Chihuahua's hind leg tendon frozen: Vet refused surgery. What to do?

It is very likely she has a condition called patellar luxation. This is where the ligament in the knee goes in an out of the socket. She can have this surgically repaired if it becomes a chronic issue and impedes on her quality of life. Otherwise joint supplements (i.e. Dasuquin) may be able to help reduce some inflammation and pain in the joint itself. Have your vet do a simple physical exam and check the knees. Patellar luxation is detectable by a physical exam and doesn't require radiographs to diagnose. I wish you well at the vet. Best wishes with Mindy and take care.

Chihuahuas commonly get neck and back pain from bulging intervertebral discs. They are painful and don't want to move. That sounds like what Darcir experiencing. You should keep her quiet, carry her outdoors to go to the bathroom and no other exercise. Absolutely no jumping. Massaging her back to relieve the muscle spasms will help. This is a serious problem as they can become paralyzed. I recommend taking Darcir to your veterinarian for an exam, X-rays, pain medication and muscle relaxers. They will get a diagnosis and then they can treat her properly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Darcir.

Hi, sorry to hear about Penny's injury. Unfortunately orthopedic surgeries are expensive. There is a credit option called Care Credit you can apply for where you get money to use at the vet and pay them back monthly. You can apply on their website. There are many vets in the US who accept this form of payment. Amputation is not a bad option. If you cannot afford the surgery to fix the fracture, the amputation is a lot less expensive. Dogs can do great on three legs! In a few weeks it will be like she doesn't even know there's a difference. She can still run, jump and play like she used to. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Kloe probably has pain and stiffness from the surgery. Giving the pain medication as needed is good. Also massaging her leg to relax the muscles can help. Short frequent leash walks will keep her more comfortable and maintain the muscle support for her knee. In the photo I can see that Kloe would benefit from weight loss. Losing 10% of her body weight will reduce the strain on her knees and is equal to giving a full dose of medication for pain relief. It is important to keep her active with walking but minimize the running and jumping as often these dogs will develop problems in the other rear leg over time. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kloe.

The best way to make the right decision is to send the xrays to an orthopedic vet specialist, by looking at the xray he will be able to tell you what needs to be done. it's very important to do the right decision now as it will be more complicated to repair it later if it doesn't heal properly.

If you think it is just a muscle strain or sprain, then some generalized rest and confinement for a week or so should do Tiny some good. However, if you feel that she is in enough pain to start to have an effect on her mood, appetite, or ability to get around, she should be seen by a vet so you can obtain some medications to make her feel better. Even the smallest of traumas can cause serious injuries in tiny little dogs like her, so be mindful of this if you are even the slightest bit suspicious that there could be a more significant injury. Hope this makes sense.

The best treatment is surgery. There are some dogs that may respond ok to rest and pain medications or a brace (mypetsbrace.com) but in the end most do best from surgery. I would consider having the surgery performed or going to get the opinion for a surgeon. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.