Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Management of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in small dogs: a questionnaire study.
- Journal:
- Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Comerford, E et al.
- Affiliation:
- Institute of Ageing and Chronic disease and School of Veterinary Science · United Kingdom
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Veterinarians were surveyed about how they treat small dogs, those weighing less than 15 kg, with a torn cranial cruciate ligament, which is a common knee injury. Most vets prefer to manage the injury without surgery, focusing on pain relief with medications, encouraging short walks, helping the dog lose weight, and sometimes using hydrotherapy or physiotherapy. Only a small percentage of vets choose immediate surgery, and when they do, many prefer to perform the procedure themselves rather than refer the dog to another clinic. Overall, the findings show that many vets still rely on non-surgical treatments for this condition in small dogs.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To survey the current management of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in small dogs (<15 kg) by veterinarians. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to veterinarians attending the British Veterinary Orthopaedic Association Spring meeting and British Small Animal Veterinary Association Annual Congress which took place in April 2010. Respondents were surveyed on their management of small dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. RESULTS: Immediate surgical management was chosen by 15.5% of the respondents. Following that, 77.6% of respondents suggested that case management would depend on severity of lameness (81%), age (72.6%), bodyweight (70.4%), degree of instability (64.8%), and duration of lameness (64.0%). Conservative management included non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (91.1%), short leash walks (91.1%), weight loss (89.0%), hydrotherapy (53.6%), physiotherapy (41.9%), and cage rest (24.2%). Where surgical management was chosen, 71.4% would perform the procedure rather than refer it to another practice. Surgical techniques included extra-capsular stabilisation (63.4%), corrective osteotomies (32.9%), and intra-articular stabilisation (6.8%). The demographic characteristics of the responding veterinarians had no effect on their initial management of the case. General practice veterinarians were less likely to perform a corrective osteotomy than to refer the case, but were no less likely to perform an extracapsular technique. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Conservative management is still widely used for treatment of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs weighing less than 15 kg; this is in agreement with previous publications on the management of this condition in small dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24008348/