Dear Dr. Forsythe: My dog Callaway is having trouble with his knee. Every time he starts walking on it slowly he yelps out and then wobbles. It looks like he starts skipping for a couple of steps before he goes back to normal again. This lasts for a few seconds and then he seems to get better. I’m concerned because I got him from a breeder and had him shipped to me when he was only 12 weeks old. He seemed fine when he first arrived but this problem began several weeks later as he got bigger. I have a contract to return him for a refund if any problems crop up during the first six months, but we already love him very much and don’t want to even think about giving him back now that he is six months old. Please tell me what you think about this wobbling that he is doing. Could he have hurt himself? It is the only problem we have noticed. Could it be due to his growing, and is it normal for Terriers to skip?
Lisa, Sonoma
Dear Lisa: First of all, it is never normal for a pet to cry out when it is walking, unless the pet happens to sustain a serious injury. When a small dog such as a terrier is walking along and suddenly cries out and skips along, I would suspect a medially luxating patella (MLP.) This is a congenital condition where some pets are born with, and then develop, a very shallow patellar (knee) groove that allows the ligament that holds the knee cap in place to slip out and pop medially causing pain and temporary discomfort. Usually these “episodes” lasts just a couple of moments, and as soon as the ligament and the knee cap pops back into place, the pet begins walking normally again. Some dogs are simply born with very shallow grooves in the knee, and this condition is more prevalent in those breeds. Often, owners opt to do nothing at all, and simply monitor their pet if it only happens once in a while. However, if the “trick knee” is popping out frequently and causing pain or an abnormal gait, I recommend a fairly straightforward orthopedic surgery to deepen the groove that suspends the ligament inside the knee and keeps it properly in place. I would suggest you contact your veterinarian if this “popping out of place” is happening more than twice daily—if this condition is left uncorrected, the knee joint can develop arthritis and your dog could develop a permanent limp and pain that is quite unnecessary. There is no reason such a malformation should keep your little terrier from prancing proudly around the Sonoma square, so I recommend you look into the solution. Your puppy will be glad you did. Thanks for writing in!
Dr. F.
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My father thinks that my cat is very stinky and said we should just find a home for it. I told him that he was being unfair and I would do anything to keep the cat, even give it a bath every week in order to keep the pet inside. The trouble is that my cat hates water. How can I give her a bath if she bites and hisses every time I take her near the water?
Worried I’ll lose my cat.
Dear Worried: I would explain to your father that you really love the cat and that you feel great comfort in having a cat in your life. Explain to him all the reasons why you want to keep the cat and let him know how hard you are willing to work to take care of your pet. Remind him that for many kids, pets are a type of a coping mechanism during difficult times, and let him know that by having the cat you feel that your worries are less and you do better overall. Then, with your parent’s permission, contact a local veterinarian for help in how to keep the cat calm during a bath. Either a professional groomer can help bathe this dirty kitty or you can get a tranquilizer from your veterinarian in order to calm the pet down enough to do a bath and comb out the cat until it is presentable enough to keep your dad happy. The trick here is communication: let your father know that the stakes are high and if your father knows how important the pet is to your well being, perhaps he will soften up a bit and let you have the pet in your life. Good luck in this quest!! Please let me know how this one turns out.
Dr. F.
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