In this first of two articles about knee injuries and issues, we will be talking about medial luxating patellas (MPLs), or in less medical speak, knee caps that pop out of place. This condition can be very common in smaller breed dogs, but can also occur in other pets and larger dogs. Often as a pet owner, the first sign of an issue that you may notice is that a pet may be running around and suddenly skips a step or starts running with only 3 legs, then a few steps later they may be back to running around like normal. Other times you don’t even notice and issue and the vet is the first to identify the problem. In severe cases, the knee cap may luxate out of position and remain out, causing discomfort and a lasting limp which may cause you to seek medical attention. The knee cap, or patella, usually sits in a groove on thigh bone or femur. In some dogs, this groove is not deep enough, and the forces of moving the leg cause the ligaments and patella to move out of the groove. About half of the dogs that have one leg affected will have both legs affected. There are 4 grades of MPLs based on their […]
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