Diagnosis and Available Treatment Of Acl Injury In Dogs

Rapture or tear in the anterior cruciate ligament dogs is a pretty common canine injury. Only in the USA almost 1 million dogs are affected by it every year. Modern standard care of ACL injury in dogs include may be one or a couple of surgeries and Platelet Rich Plasma therapy or PRP therapy is also coming up as a less expensive alternate treatment that has shown encouraging results.

Most of the time tear or rapture in cruciate ligament dog is found to occur due to intense physical activity but it can also occur even during a simple walking out. In dogs two ligaments – the anterior crucial ligament and the posterior crucial ligament hold the tibia and the femur in place. The ligaments cross each other inside the knee joint from front to back and it is the ACL that prevents the tibia from slipping down from its original position. Due to their typical physical dynamics dogs stand on toes and not on foot like the human beings that exerts a constant forward thrust on the tibia from under the femur and this makes them particularly vulnerable to ACL tears and raptures. When the crucial ligament is torn or ruptured, without its restraint the joint becomes instable that allows the tibia a free forward movement of the femur. This damage the protective pads between the bones knows as medial and lateral meniscus and results in pain and inflammation and also arthritic changes to both the bones after some time.

In cases when the cruciate ligament dog is completely torn then apart from surgery there is no other treatment method available for stabilizing the joints. But if it is partially torn or ruptured then there are a few different methods available for repairing the joint. Use of synthetic suture material or fibrous tissues from nearby locations is used for repairing the ligament. Another surgical method that is also used for treating ACL injury in dogs is TPLO or tibial plateau leveling osteotomy. TPLO actually changes the conformation of the tibia by cutting a portion of it and then moving and reattaching it to a different portion with screws and plates for stabilizing the joint again. Though this one is more difficult a process but it is found to produce excellent and encouraging results and it also reduces the chance of developing arthritis in later years.

Diagnosing an injury in cruciate ligament dogs is not much difficult as dogs who have suffered the injury suddenly appear lame and also hold that affected leg off the ground while standing still. There may also be some swelling in the new joint from time to time that will temporarily reduce only to come back again. If any of these visible symptoms are found present in your dog you should immediately take a pet to a specialist veterinarian for a thorough medical checkup. If not treated in time injury in anterior crucial ligament can prove to be extremely painful and may finally lead to permanent deformation of the leg.

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About The Author

Renee McAdams is a renowned veterinarian and a big time dog lover who has dedicated her life to the health and well-being of pets across the world. She likes to write various informative articles about medical procedures like dog ACL surgery and more to help people get acquainted with their various aspects.

Renee McAdams is a renowned veterinarian and a big time dog lover.