Poor little Mia had a medial luxating patella!

What are the signs of a luxating patella?

• Intermittent lameness
• Unusual “skipping”
• Difficulty in jumping

When Mia was turning right (on kitchen counters), her leg would occasionally give-way and fall from underneath her. She easily and immediately regained her balance though and continued on as though nothing had happened. It then started happening when she was walking in a straight line as well as when she would circle around to get a comfy position on the lounge.. She wasn’t displaying any other signs of being uncomfortable.

Mia wasn’t vocalising, she was eating and sleeping as normal and also still playing as normal however after a examination at the Black Forest Veterinary Surgery and extensive radiographs, she was diagnosed with Luxating Patella for both knees.

We highly recommend comprehensive blood screening before all procedures requiring an anaesthetic. Up to 25% of puppies and kittens have changes outside of the normal ranges in their blood test. 4% have severe congenital disease and these are considered extreme anaesthetic risks. In older animals the early stages of serious disease can be picked up by these screening tests. Mia is 13, so she had a blood test to ensure she was healthy enough to handle the anaesthetic. 

Mia had a IV catheter to provide access for fluid therapy before, during and after her procedure. During anaesthesia blood pressure tends to drop and this has the potential to cause complications. By giving IV fluids during surgery we are able to counter this drop in blood pressure. Before being placed under general anaesthesia a sedation is given. A sedation helps reduce any stress the patient may be feeling as well as providing pain relief prior to the surgery. Around 20 minutes after the sedation the vet will “induce” the patient i.e place them under a general anaesthesia.

Once the nurses are happy Mia’s anaesthetic is stable they begin prepping her for surgery. They shave and surgically clean the knee and surrounding area. Mia is then transferred to the surgery room where a final surgical clean of the knee/leg is done. The probe on Mia’s ears is measuring her oxygen saturation and her heart rate. She also has other probes measuring her blood pressure and temperature. These are hidden under the blanket which along with a heat mat and bubble wrap are keeping her temperature stable throughout the surgery. 

Mia recovered well from her surgery and is now able to walk pain-free!