Leiloni first noticed the limp after Birdie got her leg stuck under her seatbelt during a car ride. She kept a watchful eye on Birdie's gait, and was relieved when it disappeared a few days later. But the limp returned, and then began switching from one rear leg to the other.

"I thought it was growing pains, to be honest," Leiloni says. "I watched the limp progress for about a month because I thought it might go away on its own."

When Birdie didn't show signs of improvement, Leiloni scheduled an orthopedic consultation at the MSU Veterinary Medical Center. "I brought Birdie directly to MSU because I trust you guys the most," Leiloni says. "I knew that if anything had to be done that I'd be coming to MSU, so I figured I would start here."

They met with orthopedic surgeon Loic Déjardin, DVM, MS, DACVS, DECVS, who diagnosed Birdie with patellar luxation, a congenital condition that causes the patella, or kneecap, to slide out of its normal position in a groove at the bottom of the femur, or thigh bone. The condition is sometimes called a floating kneecap, and was unrelated to the seatbelt incident. Without surgery, this painful condition continues to degenerate, erodes cartilage, causes arthritis, and can result in permanent lameness. As with about half the dogs with this condition, both of Birdie's knees were affected. Her first knee was operated on the week following her first appointment.

Traditionally, to repair patellar luxation, the surgeon cuts the femur in two places, corrects its deformity, and stabilizes it with a steel plate. Déjardin uses distal femoral osteotomy (DFO), a procedure that repairs the femur with only one cut to the bone. Instead of a plate, a locking nail is inserted into the bone. Déjardin developed the nail, called the iLoc, in 2003.

The procedure is less invasive, heals more quickly, and is less expensive than the traditional surgery. Risk of infection is reduced because the locking nail is inserted into the bone instead of being attached externally. It is uncommon for the condition to recur after surgical correction.

Birdie is recovering exceptionally well. Within a week of surgery, she was bearing weight on her leg. When it is fully healed, the second knee will be repaired.

To achieve a quick and full recovery, Birdie comes to the Animal Rehabilitation Center for physical therapy. "My experience with the hospital, Dr. Déjardin, and all the other people involved with Birdie's recovery has been very positive," Leiloni says.

Birdie is expected to make a full recovery and be as lively as before.