Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Medical treatment can help cats with cranial cruciate ligament disease
By Stoneburner, Regan M et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2022·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Conservative nonsurgical treatment for cranial cruciate ligament disease can be an effective management strategy in cats based on validated owner-based subjective assessment in some cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old domestic shorthair cat was diagnosed with cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD) and managed with medication instead of surgery. The treatment included pain relief medications, limiting activity, and joint supplements. Within a week, most cats were able to bear weight, and many showed significant improvement within three months, with 94% of owners reporting good to excellent outcomes. This suggests that for some cats, conservative treatment can be effective in managing CCLD without the need for surgery.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe long-term outcomes of cats managed medically for cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCLD) via a validated owner-based questionnaire. ANIMALS: 18 client-owned cats. PROCEDURES: Retrospective review of medical records at 2 tertiary referral hospitals was conducted for records of cats diagnosed with CCLD for which medical management was pursued. History, physical examination findings, and medical management strategies were recorded. Owner follow-up was obtained via phone call or an email correspondence interview using a 2-part questionnaire. Part 1 consisted of 5 multiple-choice questions evaluating short-term outcomes following initiation of medical management. Part 2 assessed long-term outcomes via the validated Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index-short form metrology instrument. RESULTS: Mean follow-up time was 66.5 ± 46.7 months (range, 7 to 154 months). Medical management included oral analgesics, activity restriction, and joint supplements. Of the 18 cats, 13 (72%) were always able to bear weight or became weight bearing within a week following initiation of medical management, and 15 (83%) were reportedly clinically normal within 3 months of initiating medical management, with complete resolution of lameness occurring in less than 2 months in 12 of those cats. Long term, 17 of the 18 (94%) owners reported they felt that their cat had a good to excellent outcome with medical management. The mean Feline Musculoskeletal Pain Index-short form score of all cats was 0.29 ± 0.53 (range, 0 to 2.13). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Based on owner follow-up, conservative, nonsurgical management of CCLD can be an effective and appropriate management strategy for some cats; however, some may be best treated with surgical stabilization.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35905162/