Boston Terriers Luxating Patellas
It can be thought of as a ‘locking knee’… a luxating patella is an anatomical problem found typically in smaller dog breeds, such as the Boston Terriers, toy Poodles, and Pekingese. Genetics play a role in whether or not a dog is afflicted with this problem, and it has been reported that in the range of 1 in 10 Boston Terriers may have patella luxation problems. It is thought that there is a strong genetic influence so care must be taken in choosing dogs to breed as the likelihood of luxating patella problems being inherited by the puppy is greater.
The luxating patella can get worse with age, as the movement of the patella ligament through the patella groove may cause the edges of the groove to break down and allow displacement of the ligament or “popping out” of the joint. This can be painful and the structure of the joint itself is prone to stretching injury, so care must be taken not to overstretch or cause further injury in the delicate joint structures. As the dog becomes older, arthritis can be a further complication.
Surgery is an option that should be discussed with your veterinarian, as it can attempt to alleviate part of the problem by deepening the groove that the ligament slides in which may help in keeping everything in proper alignment. Recovery and rehabiliation is generally over a sixty day period and of course care still needs to be exercized. The surgery is relatively expensive although in many cases the prognosis for improvement is quite positive.
Yearly gentle check-ups by a veterinarian is a good idea as part of the care of Boston Terriers and other small dog breeds.