Luxating Patella

Hop. Hop. Skip. Ever seen your dog do this with one of their back legs? It`s a classic sign of Luxating Patella or Slipping Kneecap

What is luxating patella in the dog?

The kneecap in the dog is situated just above the kneed joint in dogs (in humans it sits on top of our joint). In some dogs. Rather than sliding up and down in its groove (trochlea) it will luxate, or jump out of the groove. This will "freeze" the leg as the dog holds it up off the ground, the hop hop skip we often see is the dog trying to "pop" the knee cap back into its groove. Smaller dogs like Lhasa Apso`s are prone to this although don`t get it confused with the "Terrier Hop" which many terriers naturally do (and is actually a sign of increasing tightness in specific muscles in the leg)

Why it happens

Past trauma to the knee i.e.: fall, road traffic accident
Genetics
Bad Breeding
Malformation of the groove and patella during growth phase

Symptoms

Sudden stopping
Crying in pain
Holding affected leg off ground and then return to normal activity to 10 minutes later
Hop Hop Skip Action
Lack of natural movement in the stife

Treatment

Surgery can be performed on luxating patella but your vet will warn you that unfortunately this operation does not always guarantee results

Massage

Massage can help dogs affected with Luxating Patella by:

Ensuring areas of overcompensation and pain referral are minimized
Helping your dog to stay "balanced" eg still using both legs equally which will minimize the risk of issues manifesting in the other patella
Alleviating tightness down the back which makes it uncomfortable for the dog on a day to day basis
Massage can be used to lengthen the muscles which attach, or insert , around the area eg: patella interposes with the tendon of insertion of the quadriceps The patella ligament is also associated with the insertion of the quadriceps muscle, so if your dog is particularly tight on the inside and outside of their leg it can aggravate the kneecap to slip or pop out of the groove more often
Keeps your dog mobile and active
Reduces soreness and stiffness
Minimises pain

Massage is an effective form of post operative care helping your dog to get back to normal activity faster by influencing the bodies strong natural process it uses to heal itself.