Cruciate ligament rupture in dogs is a common joint disease. It is usually the anterior cruciate ligament that tears. For a cruciate ligament tear to occur, a so-called minor trauma is often sufficient. This includes, for example, making a wrong move while playing or stepping into a hole in the ground.
If the cruciate ligament is partially or completely torn, the knee joint becomes unstable. Osteoarthritis develops and the menisci are also affected. Inflammation develops in the knee joint. As a result, the joint capsule swells. This is a reaction of the body. It gives the knee joint more stability again. In addition to the main action in the knee joint, the rest of the body is also affected. Severe lameness promotes tension in overstressed areas such as the back muscles and shoulder muscles.
Cruciate ligament rupture in dogs – What are the symptoms?
- Cruciate ligament rupture in a dog has very typical signs
- In the first 1-3 days after the trauma the dog is very lame
- Many dogs often run only three-legged
- The knee is swollen and heated
- Then the situation seems to improve again
- The lameness becomes less
- Often dog owners then think that their dog has only represented itself
- When the dog loads more intensively again, the lameness worsens massively.
- Often the dogs step only with the tip of the toe or do not use the leg at all anymore
- The dog is in severe pain and stretching and bending the knee is therefore almost impossible
- In addition, he is very sensitive to touch on the knee
- When the quadruped sits down, it angles the leg stretched to the side and sits down at an angle
- This is because he can hardly bend the knee in the event of a tear or rupture
- The reason for this is the swelling in the joint and the pain.
If your dog is exhibiting one or more of these symptoms, I strongly recommend that you take him to your veterinarian. They indicate a cruciate ligament tear, but of course can also be a sign of other diseases in the knee joint.
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