My Chihuahua's knee pain after surgery. How to help her in winter?

Hello. I would definitely start Lonnie on a good glucosamine supplement like Dasuquin made by Nutramax. Adding a fish oil to her diet can reduce inflammation ( I like Nordic Naturals ), too. Do talk to your vet about adding an anti-inflammatory medication to make her comfortable, & possibly even Adequan injections to help maintain healthy, lubricated joints. There is much you can do to ease her pain & discomfort. I hope she is doing better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I’m a Rehab veterinarian and have found braces and wraps do not stabilize the knee. Leash walk only for potty breaks like you are doing is all you want to do physically. Please give the medication as directed. If there is a rehab facility in your area they can help you with laser treatments for pain and some conservative exercise. If she does too much activity on the other rear leg that CCL can tear also. Surgery is indicated in a dog of that size and age. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Moyer.

Poor Calie! Even though the broken bone healed naturally, it doesn't mean it healed correctly, and she could have developed arthritis in that leg which is worse in the cold weather. I would take her into the vet to have x-rays done on the leg in the next couple of days. That will show how the leg healed and will show if there is arthritis in that area. She will likely benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give her any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given.

Hello, thank you for your question about Chispas. Some good exercises to help her recovery include physical therapy exercises such as moving her leg in a cycling motion for 5-10 minutes once a day. Additionally low impact exercises such as swimming will be helpful in keeping her muscles strong. I also recommend starting a joint supplement (one that has glucosamine and chondroitin) to help keep her joints healthy and prevent development of arthritis as she ages. In these cases I usually recommend 10-14 days of exercise restriction and then a slow return to exercise. I would start with a gradual return short walks around the neighborhood on the leash and work your way up to playing/running. With more activity it is possible that Chispas could have another case of limping. Hope this helps!

Chacha may have a luxating patella or cruciate ligament strain. Those are the most common reasons for holding up a rear leg in a poodle. I recommend you carry her up and down the stairs, prevent jumping on and off the furniture and take her for short slow leash walks several time a day. This should improve over the next few months if she stays quiet and doesn't keep injuring the leg with running and jumping. To reduce inflammation I give an omega 3 or fish oil supplement, and a joint supplement such as Cosequin. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Chacha.

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.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like you are doing everything you can right now in terms of supplements and joint support which is good. Since it is both her back legs, and she is a large dog, and she is young, getting surgery on at least one leg is a good idea for her quality of life long term. The alternative however is medical management which includes everything you are doing, PLUS weight loss to keep her on the skinny side PLUS getting that muscle mass up. Since her joints are unstable and cannot tolerate a lot of stress, running and walking may cause more damage, therefore swimming is the best option for her. If you can get her muscle mass up with lots of swimming, and keep her weight lean, you might be able to get her joints more support. As mentioned previously, think about getting surgery on at least one leg. Best of luck with Mania!