Tyson was referred to the clinic because he had an issue with his kneecap that was causing him to be lame. Patella luxation, more commonly described as a dislocating kneecap, is a relatively common condition in small breed dogs. Patella luxation is a complex condition with multiple factors that combine to contribute to the disease process. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the causes of patellar luxation visit our website http://www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/our-services/surgery/conditions/hind-limb/patellar-luxation .

Patellar luxation is graded on a scale of 1-4.  In the majority of cases with grade 1 or grade 2 patellar luxation we usually do not have to carry out surgery and we can use physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to correct the unstable patella. Patients with more severe patellar luxation usually require surgical intervention to correct the condition.

Tyson was a very unusual case, and while he had a low-grade patella luxation, it appeared his manhood might well have been contributing to his condition – something we don’t see too often!

In Tyson’s case we didn’t operate to correct his patellar luxation but we may have suggested that he took a little trip to his primary care vet to discuss castration!