Meet Georgia, our January 2018 Pet of the Month. Georgia is a very well dressed 5 year old Bichon, and has been featured on our Facebook page numerous times with some of her antics. She came to see us in June of 2016 for rehabilitation options for her luxating patellas.
Medial luxating patellas (MLP) is a common orthopedic condition in small breed dogs. Normally, the patella slides up and down in a groove on the bottom of the femur when a dog bends their legs. When the groove is not deep enough, the patella may pop out their groove and ride along the inside of the leg instead. This disease process can be different for big dogs, as they tend to luxate towards the outside of their leg. Often times, dogs with medial luxating patellas are able to pop their knee caps back in place, which may appear as a hop mid-run.
Georgia has been doing great since starting rehabilitation. Her patellas luxate less often and the severity has been downgraded for both knees. She continues to see us to further develop her home exercise plan and she simply loves coming for her sessions. She finds her visits both physically and mentally tiring, which is a great way to beat the winter blues!