Lola - LuvMyChihuahua.com

“Lola” was dumped at Tangipahoa Parish Animal Control in Hammond at about 6 weeks old, likely by an irresponsible breeder who realized they would not be able to make money on her. When TAAR rescued her on August 6th, she was not able to stand on her rear legs but was able to move them. Initial diagnosis by our local vet was a knee deformity but she advised that we have her seen by an orthopedic specialist. We brought her to the LSU Vet School on September 6th where X-rays confirmed that she has severe bilateral medial patellar luxation. The groove in her femur where the kneecap is supposed to ride is very shallow, allowing the kneecap to slip out and to the inside of the leg. Her condition is a Grade 4 out of 4, where the kneecap cannot be manipulated back into place by hand.
The recommendation is for her to have corrective surgery on both knees within 2 weeks. The surgeon advised that, if left untreated, the condition will worsen and may lead to rupture of the cruciate ligament as well as painful deformation of the leg bones as she continues to grow. The surgery involves deepening the trochlear groove and modifying the joint capsule to prevent the kneecap from slipping out. If there is significant deformation of the leg bones, they will have to be cut, realigned and pinned. She will have approximately 8 weeks of recovery time.
As you can imagine, this surgery will not be cheap. The estimate is $1,800 to $2,500, not including pre-op labwork and post-op rechecks and X-rays. Any donation that you can make towards Lola’s surgery would be greatly appreciated.