Problem Knees
 

Yes they can have knee and joint problems. Let me get you some info. Be right back

I HAVE heard of hip and cruciate problems in Pit Bulls and Am Stafs -- fairly common, actually.

But not KNEES so much. But, with the rampant breeding going on, I'm not surprised to see continued orthopedic problems.

A dog CAN be checked for patellar problems (it's just a joint manipulation) and this should probably be done whenever one is sedated for a hip x-ray.

Carla

What did your vet charge per knee?

It sounds like your dog had a Luxating Patella. Does that sound familiar at all?

Many breeds can have this problem not just APBTs. And with more and more irresponsible bad breeding, you are going to see more and more of this.

Now sure how reliable this info is but it gives a good diagram if anything.

http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/patella.htm


Some things you can do to help your dog. Manage your dogs weight, don't let your dog become overweight. That can make the joint problems worse and more painful. Warm your dog up before exercise. Basically don't just jump into vigorous exercise with warming up.

These things can help.

My old girl had a luxating patella. But she also had a mess of other health problems including disc disease, hip dysplasia, and Inflammed Colon Disease, amongst others. We never did the surgery for her because her other problems made the surgery not worth it. Health problems aren't entirely common in well bred APBT's but can be in BYB or otherwise poorly bred specimens of the breed, unfortunately. My poor old girl was a rescue dog, and the vet thought probably poor breeding and the condition she was in before I got her were both contributing factors to her bad health.

Not sure of how much it would help, but you could look into glucosamine and chondroitin supplements, they're good for joints. In addition to that I give vitamin C, which acts as an anti inflammatory. (I own a Saint Bernard, so joint health is a big concern of mine)

This is totally irrelevant probably, but could you post a picture of your dog, I am sure if the dog is a bit overweight or anything that could make things worse right?