Vitamin Supplement for Luxating Patella
 

Can anyone advise as to what is a good supplement for a luxating patella? My little 5.5 Yorkie, Spencer is now 10 yrs. old, has suffered from this problem since he was a young "kid" & now it is worse & he favors it quite a bit (I do not/will not have surgery done & I don't want him to be put on steroids). Any advice anyone can give would be appreciated.

I also have a 3.6 Yorkie, Zoe, almost 3. She does not have this problem so far and, hoping she never does, but should I put her on the same supplement as Spencer?

Thanks.

There is no supplement for LP, but there are supplements for the joints in general. We use Cosequin. It's a glucosamine that helps keep the joints "juicy" LOL. However if arthritis has already set in, I doubt this will help. If it gets to the point where he becomes lame, you will have to get surgery done.

Vitamin Supplement for Luxating Patella
 

Thank you for your input on Cosequin. . .I will check on internet & read up on it. Does it help? Where do you get it? How big is your Yorkie? Again, thank you.

I agree. My Toby has LP in both back legs and he's on Cosequin but if it came down to his quality of life, I would not hesitate to have the surgery done.

Why does she say she WILL NOT have the surgery done? If it meant a better and longer life for my little guy, I wouldn't hesitate one bit!

If you aren't willing to spend the money on surgery, you might want to seriously consider getting some doggie step (as well as Cosequin) s to help him get off and on furniture. My Toby (and our other dog) uses doggies steps to get in and out of bed as it sits pretty high off the floor. No way would I let him be jumping if he's gotten worse. JMO.......

My dog Daisy had two grade four luxating patellas diagnosed as a puppy at age 8 weeks old. She had surgery on one leg at age two -- that was 9 years ago. At age 11, she has no arthritis and she has had no restrictions to her daily living. Her xrays are amazing and so is she.

We have never used a supplement. The science isn't there according to my vets except in limited circumstances like when arthritis has set in. Glucosamine alone is not effective, it is the synergy of glucosamine and chondroitin together that is effective in such a case. If I were to use a supplement, the only one on the market I would use is Cosequin which has been shown in independent studies to have the appropriate blend of glucosamine and chondroitin that has been shown to be therapeutic. I plan to use cosequin if Daisy ever gets arthritis, but she will probably be at the end of her natural life span before that happens.

Vitamin Supplement for Luxating Patella
 

Oops, I think there's been a misunderstanding. . .I didn't say I wouldn't be willing to spend money to make Spen better - money is no problem & I would be willing to pay any amount to make him "better". It breaks my heart to see him favoring his leg. He had LP problem at a younger age & my vet advised that is wasn't "bad" enough to do anything about it & we kept an eye on him. Have different vet now & his office said the benefits from surgery would only last approx 6 months. Spencer is 10+ yrs. & I refuse to cause any trauma for him. I will baby him & do anything to make him comfortable. He is my pampered little boy, as is Zoe, & I love them dearly.

I have steps all over the house for Spen's & Zoe's use. He uses them to go up the steps but I cannot get him to consistently use them going down. They sleep with me (on a high-ish bed) & I TRY to catch him BEFORE he jumps off; Zoe won't jump off the bed so that is good.

I will read up on Cosequin & decide if that's the supplement I will use. My vet had recommended Phycox or Ceytlm. I also found an Ultimate Omega (on Amazon) for Pets. Anyone hear of any of these?

Thank you all for your imput.

While there is differences of opinion about supplements I think that giving a healthy natural supplement that supports the soft tissue and bone of the joint cannot hurt. I started to give a supplement for bones and joints to my little Shih Tzu as he was getting older and saw great improvement in mobility. It certainly won't hurt. It's worth a try. Make sure the food you are feeding has omega 3 & 6's in it. Some foods for older dogs have supplements for bone and joints already in them but not at the level that would be therapeutic so a supplement still might be in order. Do some research on a natural diet for older dogs and also on supplements. Diet is very important for maintaining the tissues that hold our bones and joints in place. Sadly many dog foods are lacking in what is needed for optimum health. A dog that is already lacking in certain needed elements can benefit from the best available supplements.