AllBodySurgery.com
How will the recovery be for my chihuahua after luxating pattella surgery?
I went for her annual checkup and my vet said she had luxating pattellas. She told me to let another doctor assess her and give me a quote on how much the surgery would cost. I haven't done this yet. I wanted to research it and talk with some other pet parents that have been through the surgery. Is it costly? Is it very stressful on the dog? Is the recovery long?
Public Comments
- Smaller dogs seem to do better with the surgery.Apparently your vet thinks the dog is in good enough health for the surgery.Make the appt. with a vet who has done this ortho. procedure numerous times & ask which method they would choose. Generally it would be a good 6-8 wk. recovery & your animal should be placing pressure on this leg by then for a successful outcome. Any surgery is pricey along with anasthesia & i.v. drip.Shop prices as well as qualified vets. Larger practices may negotiate a payment plan with you as well. what is stressful on the dog is the joint popping out or even grinding.Ask to see the x-rays(another cost consideration)
- It's about $2000. They wouldn't do both legs at once. And they often have to be redone in a few years. I have seen a lot of dogs come in after the surgery. I honestly have to say I wouldn't even consider it unless it was a severe luxation in a very young dog. Part of medicine is to relieve suffering. This is a very painful surgery that does NOT give the dog new joints. It just hopes to make them better. They still get arthritis eventually, and still have some problems. Unless they are a stage four with severe pain, I would look to alternative treatments. Our vet uses DMSO for joint issues. NSAIDs are favorites of other vets. The surgery just wouldn't be my own personal first choice. It's more cruel than kind in many cases.
- I have had patellar repair on two toy dogs over a span of 5 years. It is important to find someone who does quality orthopedic work, so your vet should have given you the names of at least 2 veterinarians to see if he does not do patellar repairs himself. Keep in mind that those doctors are likely his personal friends, so be prepared to see a third surgeon if needed. My vet charges me $500 for patellar surgery, and he is a former orthopedic diplomate at the UW who has established his own practice several years ago. He is an artist in surgery, but many people are not as fortunate when looking for a surgeon and may find fees as high as $2500 for surgery, so do your homework. If your dog has a grade 1 or grade 2 luxation, surgery is seldom suggested---but there are vets who may try to convince you otherwise if they are paid on commission for each procedure they perform. A grade 3 requires surgery without question, and a grade 4 the dog is unable to stand at all--surgery is an emergency. I am including a link that shows the forms that surgeons use to evaluate patellae for OFA. That form explains the grading system in easy to understand language. Take it to your recommended vet and have him fill it out and sign it. Then leave, read it carefully and make a decision based on the form. It will be a good guide for you to determine is surgery is necessary as well as give you a form to use to call for another quote from a different vet; you will just say on the telephone that you have a grade 3, for example, on a 6 pound chihuahua who is --years of age, and need an estimate on surgery costs.
