Vet Explains Cruciate Disease: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment

[@greendogstraining2684]

This is fantastic information Dr. Em. My poor dog has undergone multiple ex-caps and finally a TPLO. The TPLO is by far the best option. He has recovered well, but it has been a long haul (6 repair surgeries, plus a plate removal), so very, very hard on my dog and wildly expensive. I wish I had had this explanation 4 years ago when we began our surgical journeys.

[@VetMedCorner]

Oh wow - that is an incredibly long haul! Adding the plate removal in there feels like a cruel last jab too 😭 (for anyone who might be reading along, the vast majority of patients don't have the TPLO plate removed!) I'm so very glad to hear that your dog has recovered, that makes my heart happy. It is tricky, as even a decade or so ago we didn't have all the research comparing methods over time, like we do now. I remember as a new grad telling people that for small dogs ex-cap repairs were the only option as the small TPLO plates/tools didn't even exist at the time!!! It makes me grateful for the advancements we have had in this area as the TPLO has dramatically improved the long term outcomes for so so so many dogs.

[@judithb4202]

What a terrible time you had! I’m so sorry that happened to you

[@UPAGuatemala]

😮​​@@VetMedCornerto clarify, my dog had bilateral excaps even thoug he is 50 lbs as I was living overseas and the TPLO was not being performed in my country. Both failed after a couple of years. I had them redone. One later failed a second time, and was repaired a third time, when he unfortunately developed a severe multi-drug resistant infection at the crimp site of the synthetic ligament. He ended up not tolerating the last antibiotic that the bacteria was susceptible to, and developed acute liver failure so we had to stop treatment. He underwent surgery to remove the suture/ligament and we waited, hoping his body would clear the infection once the focal point was gone (and hoping that his liver function would normalize). Thankfully it did, and the infection appeared to be gone when cultured. During this time I brought my dog to Canada to seek out a surgeon who could perform a TPLO. My surgeon was more comfortable removing the plate post TPLO just in case any viable bacteria remained in the joint. It was a complicated and scary time. But my dog has recovered far better than any of us could have expected. The TPLO is by far the superior surgical option in my experience (which I sincerely hope no one else ever has to go through)..

[@janhankins911]

Very interesting. I consider myself lucky that we've never had a dog with this injury.

[@VetMedCorner]

That's wonderful you've never had to deal with CCL disease! I'm happy for you and your dogs!!

[@jayden1996b]

Great video! ❤

[@VetMedCorner]

That's very kind - thank you ☺️

[@judithb4202]

Excellent video! This is a very useful resource

[@VetMedCorner]

Thank you! I'm so glad you found it useful! 🙌

[@judithb4202]

⁠I liked it so much, I watched it twice

[@VetMedCorner]

Oh wow! What a compliment ☺️

[@RogueTalent]

Thanks for the video. My 3.5 yo dog needed repair surgery earlier this year after a full rupture, but there was no way I could afford TPLO. (I really wish it had been possible.) However, her vet used the Paatsama method to correct it. I wish I'd known more about all of this beforehand, but now that my dog has had that injury, I see it mentioned everywhere and know what to look out for if her other stifle starts giving her trouble.

[@nsv674]

"Confirmation"? 01:27

[@VetMedCorner]

Thank you for asking! You've found a typo!! It should say *conformation

[@nsv674]

@@VetMedCornercool, what do I win? 😂 I will admit that I don't know what conformation means in this context.

[@VetMedCorner]

I've never been asked that before! Would you use one of these mugs if I sent you one? vetmedcorner.com/en-cad/products/vet-med-corner-mug If yes, feel free to email me ([e-mail]) with the color you want and where I should ship it to! I'm guessing that the editing software autocorrected because it's definitely not set up for veterinary/medical terminology! Conformation means the shape/structure of an animal. So, for example, if they have a very 'upright' stifle that would likely increase the risk of that dog having CCL disease compared to a dog with 'proper' stifle angulation.

[@nsv674]

@@VetMedCorner oh wow, I wasn't actually expecting anything. Not only would I use that, but I'd blast it all over social media, too. And thank you for the explanation. That makes sense now. I did search for it, but the results were garbage. I'm sending that email now. Thank you!

[@JasonDegge-k1m]

Thank you for this video. We have a 6 1/2 year old English bulldog that was running the fence line and tore her cruciate ligament. Our vet suggested just letting scar tissue to form as they are prone to complications from being under. What would you suggest? We have insurance for her and just want to do what’s best without taking unnecessary risks. Thank you.

[@VetMedCorner]

You should consult a veterinary orthopedic specialist and talk with them about it. As you learned, it's very unlikely that scar tissue will even form, and the longer the stifle remains unstable the faster/worse the arthritis will form. Additionally, it puts a lot of extra strain on the other leg and causes your dog significant pain... ETA yes, there can be additional risk for brachycephalic dogs but a lot of surgeons work with a veterinary anesthesiologist who can carefully tailor anesthesia to minimize the risk as much as possible.

[@jenniferreed8579]

Does chondroitin help at all in prevention or treatment?

[@VetMedCorner]

Prevention or treatment of what? CCL disease or the osteoarthritis formation after stifle instability?

[@jenniferreed8579]

@VetMedCorner both. I have a Staffordshire and worry about her hips and knees.

[@jenniferreed8579]

@VetMedCorner I'm really thinking prevention but she has a strain right now. She has been on restricted activity for 2 weeks which is what the vet recommended but I see a lot of places recommended 6 weeks.

[@VetMedCorner]

As you learned from the video, you need to consult a veterinary orthopedic specialist as even a partial tear leads to a decrease in stifle stabilization and the earlier the stifle gets properly addressed, the better the long term prognosis will be for your dog. Supplements won't do anything to prevent CCL disease, at *best* they *might* slow down arthritis formation a tiny amount. However, the evidence for that is so weak that I would only spend money on a supplement if you've already done *everything* else and still have budget that you want to spend.