Much like human athletes injuring their ACL joint, our canine friends can also damage the ligament in their knee, known as the cruciate ligament. The partial or full tear of this ligament is actually one of the most common orthopaedic injuries we see in veterinary practice.

Signs of a cruciate ligament injury include:

• Limping on a back leg.
• Difficulty rising or lowering into a sitting position.
• Trouble jumping into the car or onto the lounge.
• Decreased activity or unwillingness to play.
• Decreased muscle mass in the affected leg.

Usually, surgery is the best option to treat a cruciate ligament injury. This is most commonly done at a specialist veterinary centre. But did you know Caring Vets’ own Dr Kate Cox has a special interest in orthopaedic surgery and has completed extra training in this area? Dr Kate has successfully conducted many, many cruciate ligament surgeries, using different surgical techniques depending on the patient’s specific requirements.

In-house cruciate ligament surgery is something we are very proud to offer to our clients, allowing them to have an advanced surgery done at the comfort of a familiar clinic close to home, and at less of a cost than a specialist centre.

If you think your pet may have a cruciate injury, please call the clinic on 4647 6321 to book an initial consultation with Dr Kate.