Acl Tear In Dogs Front Leg

Dog acl surgical options.

Acl tear in dogs front leg.

Dogs front legs are built like our arms. They rarely endanger the posterior cruciate ligament. This injury occurs when the acl in the dog s knee joint stretches or tears causing either acute or chronic pain. If your dog is limping on her front paw showing weakness on her foreleg or you notice swelling of the ankle it may be a front leg injury.

Front leg injuries can range in severity and it must be noted that some injuries can lead to paralysis of the leg if left untreated. These not only include his size weight age and general activity level but your ability to pay for treatment. A front leg injury in a dog can be a complex diagnostic case. A torn anterior cruciate ligament acl is a common injury in dogs which may cause hind leg lameness.

If your dog ruptures his cranial cruciate ligament in his hind leg the equivalent to the anterior crucial ligament in the human knee his subsequent care depends on several factors. When the acl is torn the entire leg is unstable and the bones are rubbing causing inflammation and degenerative joint changes. If your dog tore his acl suddenly it most likely happened during play or excited activity. By the way our four legged friends are like us with only two knees.

Once a licensed veterinarian diagnoses your dog with a ccl tear and it is decided that surgery is the best option for your dog there are three main orthopedic procedures to repair an acl tear. It is most commonly torn on the back leg but can be torn on any leg. Factors such as trauma due to an accident or an injury caused by repetitive strain can cause acute pain for your pet. This ligament connects the back of the femur the bone above the knee with the front of the tibia the bone below the knee.

Over time one torn acl that is not treated often results in two excruciatingly painful acl injuries. Sprains and strains are common injuries. The ccl is responsible for keeping the tibia in place beneath the femur and stabilizing the knee joint. Therefore it is the owner s responsibility to try to keep a dog with a minor acl injury from eventually tearing his acl completely.

Although a torn acl is painful for your dog it can recover with rest and medication. If you hear your dog yelp they may need your help. Furthermore dogs with an acl injury in one leg will try to avoid the pain by using their other legs more often. Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy tplo and 3.

As in humans a dog s bones and joints are subject to strains sprains dislocations and breaks that can cause pain and limited mobility. A lateral suture technique aka extracapsular repair 2. The words sound alike but they mean different things.