Luxating Patellars
What are Luxating Patellars?
The patella is the kneecap. The term luxating means that it is moving out of place or dislocated.
So a vet diagnosis of a luxating patella/patellar is where a dog’s kneecap is popping out of joint.
In Pomeranians, luxating patellas make up over 30% of the medical diagnosis, so the risk for Pomskies to be diagnosed is possible.
How Bad is It?
Grade 1: A knee cap that can be moving with pressure but is otherwise is within the groove.
Grade 2: The knee cap luxates randomly, is associated with a skipping lameness when the knee cap moves.
Grade 3: The knee cap is permanently luxated but can be manually returned in the groove.
Grade 4: The knee cap is permanently luxated and cannot be manually returned into the groove.
How are Luxating Patellas Treated?
It’s can be diagnosed during a routine vet visit. With adult dogs in an incidental finding, treatment that is non-surgical is often suggested.
In puppies or young adults, surgery may be more appropriate if there is a risk of limb deformities.
When is Surgery Advised?
Grade 1: Surgery is never advised.
Grade 2: Only dogs showing clinical signs, lameness are recommended for surgery.
Grade 3-4: Surgery is generally advised.
Pet Owner Reactions
We never want to hear that one of our puppies is experiencing pain or lameness. A puppy owner facing this very expensive surgery (It’s generally $1500-$3000/per knee depending on location) is daunting! Pet owners are often distraught with the diagnosis. Many are caught off-guard as they do not expect it. They can be terrified, angry, sad, or even hostile - blaming the breeder.
How Do You Handle It?
The first thing to do is be calm and empathetic. They have just spent a considerable amount of money on a Pomsky. And now faced with an additional surgery bill. Vets can often give the worse case scenario and some even push for immediate surgery. The single most important thing to do is to show you care. Our initial gut reaction might be to deny it, or blame it on something else. And frankly, there are exacerbating environmental issues that have to be considered, such as if the dog is overweight, raised on slick floors, over-exercised, placed in competition sports before growth plates have finished, etc. But being kind, understanding, and empathetic goes a long way with a customer. Be knowledgeable in the subject to have some resources available for just in case, so you can kindly suggest some at-home options, like Golden Paste (turmeric/curcumin compound known for alleviating inflammation), and mental stimulation ideas to replace some of the physical exercise.
Here are some resources for you to learn from:
Glucosamine helps build cartilage.
Chondroitin works to keep cartilage elastic and prevents collagen from breaking down.
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) improves the condition of connective ligament tissues.
Omega-3 is a potent anti-inflammatory, helps injured joints heal, and arthritic joints stay mobile.
Turmeric is also an anti-inflammatory with potent pain-relieving properties.
Puppy Contract
As far as compensation, what does your contract say in regards to luxating patellas? Having language in the contract that covers instances such as this is good, because even though both Pomsky parents can be tested, sometimes luxating patellas still exist.
Surgery Costs
Many of us cannot afford the cost of the surgery outright. If that is the case, add in language that requires the puppy owner to have pet insurance, and then you can pay the annual deductible on the pet insurance with a max cap mentioned. Or you can offer a puppy back from the next unrelated litter. There are multiple avenues to consider as a way to ‘make up’ this to the pet owner that may not be an outright paying for the surgery. This is one of many ways that breeders may experience financial loss.
Prevention
This is one of the reasons why OFA patella testing is a bare minimum test. It is a manual exam by an OFA certified vet, so no anesthesia, no bad positioning, and no permanent risk of stretching that can sometimes be mentioned with OFA hip tests. The test is reasonable in most areas, ranging $40-125 per dog. Also, raising the puppies on a surface that is not slick, where puppies have good traction is also important to the initial development of the legs/patellas.
