Thankfully, Max has been very healthy, just the odd bit of sickness, but puppies and dogs do have a nasty habit of picking up anything and everything in their mouths, yuk! However, he has suffered from a condition that is quite common amongst his breed, petellar luxation.
Now I am not a vet and most definitely not remotely medically trained, so the following information is very basic. Petellar luxation, is a condition where the kneecap dislocates. Max had the condition in both leg,s with one slightly worse than the other. We noticed it a couple of months before his first birthday when he yelped then limped about for a bit. I was already aware of the condition and suspected that it may be the cause of his pain so after a few days observing him took him to the vet who confirmed it was a petellar luxation and surgery was booked to correct the worst affected knee.
The surgery is a bit yukky, it involves hollowing out the socket so it's deeper then pinning the knee in place (again very basic, but I am not a vet etc.). Max was a star though and got lots of tlc when he came home to 8 weeks cage rest. He looked very sorry for himself in his crate and we all felt really mean, but he was soon back on his feet.
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| After his first operation |
That was Easter, and by Christmas he was back in the crate resting after another operation to correct his other knee. He looked seriously fed up in the crate second time round, but once again after the 8 weeks he was able to start gentle exercise and was back on his feet.
We did feel really mean and horrid, putting poor pup through surgery twice in one year, but I'm glad we did. Yes it was expensive, especially as my, then pet insurers refused to pay for his second operation (my fault, for choosing rubbish insurance), but it was so worth it. Max is now a happy, healthy, pain free doggy. He runs, he jumps and is just able to be a proper active dog now and we love him!
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