LP Diagnosis from Our New Vet

[RebelBelle]

Our old vet, whom we loved, has gone back to school for an ortho surgical specialty. So on Friday, I took Jamie for his annual checkup with our new vet (at the same clinic). She seems great and I got tons of great reviews about her. Well during her exam of Jamie, she said that Jamie had LP in both rear knees (I was going to ask about that anyway as I have begun to hear clicking sometimes when I pick Jamie up). She said that one knee was at a 3 and the other at a 4. I just don't see how that's possible as Dr. Fisher, our old vet, saw Jamie 6 months ago and mentioned nothing about LP. Is it possible to go from no LP to Stage 3 or 4 in 6 months???

Added to that the new vet said that since Jamie wasn't showing any pain that he may not ever need surgery and didn't even recommend a glucosamine supplement until I ASKED about it. From everything I read Stage 3 and 4, definitely needs surgery and the younger the better (Jamie is 17 months). Is it sad that I'm hoping she just doesn't know what the stages are?

Anyway, now Jamie is on SynoviG. But at this point, I think I'm going to have to find an ortho specialist to consult as I personally can't feel his knees and tell what stage his LP is. I felt his knees several times over the weekend and from what I could feel his knee caps were always in place. And the more I read, the more confused I get!

So does anyone know who the best ortho specialist in the southeast is? I want to make sure that Jamie gets the best care possible and I don't mind driving a bit.

Thanks in advance!

[DaisyMaesMama]

Best of luck to you. I always think that something this important warants a second opinion.

~Kathy

[bchgirl]

Awww I'm sorry RB. Personally I also think the grade may be a personal opinion and I'd take him to a specialist. My vet insists Ramsey's knees are fine....but if you watch her walk...her left knee definitely kicks out. I've seen it. As yet it doesn't bother her and I've been told by friend's whose dogs have it...that until it gets really bad or won't pop back in on it's own...their ortho docs say wait to have the surgery.

Tatum (stedmansmommy)...has grade 4 LP...you may wanna pm Brooke.

[chattiesmom]

Misty, I am so very sorry for the diagnosis of LP in sweet little Jamie. to you both.

I would listen to what Jamie has to say about it. If he is not in any pain, then I would not submit him to surgery. You could always go for a second opinion about the surgery.

[RebelBelle]

Originally Posted by DaisyMaesMama

Best of luck to you. I always think that something this important warants a second opinion.

~Kathy

Thanks Kathy! We are definitely gonna get a second opinion!

Originally Posted by bchgirl

Awww I'm sorry RB. Personally I also think the grade may be a personal opinion and I'd take him to a specialist. My vet insists Ramsey's knees are fine....but if you watch her walk...her left knee definitely kicks out. I've seen it. As yet it doesn't bother her and I've been told by friend's whose dogs have it...that until it gets really bad or won't pop back in on it's own...their ortho docs say wait to have the surgery.

Tatum (stedmansmommy)...has grade 4 LP...you may wanna pm Brooke.

Thanks Deb! He never looks like he's in pain, but his back end does slope down some when he walks which I think may be due to him compensating for his LP. And sometimes he looks like his sitting different than others. He does jump on and off the couch which I'm trying to stop, but sometimes he doesn't jump high enough. I always thought this was due to him running to fast and misjudging the jump but maybe it's because of his knees. I will definitely PM Brooke.

Originally Posted by chattiesmom

Misty, I am so very sorry for the diagnosis of LP in sweet little Jamie. to you both.

I would listen to what Jamie has to say about it. If he is not in any pain, then I would not submit him to surgery. You could always go for a second opinion about the surgery.

Thank you Cindy! It's so hard to tell what's just Jamie being Jamie and what is due to his knees hurting. I would think that I would know if he was in pain because he is very vocal if you are brushing him and there is a knot or when you touch him the day after shots and he's sore. But I just don't know...

Here's another conundrum! When he was in for his neuter in April, he weighed 4.80 lbs according to their records. Now he weighs 3.12 lbs. When I asked her about it she said he feels like he's the perfect weight right now to her. You can't see his ribs but you can feel them. He's eats according to the weight chart on the Nature's Variety website plus he gets healthy treats.

Heck maybe Dr. Fisher was a nut and mis-weighed him and didn't notice the LP. Or maybe the new doctor is a nut and mis-weighed him and overestimated the LP. Who knows at this point?

[bchgirl]

Originally Posted by RebelBelle

Here's another conundrum! When he was in for his neuter in April, he weighed 4.80 lbs according to their records. Now he weighs 3.12 lbs. When I asked her about it she said he feels like he's the perfect weight right now to her. You can't see his ribs but you can feel them. He's eats according to the weight chart on the Nature's Variety website plus he gets healthy treats.

Heck maybe Dr. Fisher was a nut and mis-weighed him and didn't notice the LP. Or maybe the new doctor is a nut and mis-weighed him and overestimated the LP. Who knows at this point?

You would need to know if the vet is weighing in ounces or tenths. Ours weighs in ounces...meaning the figure after the point is an ounce, but my friend's vet weighs in in tenths.

[chattiesmom]

Misty, about the weight, sometimes they use the more accurate baby scales and sometimes they use the big dog scales. Maybe that could account for the discrepancy.

[RebelBelle]

Originally Posted by bchgirl

You would need to know if the vet is weighing in ounces or tenths. Ours weighs in ounces...meaning the figure after the point is an ounce, but my friend's vet weighs in in tenths.

It's ounces.

It just seems like a huge drop. I mean is there any legitimate reason from him to lose that 12 ounces from the time he was 8 months - 17 months? I just called and asked the tech and she said with him being only a little over a year old, it's fine.

[amandawash]

Originally Posted by bchgirl

You would need to know if the vet is weighing in ounces or tenths. Ours weighs in ounces...meaning the figure after the point is an ounce, but my friend's vet weighs in in tenths.

3.12 is probably three pounds, twelve ounces. My hubby weighed both my boys on a food scale the other day and told me Ryder weighed 2lbs, 1ounce I TOTALLY FREAKED OUT!!! Turns out, he's retarded and my boy weighs 2lbs, 12 ounces