Knee problems for my little mate

Hi people, was playing ball indoors on a rainy day with beau and she slide and managed to pop her knee out, this happened last year the vet gave her some anti inflammatory tablets and told me to try and rest her, so did this all seemed great and she got over it
So out for a run around two weeks ago and she starts carrying the other leg, back to the vets we go same procedure but this time it doesn't seem to be healing on its own! The vet says this is a common thing with staffs and that it should be operated on sooner rather than later. Has anyone else had this problem? And if so is the op as easy as they say?
Thanks in advance beau and concerned dad

i don't have any personal experience of this, but i have known people whose dogs have had knee (stifle) surgery. the dogs all recovered extremely well, although tgere was a spell of complete rest after the operation, so their minds had to be exercised!

I think it's a pretty standard op these days. I've no actual experience but have seen the super vet do knee ops where he deepens the groove that the knee cap sits in to and so making it less likely to pop out.

Hi Ewan

My boy has had 2 cruciate ligament surgeries within 12 months of each other 3/4 years ago now. My vet also said cruciate ligament ruptures and other knee related problems are pretty common in staffies sadly

What sort of op has your vet suggested?

I was just saying another post about insurance how 2 rather large claims bumped up my premium quite considerably, but that said, I was so glad I did have insurance! Hope you have too.

sadly I have no experience of this problem either though it is common in staffies your vet will discuss with you all your options and the best way forward good luck

If the diagnosis is Patella Luxation, then this is also common in Staffies.
My late girl Stella had this in both knees when she was younger.
At 18 months old her first knee had to be operated on which was fairly straight forward but the following year her other knee also kept popping out and our vet had to send her to a specialist as the damage was much worse and she had to have a steel pin inserted to keep her knee in place.
She recovered well and had a pretty normal life apart from less longer walks. We were warned that she would suffer from arthritis in her later years which she did but was managed with pain killers.

She lived until the ripe old age of 13 years and 4 months and the surgery on her knees was really just a small blip in her otherwise wonderful happy life

Thank you everyone for your replies been back to the vets today, they have suggested trying one more week on the anti inflammatory pills and if she doesn't improve take her back for an X-ray! It was horrible the vet let me feel how freely her knee was popping out, it must be so uncomfortable for her! Vet said staffs have a great pain threshold so when they carry a leg like that you know it's uncomfortable, and she's giving me a gilt trip about not taking her out!

It is true that Staffies have a high pain threshold so if they limp they really do have some discomfort. Blank the guilt trip, Beau doesn't understand why she can't go chasing but it's in her best interest.

Hopefully it'll settle but as I mentioned above, it's really quiet an easy op other than trying to keep them relatively calm after the op so as to heal. Let us know how she gets on

Thanks Ian will let you all know how she gets on, thanks again for everyone's help

Hi people, quick update.... After three weeks of pain killers and a couple of X-Ray's beau has finally had her knee operated on today, just spoken to the out of hrs vet and she said that beau is quite bright and very noisy can't wait to pick her up tomorrow now I've got to try and tackle resting her

Resting is the hardest bit Ewan. What op did they perform on Beau ?

Hi Ian she has had patella laxation surgery just got home from vets, Beau seems very spaced out still as well as uncomfortable but the vet said she's able to put a little bit of weight on it already which is a good sign

Pleased all went well with her op.
Good luck for a speedy recovery Beau and also to you Ewan in keeping her quiet for a few weeks

Glad all went well for her!
Now the hard part comes, keeping her quiet!

So glad Op went well, and best of luck with keeping her quiet!

She breaking my heart at the moment when she isn't sleeping she's whimpering bless her! Hopefully the pain will start to ease in a few days, thank you all so much

Aw, poor darling!

Ah it is heartbreaking when they come out the other side of an operation. Did they give you some pain meds Ewan ?

Hopefully Beau will start to feel better very quickly

Awww... Beau, It is heartbreaking when you hear them so distressed with the pain. Stella cried often through her first night home after the op but was much better after a day or so. Stella was on painkillers as Beau will be too but I think it must feel quite raw at first. They simply don't understand whats happened to them.... Plenty of cuddles for Beau is all you do for her but I understand what you're going through

She has got Previcox and tramadol for the pain and a course of antibiotics, she seems to be settling down nicely now I bought her a nice comfy new bed to stretch out in this afternoon and she seems to like being in there! Think I'm going to sleep downstairs with her tonight just so she knows I'm there