Cooper had a problem with his hind legs for a few years.
Cooper's mom started searching for supplement recommendations. But all that is not why I want to bang my head on my keyboard.
Those few years ago, Cooper was diagnosed with luxating patellas.
A patella, or a kneecap, is a small bone located in front of the knee joint and in spite of its size it does play an important role in the knee function. It is designed to move up and down within a patellar groove. A problem arises when the groove is too shallow or damaged allowing the kneecap slide sideways out of its place. This causes pain and lameness.
This problem is classified in four grades. Grades III and IV require surgery but with grade I and II you might get away without one.
I can only assume that Cooper was diagnosed with grade I or II. However ...
... when asked about supplements, Cooper's veterinarian told his owner to hold off until the problem started to bother him.
I don't even understand what that means. More importantly, though, no such problem ever gets better or even remains the same. Every time the kneecap dislocates out of its position, it makes it that much more likely for it to happen again. Every time it dislocates, it causes further damage to the tissues.
Supporting the tissues involved would be the first thing on my mind if my dog was ever diagnosed with this.
Of course, the time was coming when the problem was going to bother Cooper more and more. Why would one not want to take measures to protect the knee as well as possible? Because there was not enough erosion yet? Not enough arthritis? Not enough inflammation? Not enough secondary issues?
Carefully selected supplements could have slowed down the progress of all of those things.
I don't get it. Do you?
Do you have a story to share?
Your story can help others, maybe even save a life!
What were the first signs you noticed? How did your dog get diagnosed? What treatment did/didn't work for you? What was your experience with your vet(s)? How did you cope with the challenges?
Email me, I'll be happy to hear from you.
Do you know what your dog is telling you about their health?
Learn how to detect and interpret the signs of a potential problem.
An award-winning guide to better understanding what your dog is telling you about their health, Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, is available in paperback and Kindle. Each chapter includes notes on when it is an emergency.
.jpg)