Eva’s Story
The Ketogenic Diet for Luxating Patella and Dog Health
Canine Breed: Mini Pinscher
KetoPet Parent: Sohana, South Africa
Eva is a 5-year-old Mini Pinscher I adopted when she was around 5 months old. We quickly learned that she had a luxating patella and an anal gland problem. After a visit to the veterinarian we've used for 16 years, he spent under a minute with her and told me we need 2 knee surgeries and anal gland surgery, and put her on several anti-inflammatory medications.
I started doing some research because I could not imagine how awful the crated recovery period would be for a such high energy dog. This is when I came across the ketogenic diet. All this time I thought I was being a great parent feeding her kibble. The transition to raw keto was happening and I was excited. More research and the results from switching Eva to a ketogenic diet confirmed that I had done the right thing. Thanks to her ketogenic diet she no longer needed the surgeries for her luxating patella!
We do sometimes have to take her to the vet for an anal gland checkup, but this girl and both her knees are in fantastic condition. We often hear people commenting "look how shiny" and "look how well behaved". My last Mini Pin made it to 15-years-old but was overweight for most of that, I wish I had known then what I know now about the ketogenic diet!
A note from KetoPet: luxating patella is graded from 1 to 4. Mild cases often never need surgery, while more severe ones usually do, and we don't know what grade Eva's knees were. A lower-carbohydrate diet can help joints by taking off extra weight and may lower the inflammation a dog carries, but it can't put a kneecap back in place. If surgery has been recommended for your dog, talk through the options with your veterinarian, or ask for a second opinion, before deciding. Eva's story is one dog's experience, not a promise for every dog.