subluxation of patella

swimkin

I am so bummed out. I didn't sleep all last night as my 5.3 toy poodle, Berre, (pronounced Bear) developed a limp over the weekend that was intermittent. So I made an appointment with the vet this am and found out that he has a congenital problem with his knee called subluxation of the patella. He was diagnosed with a level III subluxation and is a candidate for surgery. He just turned a year old on June 4th. I know he is a puppy mill dog as he came from a pet store so I have no recourse there. I do intend to go back and let them know that this was a congenital defect. He has to go in for an xray (with sedation) next Monday am to check out both knees. My vet could only find a problem with one knee. I really don't like putting him under the knife, but realize it may have to be done. I am concerned that he will be going to another surgeon 2 hours from my home. The surgeon's wife is a vet, too, who used to work at my vet's office. How does one check out someone that far away? I am sure that they would like to refer me there as they know him, but I want to be sure before I put my little guy under a knife./ I am thinking of getting a second opinion and finding out who they would recommend. Where does one find out how to check up on these surgeons? Any help and advice would be most appreciative. Thanks in advance!

Curbside Prophet

So sorry to hear about your poodle. There's a lot to consider when choosing a vet. So I found this site that I think sums it up pretty well. I do hope it answers you question. Good luck!

Choosing a Good Vet for Your Pet

bigdawgs

First of all, I do not want to sound like I am minimizing your problem, but patella sub is pretty common; we do quite a few. If your vet is recommending someone other than himself, I would be pretty reassured, since he isn't trying something he isn't comfortable with.
Just to let you know, we usually tell patients that if this happens in one knee, there is a huge chance that the other knee will also develop problems as well.
There are usually two methods. The one our doc tries to use first is to cut a groove in the leg bone that keeps the knee cap in place. In some smaller dogs, this is tough, there just isn't a whole lot of bone to work with.
For referrals, call your state vet school and ask for a list of vets that specialize in orthopedics. OR you can go to the university and have it done there, if distance isn't an issue.

swimkin

Thanks for your responses. I will find out more about his knees next week as he has Xrays to be completed then under sedation. My vet was pretty good at explaining what happens with the surgery and that it is usually a bi-lateral problem. She said his left knee appears to be alright, but she would get X-rays of that, too, for the surgeon to check out. I will be asking more questions of her on Monday when I go in, too. I don't want to wait too long for his surgery as he is having definite problems and if they can be fixed at all, I would prefer sooner to later. She mentioned that he is at increased risk for arthritis. But checking this out on line I found either way he still has an increased risk fixed or not.

I suppose that she can give me more info on the surgeon that is two hours from my home then, too. I also have dog obedience class tonight (my vet ok'd him to go for now) I will ask some of the other dog club members if they have had an experiences with this doctor or if they know who they could recommend, too. Many of them have multiple dogs in the upper levels of competitions in agility, obedience, or rally. I imagine that some have had experience with orthopedics at some time or another or know someone who has.