Help my dog has ruptured its cruciate ligament!

This is a very common injury that we see regularly. The cruciate ligament is the stabiliser of the knee, when it’s partially torn or completely ruptures it’s painful to put weight on the leg and difficult to run. The knee becomes unstable and a lot of damage occurs in the joint leading to arthritis soon after the injury.

No two dogs are the same and the treatment of a cruciate injury is like this too. Some dogs will only tear a small part of the ligament while others will tear this ligament and other parts of the knee all at the same time.

At Tea Tree Gully Veterinary Hospital we asses each animal and discuss with the owner what the best treatment is for their pet. Some dogs only need rest and rehabilitation with anti-inflammatories while others will require surgery.

Even with surgery there are a number of different ways of fixing a knee that work better for some dogs than others.

Knee assessments and repair are one of the most common things we do in our hospital, and we are fortunate to have very experienced veterinary surgeons to perform the procedure.

A course of structured rehabilitation is the key to post-operative success following orthopaedic surgery and we will keep your pet in hospital for the first 48-72 hours to kick start the recovery process. Your dog will then be discharged into your care, but don't worry, we are here to help you and will send you home with a comprehensive, week-by-week guide to their rehabilitation program. You will also receive helpful "how-to" videos for rehabilitation exercises.