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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

"Stifle" Injury

1/17/2020

 
Many years ago, Montoya injured her stifle. She got hung up in a blanket and strained the soft tissue. As a result, the tendon would hook on the femur giving her a hitch in her gait. After a few moments, the tendon would flip back over the patella and she would be sound.
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Montoya's getting a lot of coverage this week.
Two weeks ago, I saw the exact same irregularity in Yellow Dog's gait.
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Yellow Dog
Yellow Dog is a rambunctious, four year old Labrador Retriever. She's had several lameness issues and illnesses over her short life, all of which we've been able to mange.
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Yellow Dog with Tobias, our 8 year old black Lab.
Both dogs have a drawer full of medications. Tobias, our black lab, suffers from anxiety so he occasionally gets a bit of Ace; New Year's eve and the Fourth of July are not his favorite days of the year. He also gets a bit achey so we have some pain relievers for him. Both dogs also get a daily MovoFlex chew, a joint supplement.
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My husband takes them EVERYWHERE.
When I saw Yellow Dog take that first "hitchy" step, I knew she had a stifle injury. My husband used to be a bit skeptical about my ability to diagnose canine issues, but that was long ago. We don't go to the vet until I feel it's a red flag issue. For this, I knew what it was, I just didn't know how severe it might be. My worst fear was that she had suffered a torn cruciate ligament. When after a week she was no better, I called the vet.
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Tobias, my husband, and Yellow Dog.
Yesterday afternoon, my husband drove both dogs to the vet, and I met him there after work. He took Tobias for a walk and then joined me in the exam room. While he's a very capable man, my husband doesn't do vet appointments the way I do. You know what I mean. There are 10,000 questions to ask: What's wrong? How do we fix it? What do we do if that doesn't work? How long should I wait to see if this will work? What's the long term prognosis? He asks 1 or 2 questions, maybe, pays the bill, and brings me home the checkout sheet. That's why I talk to the vet.
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That's not a smile. It was a plea to get her the hell out of there.
When Dr. Thurman was finally able to see us, he must have been really busy, I gave him the run down: what her gait looked like, how long it had been, and what we were doing about it. He manipulated the joint, laid her on her side to manipulate it even more, and then diagnosed it as a patellar luxation. I hate it when I'm right.
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"Really, GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
Basically, the knee cap is popping out of place and then snapping back in. I actually had the same injury a number of years ago, but mine took several days to pop back in. I still guard that knee carefully. Anyway, the prognosis is ... mixed. We started her on some anti-inflammatories hoping that will reduce any inflammation which might help the knee cap stay in place. If so, great. If not, she might just have to live with it. Sort of.

If the patella continues to slide out of the groove, or track, in which it should slide up and down, it might eventually wear it down enough so that it slides more easily. This of course results in a lot less stability, but it won't be as painful. There are some possible surgical options like tacking everything in place, but we're not really looking at that as an option.

For now, we'll give the anti-inflammatories a try. It took Montoya the better part of year to heal, but she did go back to endurance racing and never had a relapse. Fingers crossed for Yellow Dog.

​Here's an excellent article on Luxating Patella in dogs.
Dom
1/17/2020 04:24:08 pm

Herbie had a luxating patella and we had GREAT success with under water treadmill to strengthen it.

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/19/2020 04:32:22 pm

That is a very interesting therapy! I have asked around a bit and don't know of a facility near enough to give it a try. I think Alamo Pintado (an equine hospital a few hours from here) has an underwater treadmill for horses, but that's not very convenient for Yellow Dog. She LOVES to swim and spends a lot of the year in our pool, but we keep her out of it right now as it's too hard to dry her off. LOL

Tracy
1/18/2020 08:05:42 am

Our little dog, Rocky, was diagnosed with the exact same injury about 4 months ago -- in his right hind. Vet said it was a lower-grade because she couldn't manually manipulate the patella out of place. She prescribed 10 days of Previcox (anti-inflammatory) and it made a HUGE difference! I keep some on hand for when he inevitably knocks it out, but his lameness was mostly due to the chronic inflammation. Once that was resolved, he was back to normal! Hopefully yellow dog is the same way <3

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/19/2020 04:33:24 pm

Thank you for sharing! After just a few days on the anti-inflammatories, she's back to her old self. I am going to ask the vet for a second bottle to keep on hand for flare ups. That's a good idea!

Laura link
1/20/2020 05:17:31 am

I too, have a yellow dog! Mine is 5 and while we haven't had any joint issues yet (touch wood) she has seizures. So 2 meds and a calendar like you use for the horses to keep track of any issues.

I hope your yellow dog is better after her meds and the stifle thing doesn't keep cropping up. It is so hard with the big sporty dogs that like to run and play.

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/20/2020 07:00:46 am

Yellow dog is nearly 5, so our two are close in age. She's already looking back to normal, so thank you!

Before Tobias and YD, we had two other labs, Kirby and McGwire. Kirby also suffered from seizures, but with medication, they were controlled 100%. She lived to be 15! We eventually put her down when she couldn't hold her bladder or control her bowel movements. She was also nearly deaf and had trouble seeing. The seizures weren't a problem though. You can't fix old age. :0)


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    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
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    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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Among other things, Karen is a Wife, Friend, Reader, Writer, Rider, Traveler, and Dog Lover
Contact her at bakersfielddressage@gmail.com
  • Home
  • About
  • My Horses
    • Horses
    • Imperioso
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Show Results
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
  • Dressage Organizations
    • Dressage Organizations
    • Memberships
    • 2019 Dressage Tests
  • Local
    • Shopping List
  • Home