Growing Pains
I was raised around performance animals. Show horses and dogs. So I have learned things over the years that I have taken as standard knowledge but it isn't.
I'm going to talk about growing pains. Young animals as well as children experience growth periods which can cause temporary unsoundness and lameness. In Lowchen, this can happen in the 'junior months' of 9-18 months. The Colonel went through this, he would be periodically lame and sometimes I had to withdraw him from competition because he was limping. Not every dog goes through this, but it is normal.
What I have experienced as a breeder is that pet owners have sought veterinary advice, but not every vet gives good advice. So this leads me to talk about patella luxation. The patella, like the scapula, is free moving. It floats over the joint and has some mobility to it. Young dogs have a lot of movement in their bones because they are soft. While common belief is that dogs growth plates close at 12 months or a year, but it can take up to 18 months for a dog to really 'finish off'. Dogs can fracture their growth plates.
The biggest difference between a slipping or luxating patella and 'growing pains' is the look of unsoundness. the lameness that comes with growing pains is....well it's painful! The dog may seem generally sore and off colour, they may even drop some weight or be looking for more food to eat. A luxating patella ISN'T painful and is characterised by a skipping gait. When the patella is displaced the dog may not use the joint by lifting the leg and not placing any weight on it. This is not 'lameness' as it is with growing pains, in which when the dog places weight on their leg, they bob their head down. I do not recommend 'feeling' for patella luxation as this can force a healthy patella to luxate and is unhealthy for growing dogs.
Before I move on to remedial treatment of juvenile patella luxation, I want to talk about what your vet should do. Patella luxation can not be diagnosed without xrays. This is imperative. You would not let a surgeon cut you open without doing tests right? It's the same for your dog. Patella luxation can be cause by environmental factors, prior injury or a genetic predisposition. Before your vet goes off and talks about surgery, they should have xrays done and advise on what you can do to prevent or remedy the problem. They should also advise you that your dog may in fact, simply grow out of it.
If your dog has growing pains or intermittent unsoundness there are a multitude of things you can do. Firstly, use cold therapy or ice packs/baths to reduce inflammation and aggravation of the area. Watch the dog's weight to ensure they are not overweight, excess weight strains the joints. Feed a fish, such as sardines, to your dog to ensure they are getting their Omegas and good fats that assist in joint health, also look at a supplement for joint health. Use swimming as a low impact form of exercise to strengthen your dogs muscles, tendons and ligaments which all support the joints without straining them or causing pain (this is awesome when your dog is going through a period of unsoundness and is also a form of cold therapy). And lastly, be objective. We know you love your dog, but don't be afraid to get a second opinion and certainly explore all your options before surgery.
I have done the above with all of my dogs, I've never really thought about it. I have one dog with patella luxation and they are never in pain from the condition and are almost never unsound. I hope this provides some insight into a complex condition and gives dog owners some helpful advice and information.
Until next time.
