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My puppy has Grade 1 luxating patella. Is it serious for active kids?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Cockapoo | Female | unspayed | 1 month and 12 days old

We picked a puppy from a litter at 4 weeks and at her 6 week vet check up and vaccination appointment the vet found her to have level 1 luxating patella. She is a F2 cockapoo. The vet that checked her said she had to work to get it to move and she will most likely grow out of it. Is this true? The puppy is 4 hours away and we are scheduled to pick her up in 2 weeks. I can't get a second opinion. We have 3 active kids and are nervous to have a fragile puppy.

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Davis

Answered By Dr. Davis

Veterinarian

Published on April 18th, 2018

Yes, she will likely grow out of this. A grade one is a very mild patella luxation. Grade 3 or 4 are severe and would benefit from surgical correction when they are adults. As she grows and develops more muscles and her tendons and ligaments get stronger the patella will most likely stay in the groove. This is a common orthopedic problem in many small breed dogs. Running and playing is fine but I recommend limiting the jumping up and down since that could make the condition worse. Also prevent her from becoming overweight as this puts more stress on all of the joints. Many dogs with mild patella luxation never need treatment or have any lameness. I personally am not overly concerned about it and would go ahead and get Chloe. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on September 12th, 2019

    The term for this condition is called a luxating patella. Unfortunately, it is impossible to know if this condition will progress as Beaux gets older or if it will remain stable. Some of the pets will require surgery. Some of these pets will be fine for a long time (but most will develop more severe arthritis in the joint). It is unlikely that he will outgrow the condition. It's impossible to know how things will unfold. Here is a link about patella luxation with helpful information and it may help you to make your decision:
    https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/luxating-patella-in-dogs

    I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Stacey Anstaett, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 16th, 2019

    The short answer is "no." The only way to correct this is through surgery. However, you CAN do things to minimize the arthritis that results. Keep her at a healthy weight--being overweight will make it harder on her knees and will make arthritis worse. Consider a joint supplement such as Dasuquin.https://www.dasuquin.com/en/dasuquin-chewable-tablets/.
    Talk to your vet about Adequan injections. https://www.adequancanine.com
    Consider acupuncture or therapeutic laser..... your vet may offer these services or be able to refer you to someone who offers it.
    Consider rehab. Physical rehabilitation (physical therapy) can help strengthen your dogs muscles and core, and help minimize the effects of her luxating patella.
    Thanks for asking PetCoach!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 14th, 2018

    An x-ray would be helpful to evaluate her knees. The best thing would be to have her evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon to grade the degree of the luxations and determine if surgery if recommended. A joint supplement, like Dasuquin, would be recommended if she has luxations.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Vet Q & A
Should I adopt a puppy with Grade 1 Patellar Luxation concerns?
The problems with a patellar luxation is that they tend to get worse over time, and while a grade 1 doesn't require surgery to fix, if the luxation becomes grade 3 or 4 over time, surgery is required to fix it. As long as you aware that this is a possibility and you may need to pay for a surgery in the future, you can still get the puppy. If you don't want to face the potential of paying for surgery in the future, then I would pass. There's no guarantee the puppy will need surgery, but there's no guarantee it will not. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Does my active kitten's jumping worsen her luxating patella?
This is a tricky question because there is no way of knowing if Marceline's luxating patella will progress or remain stable as time goes on, regardless of lifestyle. If luxating patellas are going to progress, they are more likely to do so in the first few years of life. To my knowledge, there have been no studies showing that a more active lifestyle causes patellar changes to occur more rapidly. However, Marceline is more likely to develop osteoarthritis in the affected stifle (knee) over time because the articular cartilage in the joint gets more worn by the abnormal movement. Discuss a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement with your vet, such as Dasuquin or Cosequin, as these can be beneficial in slowing the progression of osteoarthritis.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My dog has a luxating patella. Is a knee brace a good idea for them?
Patellar luxation is an unusual sort of problem. Bracing won't help in this situation, as the problem is that the kneecap (the patella) slides back-and-forth across the surface of the knee joint and doesn't sit securely in the groove, as it should. Dogs can be mildly to severely affected by this problem. Those with a low grade (1 or 2) patellar luxation may exhibit intermittent lameness that usually resolves quickly, and may sustain some mild arthritis over time. Higher grade luxations (3 or 4) cause more long-term lameness, and with grade 4 luxations the dog may not be able to use the leg at all. Also, luxations of grade 3 and 4 tend to produce more substantial arthritis, and if your veterinarian has told you that your dog has a luxation of either 3 or 4, you should consider surgery to stabilize the joint and prevent further arthritis from occurring. The surgery is usually highly successfully in resolving the problem.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Cat has Grade 2 luxating patella. Serious? Supplements or surgery?
Poor Bosely! This can be a concern in the future. As the cat ages, arthritis develops and results not only in decreased mobility, but joint pain as well. Once arthritis develops, it cannot be reversed. In addition, patellar luxation predisposes the knee to other injuries, especially torn cruciate ligaments. I would have him seen by a vet to confirm the grade of his luxating patellas, and if surgery is an option or not. You can also discuss safe supplements to give him. Best of luck.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My new puppy has mild knee laxity. Should I still bring him home?
It's difficult to say - for some young puppies the patellas can be a little mobile but they never progress and can even become less mobile with age. For other puppies the symptoms worsen. If you have the option to choose another puppy and want to avoid the risk of any orthopedic issues you may want to go that route.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My puppy has stifle laxity. Can future patellar luxation be treated?
This is called patellar luxation. It may or may not cause any future issues. Here is a link to an article about this problem. Is this is 7 week old puppy? If so, I think it is too early to diagnose something like this. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/luxating-patella-in-dogs )
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My dog's luxating patella: Does she need surgery on this leg?
If Stella is having difficulty walking/running, surgery may be indicated. Your vet will be able to grade the luxation by checking to see how far it moves out of the groove. She will then be able to determine whether or not surgery is necessary on this leg. Good luck! I hope Stella is feeling better soon.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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