Understanding your dog's patella (knee) as one the most vital joints in your dogs body is key. It is a vital joint and often overlooked, it is the joint which can mean the difference between your dog enjoying play and walk time and being confined to the house.
An unhealthy/injured knee means your dog may be in pain and not able to walk comfortably. This leads to 'compensation' which means your dog will take more weight than is safe on the other legs - this cascading effect often means one knee joint has a domino effect on all aspects of your dogs health and life.
Patella (knee) health is important for puppies and senior dogs. In the case of puppies patella health and protection is vital.
What is a luxating patella?
A luxating patella in simple terms is a knee joint which moves out of place. Due to this when walking, jumping or climbing your dog may experience mild of severe pain.
It is important to seek medical advice immediately if you notice these changes
- Changes in your dogs walking pattern
- Reluctance to get up quickly
- Looses interest in favourite activities
- "Hopping" on 3 legs or 'Bunny Hopping"
Assistive devices for physiotherapy and post surgical support for your dog. What are assistive devices? Splints, wheelchairs, braces are all considered assistive devices in pet/ small animal physiotherapy.
