by Cate Burnette, RVT

Your dog’s knee joint is the largest joint in her body and carries most of her body weight. The kneecap, or “patella,” rests in a groove at the bottom of the femur (the large, upper leg bone), and tendons and ligaments hold the patella, the femur, and the tibia (the lower shinbone) in place. Like the human knee, canine knee joints are meant to bend in only one direction, and when any parts of the knee become dysfunctional, your dog may begin limping and showing signs of discomfort or pain.

Patellar luxation — a dislocation of the kneecap from the groove where it normally resides — is the most common form of knee joint injury in dogs. Typically found in small dogs, toy and miniature breeds, a luxated patella may or may not entail an injury to the attendant tendons or ligaments. The simpler form of dislocation may involve stretched, or pulled, cartilage, while the more serious injuries are often the result of torn or severed tendons or ligaments.

What are the signs and symptoms of a luxated patella?

Particularly in the smaller breeds, you’ll notice your pooch hesitate while running, then continue forward with a skipping movement showing in the affected leg. She may be reluctant to go up and down stairs, or may hold the injured leg off the ground for several steps at a time (this may look like she is ready to shake your hand). You may also be able to actually see the displacement of the kneecap to the inside or outside of the joint.

Commonly, these symptoms come and go as the patella automatically jumps in and out of its placement, however, as your dog ages, the luxations will probably become more and more frequent and longer lasting. Depending on the severity of the injury, dogs can experience anything from a minor discomfort to a very painful episode.

What can I do to help my dog with this problem?

If you notice your little pooch experiencing any signs of lameness, an examination by your veterinarian needs to be your first step. Joint exams typically include a series of x-rays and flexation tests on the affected knee. Your vet may also palpate the joint and patella to physically feel if the kneecap is displaced. In cases of severe trauma, your veterinarian may recommend an MRI of the knee joint to help with diagnosis and treatment.

A patellar luxation in a young dog is typically caused by physical or breed predisposition, or a congenital deformity. While all dogs can suffer from this issue, toy and miniature dogs such as Dachsunds, Maltese, Toy and Miniature Poodles, Bichon Frieses, and Yorkies are the breeds most commonly affected.

Veterinarians commonly recommend that dogs with this joint problem get plenty of exercise and keep their weight down with a high-fiber, low-carb diet to ease the strain on the knee. Your vet may also suggest that a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement be added to your dog’s food to enhance joint function.

If you choose to add a more natural, organic supplement, you may want to choose one that uses Collagen Type II and Hyaluronic Acid, as well as chondroitin, to build new cartilage and reduce further damage to the joints. Additionally, solutions containing boswellia, devils claw and licorice all reduce the inflammation and pain that goes along with a displaced patella.

“My 1 year old Maltese was diagnosed with a luxating patella. He prescribed a collagen supplement which we used faithfully everyday,” said Jason Ladd, owner of RiQui. “I was skeptical at first, but literally after one month on the supplement RiQui demonstrated no further symptoms of the luxating patella. Now she is 9 years old and still is symptom free!”

Unfortunately, many dogs do not show signs of pain until the disease becomes fairly well advanced. Patellar luxation in a younger dog usually results in some form of degenerative bone disease as the dog ages. If this is the case with your little pooch, your veterinarian may recommend surgical stabilization of the knee, with supportive pain and anti-inflammatory medication, and limited movement for a number of weeks.

by Cate Burnette, RVT

With all the new advances in veterinary medicine, many dog owners are turning to stem-cell therapy to relieve their animals of the pain and inflammation associated with such ailments as arthritis, hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, and many tendon and ligament injuries.

Vet-Stem out of San Diego, California is the first company in the U.S. to use stem cells processed from your dog’s fatty tissues in regenerative medicine.

The way the process works is three-fold:

First, your veterinarian collects cells from the fatty areas of your dog’s body, usually the stomach or rump.

Second, that sample is shipped to Vet-Stem where it is processed, and the stem cells in the tissue are concentrated into a number of injections.

Third, your veterinarian then injects these stem cells back into the affected area where they begin working and building new tissue to replace injured or torn bone, tendon, ligament, and muscle.

According to statistics provided by Vet-Stem, over 80 percent of older and younger dogs with severe arthritic pain showed major improvements in their quality of life, and over 34 percent were able to be completely removed from treatment with pain medications.

A June, 2008 article in Time Magazine reports that, in one particular case, a 3½-year-old German Shepherd diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia was noticeably showing improvement only 36 hours after treatment and was considered totally cured a year later.

