements like you mentioned, good food and staying lean.

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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Do you have a large tub you can fill up for some water therapy?


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## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the tips. Christie, I could fill up the tup I suppose. Swimming is good then?


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

I was just going to also suggest swimming if he doesn't mind water. I don't have any experience with LP, but I know that swimming is a great low impact exercise for arthritic dogs, so I imagine it would be okay for LP too. 


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

I was going to suggest more exercise too to keep the muscles strong. My Lilo has LP too. Like you, we give her joint supplements, feed a high quality diet and keep her weight healthy. We also feed chews rich in glucosamine and chondroitin, on top of the supplement, but one thing that makes a lot of difference is exercise. Whenever we go through phases of not going for enough walks or shorter walks, she starts to hop more whereas she barely hops when we go on long regular walks. Before we adopted Rocky, she hated walks and was not very active at home either and the hopping was becoming bad, but now that she's very active, it's barely noticeable... only occasional little hops.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Yes swimming is like Krystal said low impact and doesn't hurt joints but builds muscles. I had to do that when I tore my knee


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