My dog right rear leg has a dislocated hock

my dog is a toy poodle. Her right rear leg has a dislocated hock. What is the best way to fix this? is it possible to fix w/o surgery? She is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday. She weighs 7lbs and will be 2 in january.

  • Vetinfo

    By: Julie Ann El Segundo, CA

    Replied on 04/19/2011

    Are you sure we are talking about a dislocated hock or is it the knee cap, also called the patella? A patella luxation is the knee cap moving out of the normal groove in the knee which is a pretty common condition in toy and miniature poodles. Depending on the severity the limping or lameness can begin as a puppy or may occur later in life. When the knee cap is in the correct location the dog walks normally. When the knee cap slips out of place the dog will either refuse to use the leg or will be significantly lame. When the knee cap is loose and slipping in and out of position frequently the dog may have a skipping type of gait, literally using and not using the leg as they move about depending on if the knee cap is in or out of position. Mild patella luxations with infrequent lameness may not require surgery, however the dog will likely have periods of time when the luxation is occurring which may require anti-inflammatory and pain medication for the discomfort. In more severe luxations surgery is needed to correct the condition. The groove in the knee where the knee cap normally sits is made deeper so it is no longer able to slip out of place.

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