While the treatments do not come cheap, running up to $5000 for fat extraction, injections, and follow-ups, they can be less expensive than hip replacement surgery and the recovery time is much faster and appears to be showing better results.

For those pet owners reluctant to try what is still considered experimental surgery by some in the veterinary community, or those pet parents where the cost is prohibitive, there are other, less expensive, alternatives.

Over-the-counter glucosamine chondroitin found at your local drugstore can help restore needed joint fluids to arthritic dogs. Most dogs can take up to 1000 mgs. daily without any problems, but you’ll want to check with your veterinarian before starting this medication.

All-natural, collagen-based Happy Tails’ Joint Resolution is a liquid compound containing both Collagen Type 2, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid that promotes the growth of new cartilage and reduces further injury to already-damaged joints. A study published in the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacological and Therapeutics showed that Collagen Type 2 “reduced pain and lameness in arthritic dogs and improved their overall activity.”

“We have a 4 year old English bulldog named Gus who loves to chase and tug and jump,” says Anna Buck of Houston, TX. “He was diagnosed with hip dysplasia a year ago. At that time, he had started limping and really slowing down. We discovered Joint Resolution about 6 months later and after only one month, we noticed that Gus completely stopped limping. He started playing more and jumping higher than he ever had. This product has been amazing! Even though it is not a cure for his condition, it has given us a way to manage his condition and give Gus a less painful, better quality of life.”

As part of any alternative medical plan for your aging or injured dog, all-natural medications with ingredients like collagen, chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, and herbs like devils claw root, licorice, dandelion and boswellia, as well as new innovations like stem-cell therapy might just be what your pet needs to be off steroids and pain-free.

By Audrey Harvey, DVM

There are many things you can do while your dog is young to look after his joints.

Exercise

Young dogs are full of energy, but are often short of common sense. They don’t know when to stop, and if allowed to do so, may run and play enough to stress their growing bones. It’s up to you to control your pup’s activity level.

Generally speaking, until he is 12 months old, your dog should have no forced exercise. This means that he should only be allowed to run around as much as he wants to, without any encouragement from you. This means that you must not take him jogging, or play ball excessively. Even allowing him to run the fence line with the neighbor’s dog can be potentially dangerous.

Nutrition

The best way to feed your pup is to choose a good quality puppy food and feed him that until he has reached around 80% of his expected adult weight. At that point, he can be changed onto an adult kibble. This will give him all the nutrients he needs to grow into a healthy adult. We like the all natural food from The Honest Kitchen.

Keep an eye on his body condition too. If he becomes overweight as a puppy, he is likely to carry that condition through to adulthood, and it is stressful on his joints. A dog’s body condition is scored from 1 to 9, with 1 being extremely emaciated, and 9 being morbidly obese. Your pup should have a body score of 4 to 5, which means you should be able to feel his ribs, and he should have an obvious waistline.

Supplements

Not all supplements are created equal. There are some that are good for growing dogs, and others that are very harmful.

One thing that you should never add to your pup’s diet is calcium. Too much of this nutrient is thought to contribute to orthopedic problems such as osteochondritis dissecans as he grows.

On the other hand, supplementing the nutrients that are involved in joint health can reduce the chances of future problems. The main ingredient in Joint Resolution is BioCell Collagen II, which contains Hyaluronic Acid and Chondroitin. Both have been shown to reduce joint friction and slow down the degradation of a joint’s natural lubrication. This helps to maintain joint health as your pup is growing up. A daily dose of Joint Resolution will promote strong connective tissue and keep his joints healthy.

Your dog loves to accompany you on all your adventures. By taking care of his joints while he is young, you’ll be able to enjoy an active lifestyle with him well into his senior years.

by Audrey Harvey, DVM

One of the most common reasons that dogs visit their veterinarian, particularly as they approach their senior years, is for stiff and sore joints. This can make it hard for them to move around, and they won’t enjoy their daily walk nearly as much.

If you find yourself in this position with your four legged best friend, then you need to investigate all options for keeping his joints healthy. There are many ways that you can manage your dog’s joint problems.

Anti-inflammatory Medication

The first way to manage sore joints in your dog is to reach for anti-inflammatory medication. These drugs are very effective at reducing pain and inflammation, and they work quickly. On the other hand, there is the chance that they will cause side effects in your dog, such as stomach ulceration and kidney damage.

