Cruciate & IVDD

Working towards eliminating pain, minimizing lameness and improving strength.

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Cruciate & IVDD

Working towards eliminating pain, minimizing lameness and improving strength.

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Cruciate

The cruciate ligament may be small but it can cause a big problem for our canine patients. There is a population of sedentary, overweight dogs that are at risk for cruciate disease from a very young age. When injury, abnormal anatomy, inflammation or obesity lead to a torn or partially torn cruciate ligament, owners are faced with stressful and expensive decisions. Owners may be told to pursue stabilization surgery as soon as possible to prevent progression of arthritis however nothing is simple with this complicated joint.

Your dog’s joint is (and always will be) abnormal because of the cruciate disease. This is the case with or without surgical stabilization. Surgery limits the abnormal forward movement of the tibia, it does not erase the fact that the joint has been forever altered. We believe you have time after the injury to discuss what approach best fits your dog’s lifestyle. These injuries rarely happen in a truly healthy and normal joint. Anatomy, genetics, inflammation and fitness level can all influence your dog’s likelihood of injuring their cruciate ligament.

Young, athletic dogs needing to return to full function often need stabilization. Dogs with meniscal involvement often need stabilization. Dogs that have significant pain and lameness despite rest and aggressive pain management may need stabilization.

A comprehensive plan to address pain, effusion, inflammation, swelling while protecting the opposite knee can be started immediately after an instability is diagnosed. Acupuncture, therapeutic LASER, massage, underwater treadmill therapy and core strengthening exercises help our cruciate patients either start to heal or prepare for surgical stabilization.

Some of our cruciate disease patients are older, overweight or might be described as couch potatoes. Invasive and expensive surgical procedures may not the right option for everyone. Our goal with these dogs is working towards eliminating pain, minimizing lameness and improving strength while focusing on protecting the healthy leg. We can often achieve a very good level of comfort and mobility even if some instability still exists. Acupuncture, therapeutic LASER, massage, underwater treadmill and strengthening exercises are all components of a management plan. Conservative management of cruciate disease can be a marathon vs. a sprint but there are many patients who do well with this approach. Dogs who must return to a very active lifestyle or have unmanageable pain may not be candidates for medical management of their instability.

Cruciate

The cruciate ligament may be small but it can cause a big problem for our canine patients. There is a population of sedentary, overweight dogs that are at risk for cruciate disease from a very young age. When injury, abnormal anatomy, inflammation or obesity lead to a torn or partially torn cruciate ligament, owners are faced with stressful and expensive decisions. Owners may be told to pursue stabilization surgery as soon as possible to prevent progression of arthritis however nothing is simple with this complicated joint.

Your dog’s joint is (and always will be) abnormal because of the cruciate disease. This is the case with or without surgical stabilization. Surgery limits the abnormal forward movement of the tibia, it does not erase the fact that the joint has been forever altered. We believe you have time after the injury to discuss what approach best fits your dog’s lifestyle. These injuries rarely happen in a truly healthy and normal joint. Anatomy, genetics, inflammation and fitness level can all influence your dog’s likelihood of injuring their cruciate ligament.

Young, athletic dogs needing to return to full function often need stabilization. Dogs with meniscal involvement often need stabilization. Dogs that have significant pain and lameness despite rest and aggressive pain management may need stabilization.

A comprehensive plan to address pain, effusion, inflammation, swelling while protecting the opposite knee can be started immediately after an instability is diagnosed. Acupuncture, therapeutic LASER, massage, underwater treadmill therapy and core strengthening exercises help our cruciate patients either start to heal or prepare for surgical stabilization.

Some of our cruciate disease patients are older, overweight or might be described as couch potatoes. Invasive and expensive surgical procedures may not the right option for everyone. Our goal with these dogs is working towards eliminating pain, minimizing lameness and improving strength while focusing on protecting the healthy leg. We can often achieve a very good level of comfort and mobility even if some instability still exists. Acupuncture, therapeutic LASER, massage, underwater treadmill and strengthening exercises are all components of a management plan. Conservative management of cruciate disease can be a marathon vs. a sprint but there are many patients who do well with this approach. Dogs who must return to a very active lifestyle or have unmanageable pain may not be candidates for medical management of their instability.