# Luxating Patella



## annadee (May 15, 2012)

I hear this is a big health issue in small breeds but not sure how prominent in poodles. Would you suggest I look for a breeder that tests his/her breeding poodles for luxating patellas? I found a breeder that tests for PRA (and gives a lifetime guarantee that her poodles will not have PRA), and says that her vet checks the parents for hip dysplasia, luxating patellas and Legg-Perthes. She also says her puppies are checked for luxating patellas by the vet at 8 weeks.

Is to be checked by a vet enough? Is there some sort of OFA test results that I should be looking for instead? She lives far away from me so I wouldn't be able to visit, should I ask her to fax me all documents of the parents? (Also, she breeds toys and minis).

I don't know if I feel comfortable stating what breeder it is over the forum, but if I could PM a breeder or someone knowledgeable in Canada, maybe you could tell me what you think of her?


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## mom24doggies (Mar 28, 2011)

Yes, luxating patella is a big issue with poodles and every breeder should be checking for it! As far as I know there isn't any genetic test for it though, just the vet check. The adults should be getting checked for it throughout their lifetime though, not just once. Every time my boys go in to the vet, they check the knees.


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## annadee (May 15, 2012)

mom24doggies said:


> Yes, luxating patella is a big issue with poodles and every breeder should be checking for it! As far as I know there isn't any genetic test for it though, just the vet check. The adults should be getting checked for it throughout their lifetime though, not just once. Every time my boys go in to the vet, they check the knees.


Thank you, I will make sure to ask her if she checks more then once! 

She also has a 2 year health guarantee against any hereditary/genetic defects. Is this good enough, should it be longer? Do majority of issues like luxating patella arise before the age of 2?


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## Clicker (Apr 28, 2012)

Hi annadee. 

I have a 19 month old small mini. I have known she has LP for quite a while now. (stage 1) I believe there are 4 stages. It may never get any worse however, it could. LP is a bi-lateral condition meaning that if one goes, so will the other (most times)

I think a good check to do is to ask to see the parents vet records and see if there is any indication of LP. If there is, go elsewhere. If the breeder wont provide the records, go elsewhere. (just note that reading a vets records is probably like reading your own records from your family Doctor. Looks like chicken scratch in 16 different languages).

I personally think a 2 year health guarantee is plenty. The first second I laid eyes on Bailey, I was in love! I would not have sent her back no matter what problems she may have had. If something does happen, I would find a way if it means getting 1 or 2 more part-time jobs in addition to my full time job. That's what you do for a family member. You should also consider pet insurance. (as am I the the very near future)

As for Hip dysplasia, I believe most dogs are tested at about 2 years of age. I'm not sure, so maybe another member my have more info about HD.

Hope this helps some.


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## annadee (May 15, 2012)

Clicker said:


> Hi annadee.
> 
> I have a 19 month old small mini. I have known she has LP for quite a while now. (stage 1) I believe there are 4 stages. It may never get any worse however, it could. LP is a bi-lateral condition meaning that if one goes, so will the other (most times)
> 
> ...



Where did you purchase your Bailey from? Were her parents tested?


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## Clicker (Apr 28, 2012)

annadee said:


> Where did you purchase your Bailey from? Were her parents tested?


I bought Bailey from a small breeder in Toronto. The breeder told me she never had a problem with LP. I wasn't able to visit before I got her so I had my niece go check things out. My niece is no dog expert by any means but, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't buying from a puppy mill.

I have to be honest and say that I don't know if Bailey's LP are from genetics or from an accident she had when she was about 5 months old. She jumped out of my girlfriend's arms to a hard wood floor and had visibly hurt her rear legs.


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## annadee (May 15, 2012)

Clicker said:


> I bought Bailey from a small breeder in Toronto. The breeder told me she never had a problem with LP. I wasn't able to visit before I got her so I had my niece go check things out. My niece is no dog expert by any means but, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't buying from a puppy mill.
> 
> I have to be honest and say that I don't know if Bailey's LP are from genetics or from an accident she had when she was about 5 months old. She jumped out of my girlfriend's arms to a hard wood floor and had visibly hurt her rear legs.


Ah, I see. Apparently 75% of cases are genetic, so it very may have been due to environmental factors instead. Oh well, you can only do so much to prevent it. I think if my poodle had stage 1 LP I'd right away start on glucosamine and chrondoitin supplement and omega-3's. Actually I think I'd start on these supplements right away when getting my puppy as a preventative. My dog has arthritis, and both of these supplements definitely help. My bf's GSD's both take these supplements daily to, and they have zero hip problems at 8 and 11 years old, despite the breed being very prone to them. Haha, sorry for going on about it, but having a large dog and one with joint issues especially, I've researched so much about the stuff and I love it! I recommend it if you're not using it yet for your dog's LP. 

That's also why I'm trying to get as much info as I can on preventing having a dog with health issues, I know Max wasn't from a good breeder, they didn't do any health testing. So this time I'm looking for a breeder that does EVERYTHING! I know things can happen, and random health issues can pop up, but it's still worth spending the time looking, I think.


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## LoveMyDogs (Jun 13, 2012)

We had a little girl that had to have both legs fixed. It was over 1200.00. :argh: She did well after the surgery.


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## annadee (May 15, 2012)

LoveMyDogs said:


> We had a little girl that had to have both legs fixed. It was over 1200.00. :argh: She did well after the surgery.


Wow, that actually sounds like a lot less then I'd think. I thought it'd be $1200 for each leg. For Max's ACL surgery it cost over $2000... and it didn't help much...  Pets can be so expensive!!! :afraid: But they're worth it.


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## Lily's-Mom (May 31, 2012)

Our pomeranian had LP surgery and had a torn ligament (she was only about 3 yrs old at the time) and that cost about $1400. By the time her other leg got bad enough to need surgery, her health had failed so much that she couldn't have surgery. Anyway... my point is that I agree, $1200 for both legs seems really reasonable, but I'm sure every region will have variations in costs of everything. We are in the northeast US and everything is expensive here. LoveMyDogs, did they do the LP surgery on both legs at the same time?


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

I had both of Nicholas fixed and it was $3,000


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## annadee (May 15, 2012)

Poodlemama99 said:


> I had both of Nicholas fixed and it was $3,000


Woooow, now that is a lot of money. Eeek! Definitely getting my poodle from a breeder that does ALL testing, lol!!! If there's any chance I can get a poodle w/o luxating patella, it sounds like that'll be a good thing.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

If your breeder has dogs that do well in agility that is a good sign. I give Swizzle cow tracea and an occasional chicken foot. They have a lot of connective tissue and are very good for joint health. Swizzle has great patellas - the vet always comments but I want to make sure they stay that way.


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## annadee (May 15, 2012)

CT Girl said:


> If your breeder has dogs that do well in agility that is a good sign. I give Swizzle cow tracea and an occasional chicken foot. They have a lot of connective tissue and are very good for joint health. Swizzle has great patellas - the vet always comments but I want to make sure they stay that way.


Thanks for the tip!


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