My 10-year-old poodle's knee pops out. What helps besides surgery?

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Knees 'popping out' in a Pug is usually due to a luxating patella. This is a condition that can be surgically corrected, and given Rascal's age of 2, this is recommended so that he doesn't develop painful arthritis for the rest of his life. The other possible condition is a 'torn cruciate', and this also can be corrected with surgery. Carprofen is a medication of the class 'NSAIDs'. This are hard on the liver, kidney and gut. It is good for breakthrough pain, however long-term this isn't something you want to continue on. Please discuss with your vet about surgical correction options for Rascal, as well as other options for pain medications longer term (Gabapentin for example). NSAIDs do work best, they just come with high risks of side effects. Best of luck with Rascal, I hope he feels better soon!

In these cases ACL or CCL tear is the most likely reason for it. Tear can be partial and conservative management (especially in dogs under 15kg) could be successful. Complete rest and anti-inflammatory meds can be attempted.

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.

Hello. I agree, surgery at this age would not be ideal given her age. You do not indicate what meds she is already on, but she should be receiving an NSAID such as meloxicam, carprofen, or any one of several excellent drugs in this classification. I would also have her on gabapentin, possibly tramadol, & maybe even Adequan injections, just in case some of her joints are painful. An alternative for the NSAIDs would be steroids as they are very good at reducing inflammation, but that does put her at some risk for side effects. Hopefully, these can keep him comfortable for some time to come. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is never wrong to seek a second opinion. Without all the medical records, X-rays and examining him myself I cannot tell you anything via this platform but you can certainly seek the opinion of another vet in your area. There is no harm in doing that. I'm glad Brownie seems to be doing well but, in my opinion, the knee popping could be an issue (if not immediately, possibly long term). Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Yes some dogs can develop thigh muscles that help the knee caps stay in place. I recommend slow controlled leash walks with a lot of hills. This can get worse with excessive jumping and rough housing. Some dogs have this their entire life and are fine, others are very lame and need surgery when they are adults. I like Dasuquin Advanced for a joint supplement. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Hippie.

Oh poor Ollie! His fracture clearly healed incorrect, and he developed arthritis from it. The vet can give him some pain meds for it. Rimadyl (an NSAID) is a good drug to give to help with the symptoms of arthritis. I also recommend giving him glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, and you can use it in conjuction with Rimadyl to help maximize relief from his symptoms. You can do hydrotherapy with him as well. It's a low impact exercise that will help build up his muscles, and the warm water will be soothing to Ollie. You can also discuss with your vet if there is a surgical option to treat his limp.