My dog has cruciate damage. What else can I do to avoid surgery?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Brooklyn. I usually discuss surgical repair when I diagnose a dog with a cruciate injury, but it is not my only approach. Conservative care has been more effective in small breed dogs though in my opinion. However, I have had some large breed dogs do well without surgery. I usually start with strict rest for a period of 4-6 weeks depending on the case. This can allow scar tissue to develop in the knee and stabilize the joint. I will also prescribe pain medication as needed as well as prescription joint supplements. If the dog is overweight at all, I will use a veterinary weight loss diet. Any additional weight will be extra stress and strain on that joint. So I want the dog to be as lean as possible. If the dog is comfortable, I will gradually return them to their normal activity level. I also warn owners, if a dog suffers a cruciate injury on one leg then they are likely to suffer the same thing on the other rear leg as it is a degenerative injury. I hope this information helps!

Hello, thank you using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am so sorry for your concerns about Madiidda. Her x-rays show very severe subluxation of the one hip, & a very shallow acetabulum of the other. This will never get better on its own, & as she ages, she will experience more & more pain possibly to the point where she may no longer be able to walk. A lot has to do with how you manage her growth, weight, exercise/conditioning, and use of joint supplements & pain medications. You may not be able to afford the surgery now, but perhaps in a couple of years, you might be able to. The important thing is to keep her a tad underweight, regular gentle exercise, & start her on a good glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement. Omega fatty acids can be of some benefit in helping the inflammation in her hips. Work closely with your veterinarian about weight control, medications, & possibly even a veterinarian who practices some alternative modalities such as acupuncture & massage therapy. Here in the US, we even have specialists in canine rehabilitation medicine, where underwater treadmills, water therapy, & special balance exercises can all help to strengthen the muscles around the hips to make life better for Madidda. I wish you all the best that she does well. She is a beautiful girl.

Where surgical treatment is not an option then the alternative options are: pain relief medications; joint care diets (hills); strict weight management; physiotherapy; acupuncture; chiropractic care and possibly steroid injections. It is important to assess her quality of life and comfort levels to ensure she is not suffering undue pain

The answer to your question really comes down to her examination and your goals. It is possible for a cruciate ligament to be partially torn or fully torn. If it is fully torn, the knee is unstable and surgery is the best option to stabilize the knee and slow down the development of arthritis in the joint. If the cruciate ligament is only partially torn, you can see signs like you have in Hambro where she seems pretty normal unless she injures the cruciate ligament again with high activity. For a large dog who is young, partial cruciate ligament injures are often problematic because they inhibit dogs from being able to play normally without being painful, but it sounds like Hambro has done well for 6 months. Another consideration is that if she has a partial tear, she may completely tear the cruciate ligament in the future which will necessitate surgery. There is also a potential complication of cruciate injuries that involve a tear in the meniscus. If that happens, she will be consistently lame and will need surgery. Unfortunately, only you can decide on the right answer for Hambro. Surgery provides the best possibility for return to normal activity without lameness, but certainly isn't without potential risks and complications. I have attached a handout on cruciate ligament injuries below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1975 Finally, if this is a partial cruciate injury and you would like to avoid surgery, I would recommend trying to find a rehabilitation veterinarian to help you with physical therapy exercises to strengthen Hambro. They will also be able to give you a second opinion. Hopefully you can find a vet in the UK at this site. http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/Find_A_Therapist.html http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/action.lasso Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I'm sorry for Brody's injury. It sounds like he had ruptured his cranial cruciate ligament. Surgery is the ideal treatment but when that is not possible, crate rest is strongly recommended. Every time Brody steps on that leg he is injuring it further. If he tries to run and jump or play on it he will injure it even more. So 4-8 weeks of cage rest is better than a lifetime of chronic pain and lameness. There are things you can do to try to make it easier on him. Toys or chews that may interest him but that he can't swallow large pieces of. Make sure he can be out with you on a leash when possible instead of a cage. If he is super anxious or fighting the crate you may need to discuss anxiety or sedation medications with your vet. Here's an article that explains CCL injury a little bit more. I would recommend starting Brody on a supplement such as Dasaquin to try to limit arthritis effects in his knees. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1975

I’m a Rehab veterinarian and have found braces and wraps do not stabilize the knee. Leash walk only for potty breaks like you are doing is all you want to do physically. Please give the medication as directed. If there is a rehab facility in your area they can help you with laser treatments for pain and some conservative exercise. If she does too much activity on the other rear leg that CCL can tear also. Surgery is indicated in a dog of that size and age. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Moyer.

A torn cruciate ligament in the knee is not something you need to rush to surgery for. I'm a rehab veterinarian and I usually recommend rest, anti inflammatory medication, and short leash walks for potty only. If she is improving over the next few weeks then she may recover well without surgery. If there is no improvement or she starts using it, then gets worse again then I do recommend surgery. It is very important to prevent any jumping and no explosive movements. Basically Gumbo needs to be leash walked only for up to three months for her to recover without surgery. Also if you have a veterinary rehab clinic near you taking her for treatment there would assist her recovery without surgery. If you have additional questions please request a consultation with me and I can answer them. This is the most common injury I see in my practice. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Gumbo.