Which dogs are particularly affected?

In principle, cruciate ligament ruptures can occur in any dog. However, some breeds have a genetic predisposition for cruciate ligament ruptures and are therefore affected more frequently than others. These breeds include:

• rottweiler
• Newfoundland
• Golden Retriever
• Labrador Retriever
• boxer
• Staffordshire Terrier
• West Highland Terrier
• Dobermans

What happens if a dog with a torn cruciate ligament is not operated on?

Without surgery, there is always a risk that a cruciate ligament rupture will result in the dog no longer being able to perform well and suffering premature death. Osteoarthritis It develops. It cannot be cured and is associated with severe pain. For this reason, and because dogs' anatomy places great forces on their cruciate ligaments, most veterinarians advise against conservative treatment of a cruciate ligament rupture in dogs.

So there really is no alternative to surgery.

The healing time without surgery is difficult to define, as often there is no talk of healing, the knee remains permanently unstable and osteoarthritis only develops later.

Is it only the cruciate ligament? touched up, It may be worthwhile to wait and not have the dog operated on yet. Small breeds and light dogs They have the best chance of recovering from a cruciate ligament tear without surgery. The goal of treatment is then to repair the knee by Physiotherapy, Quiet and Dietary change to relieve the dog as much as possible and to enable it to live a pain-free life through medication.

With or without surgery It is important for the dog to feel to move regularly, Strong muscles stabilize and support the injured joint. A canine physiotherapist, who can restore both strength and mobility through targeted training, can also be helpful in this case. The dog owner should also ensure that the dog is not overweight – the less weight the damaged joint has to bear, the better.