Does a dog with cruciate ligament injury need surgery?
When you are out in a park with your dog and he suddenly starts to limp or show you his paw, there may be an underlying problem more serious than just a thorn or splinter. A dog’s natural instinct is to run and chase birds or squirrels, with no thought to his own safety. This means he could easily over stretch himself, or injure himself in the line of being a dog.
If that is the case your pet may have damaged the cruciate ligament in his knee; it is essential you have him checked out at his vets immediately. The ligament inside your dog’s knee provides his stability. If he has injured himself it may have been ruptured, or it may not, depending on the severity of his injury.
When letting your dog off his lead it is important to take into account that a dog that is overweight, or at a senior time in his life, is more vulnerable to this type of injury than a young fit and healthy puppy.
In newspapers and magazines you will often read about footballers, such as Michael Owen, having this type of injury. It comes about through suddenly twisting their body, and usually means they’ll need surgery and will spend a long time out of action.
However all is not lost, a dog that has suffered this injury has options as well but, in most cases, there is a need for an operation. Your vet will be able to give you more information to put your mind at ease.
Most dogs recover well after surgery, in fact they will probably lap up the extra care and attention they receive form their owners while they’re recuperating.
