Puppy with bad knees.

[Featherland]

We purchased a toy poodle 2 days ago with the intention of having a wonderful pet and also breeding her. I took her to the vet today and was told she has a luxating patella ( bad knees) Everything else was fine but dogs with this problem should not be bred. I was told she has a 50% chance of out growing this problem. If she doesn't it could lead to arthritis later in life. This dog was not cheap but is very lovable and sweet. She is bonding well with our family. What should we do? Has anyone experienced this? Has anyone ever been told this and the dog did out grow it?

 

[menageriemama]

First of all, I have not gone through this problem myself. That being said, if you purchased her through a reputable breeder who sold her to you as a "show quality" (not pet quality) pup, you should be able to get a full refund on her purchase price. Once again, everyone should remember to buy from a top quality, reputable breeder who has some sort of written agreement about the health of the pup. I hope that this works out for you and that you are either able to return her to her breeder, or get a refund, keep her and have her spayed. I bet she will be a terrific pet either way

.

ETA: I am a volunteer for a breed rescue, and I agree whole heartedly about adopting a dog or puppy from a shelter or rescue, and having it fixed. Only the best of the best, belonging to people who dedicate their lives to the standard of perfection of a breed should be having puppies. Nuff said

 

[lurky]

I have a maltese that had this condition. We had the surgery and he is fine. I think its common in small breeds.

 

[Chirpy]

It is actually quite common in toy breeds. We had a Pomeranian with it and she never outgrew it. We loved her so much and she never let those knees change her lifestyle. There were times, though, that she'd cry out for a few moments when they really hurt. Thankfully it wasn't very often and we could help her by holding her and comforting her when they did hurt.

 

[WisconsinChick]

'Toy' dogs are runts being bred to runts, you can expect health problems. Why anyone would buy a dog when there are so many wonderful animals in shelters is beyond me.

 

[brandywine]

Give her a chance to grow. Decide later whether she needs a surgical fix.

DO NOT BREED THIS DOG. Even if she seems to "outgrow" the disability. DO NOT EVER BREED THIS DOG.

As Menageriemamma says, if you bought from an ethical breeder, you should expect a refund of your purchase price. But an ethical breeder would have this spelled out in a contract, and is highly unlikely to have a sold you a pup where this problem is already detectable. Was the pup vet checked prior to sale?

Also, an ethical breeder will issue a refund without demanding the pup back -- but may require both the return of her registration papers and a spay certificate, now that there are so many "paper mills" that will "register" a dog no questions asked. So you may have to wait until your pup is old enough to be spayed, and this is entirely reasonable.

If she does require surgery for the knees, it may be prudent to spay at that time. I'm a big believer in minimizing anesthesias, especially for toy dogs and sighthounds. (One thing I love about my vet -- for example, yesterday he stitched up two nasty lacerations on my eight-year-old SAR partner's face with no chemical restraint -- just a touch of lidocaine, Momma holding things steady, a deft hand with a suture, and good training and trust. So it was no big deal -- with sedation it would have made her sick and miserable for a couple days.)

Genetic defects can crop up even when a breeder takes all reasonable precautions, but they are much more likely when they do not.

A very common problem in toy poodles (even more common in Poms, as Chirpy found out). It is painful and debilitating.

 

[KellyGwen]

My chihuahua has luxating patellas also. She was a rescue and I had no intentions of breeding her (had her spayed years ago)... She is now about 9 years old and her knees do bother her when the weather changes or if we play too much ball. She carries her left leg up when she runs and will attack it in the middle of the night - so I know it bothers her

If I had purchased her as a breeder and found out she had this problem I would be MAD! See if you can get a partial refund if you want to keep her (which I would since it sounds like she's already part of the family!) and maybe get her a show quality friend from ANOTHER BREEDER!

 

[menageriemama]

Quote:
Its nice to read something from a person so obviously informed about dogs, and esp toy breeds. Thank you for educationg all of us!

 

[redoak]

My in-laws small mixed breed dog had this problem until she was full grown. The problem got less severe over time but never seemed to really bother her. It just looked really painful to watch her run around with her knees going in and out of joint. She's 3 now and hasn't had any problems in the past 2 years.

 

[Smoky73]

I bought a Corgi from a breeder and later found out now that she is 6 that she has Hip Dysplaysia. I am dismayed as I wish all breeders would have this check done and the reputable ones do. I would not have gotten her had I known this was a problem in her breed too. I knew large dogs but didnt realize Corgis got it too. She was a Christmas gift from Hubby, so didnt ask.
I woud request a refund at least partial, but thats me seeing its too late for you to take her back now that you have bonded with her. My Corgi has only 30% of her hip socket on the one side left, the other about 60%. She will eventually need surgery on both hips, and will be on anti-inflammatory meds forever.