The use of anti-inflammatory medication is a bit like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. They have their effect after inflammation has already occurred. How much better would  it be if you could stop that pain and inflammation before it starts?

Nutritional Joint Supplements

There are three main advantages to using nutritional supplements to look after your dog’s joints. Firstly, they work. A recent study in the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics showed that collagen definitely improved the mobility and comfort level of dogs with arthritis.

Secondly, using a nutritional product to support your dog’s joints is proactive. If you give him the right supplement, you can help to slow the deterioration of his cartilage and improve the consistency and cushioning effect of the fluid in his joints. This can prevent joint degeneration before it occurs, rather than treating the damage after the event.

Lastly, nutritional supplements are safe. There is virtually no risk that your treatment will do more harm than good. If you can manage your dog’s joint health using supplements, it’s a better long term option for him.

You may find that your dog doesn’t respond to supplements as quickly as he would if you used medication. That is to be expected. Supplements have a cumulative effect; this means that their effects add up over time.

Choosing a Nutritional Supplement for Your Dog’s Joints

Whether you shop online or at the pet store, you’ll find quite a range of nutritional joint supplements to choose from. How do you know which one to buy? You need to read the label to check the  ingredient list, and make sure it includes ingredients that have been shown to be effective.

Some of the more common ingredients you’ll see are glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. These have both been proven safe and effective. However, these days there are so many other, even more effective all natural ingredients available. One that I like is Bio Cell Collagen Type II. It encourages the development of new cartilage in your dog’s joints and helps to reduce any further damage. Check out Joint Resolultion. It not only has the collagen but also contains two other extremely effective ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid and chondroitin which which both promote tissue healing and improve the lubricant effect of his joint fluid as well as herbs like boswellia serrata and devils claw to help with inflammation.

If your dog is a bit stiff, or is very active, supplements are an important part of managing joint wellness. Supplements can treat existing symptoms as well as helping to prevent them before they occur.

by Laurie S. Coger, DVM, CVCP

Many people seek help from a chiropractor for back problem, injuries, arthritis, or other painful conditions. Did you know that your pet can benefit from this natural method of health care too?

The term chiropractic comes from the Greek words meaning, “practicing with the hands.” Chiropractic is a system of manipulation and adjustments of the bones and joints of the spine to address misalignments, commonly called subluxations. When bones and joints are not in perfect position, the nerves, muscles, blood supply, and other structures in the region cannot function properly. By returning structures to their normal state, body function is restored.

An adjustment can result in immediate total or partial relief of symptoms. However, many times the body will revert back to maligned state, by moving a certain way or because the muscles and connective tissues have been in an incorrect position for a long time. Fortunately a series of treatments can overcome this tendency of the body to fall out of alignment.

Recently, the VOM technique, which uses an instrument called a spinal accelerometer, has been used on animals. It is a spring-loaded device that delivers a quick, short impulse. It may create less apprehension for the dogs and cats than normal hands-on chiropractic and allows multiple adjustments to be performed much more easily. The intensity of the impulse can be adjusted from strong to very gentle, making adjustments comfortable for a variety of pet sizes.

Chiropractic therapy is often first thought of as a method of pain relief, which is true in many cases. Pain can be thought of as the body’s way of telling us that tissue damage has occurred or is about to happen. Pain is relieved because an adjustment restores normal nerve function. Re-establishing normal nerve function leads to better blood circulation, restoring the affected area to a normal state. In this way, the correction of subluxations can improve the health of some internal organs such as the heart, urinary system and gastrointestinal system.

Musculoskeletal problems are the most common reason owners bring their pet to a veterinarian for chiropractic treatment.  Injuries, hip dysplasia, and arthritis can all lead to pain and difficulty in movement. Chiropractic adjustments can relax tightened muscles and connective tissues, which improves flexibility and range of motion. Adjustments also restore normal nerve impulses, allowing the body to properly coordinate basic functions.  Blood circulation to the affected area is improved, decreasing inflammation and pain, as well as speeding rebuilding of damaged tissues.

Chiropractic care offers a natural addition to your pet’s total health care. Chiropractic care can decrease pain, restore free movement, and improve well-being. Integrating chiropractic care with other alternative medical approaches, such as Joint Resolution, an herbal-collagen blend, and conventional medicine provides a supportive, whole body approach to wellness for your pet.

Dr. Coger is certified by the International Association of Veterinary Chiropractitioners in the VOM chiropractic technique.  More information is available at her website The WholisticVet.