Cruciate Repairs in Dogs and Cats

Let’s get your pet back to to enjoying the most out of life!

Cruciate injuries are the most common orthopedic injury in dogs and if your pet suddenly starts limping or holding up a back leg, it could be a sign. The cruciate ligament in your pet’s knee helps stabilize the joint, and when it tears—often due to a twist from running or jumping—it can be very painful.

If left untreated, cruciate injuries can lead to more serious issues like meniscal tears or kneecap problems and in all cases will lead to arthritis. That’s why it’s so important to get your pet checked right away. Early treatment, including surgery, can help your pet recover fully and return to their usual activities.

At Eastwood Veterinary Hospital, our experienced surgeon, Dr. Michael Stephen, performs both Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy (TPLO’s) or the Lateral Sutures technique (nylon implants). He’ll help choose the best option based on your pet’s needs, age, and size to ensure the best outcome.

With the right care, most pets recover well and get back to enjoying their favourite activities. If you suspect a cruciate injury, don’t wait—contact us today to help your dog get back on their feet!

TPLO Cruciate Repairs

$4800
  • We guarantee surgery within 7 days
  • Price includes: TPLO surgery and post op radiographs on the day of surgery
  • PLUS the first 4 post-operaative checks at which time we give a course of zydax injections to promote long term joint health
  • Please note: any complications experienced will incur additional costs that would be discussed with you at the time.
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Cruciate Surgery Explained

Our experienced surgeons will discuss the options, costs and pro’s and con’s with you. We generally recommend the options of Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomies (TPLO’s) for dogs above 8kg and lateral sutures (nylon implants) for smaller dogs and cats.

We know that different breeds have different risk profiles for cruciate injuries. This is mainly based on their anatomy and the angle of the average angle of the joint in each particular breed. Some of the common breeds for cruciate rupture in dogs include:

  • Large breeds: German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Huskies, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Great Danes, Malamutes, Standard Poodles,
  • Medium breeds: Cocker Spaniels, Kelpies, Border Collies, Blue Heelers,
  • Small breeds: Cavoodles, Poodles, French Bulldogs

The cruciate ligament is the main ligament within the stifle (knee) joint of dogs. It’s job is to firmly hold the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) in place during the knee’s normal range of movement.  Cruciate injuries are normally due to a mix of weakness in this cruciate ligament over time that then suddenly gives way, often with a twisting motion like chasing a ball or jumping. The subsequent tear in the ligament can either be a partial or a full tear but either way the damage is irreversible.

We know statistically that 50% of dogs that tear one cruciate ligament will tear the other cruciate ligament within 2 years. For that reason, getting the best possible surgical outcome and monitoring weight closely will give us the best chance for a great outcome long term.

Prior to performing cruciate surgery, we require x-rays of your dog or cat’s knees and hips. We use these x-rays to:

  • confirm the torn cruciate diagnosis
  • assess your pet’s anatomy to help guide the appropriate procedure for cruciate repair is taken as it is somewhat dependent on each pet’s individual anatomy
  • measure up implants prior to surgery
  • assess the underlying health of the knee and hip joints to give you the most accurate outcome following surgery

X-rays are taken under sedation or anaesthetic and can be performed by us at an additional cost on a day prior to surgery or by a referring veterinarian but are mandatory prior to surgery.

At Eastwood Veterinary Hospital, our experienced surgeon Dr Michael Stephen is trained to perform Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy’s (TPLO’s) in medium and large breed dogs and lateral sutures (nylon implants) in small dogs and cats. We select the surgical procedure based on your pet’s anatomy, size and age with the aim to get the best outcome possible for you and your fur child. You’re in good hands!

Rest and exercise moderation is a key factor for dogs recovering from cruciate surgery and we will guide you throughout the recovery period.

The first 10-14 days include strict cage rest, where the only time your dog comes out of the pen is to go to the toilet (always on lead so they can’t make sudden running movements). We also ask you to ice the surgical site for the first few days post-operatively and then once the swelling has reduce we ask you to start with passive range of motion exercises.

From the 2-6 week period your dog will still need to be strictly cage-rested, however we now get you taking them on increasingly longer on-lead walks. These will increase by 5-10 minutes each week, so that a couple of months after surgery they should be tolerating 30 minute walks well.

At 8-12 weeks we recommend repeating x-rays of your dog’s knee to ensure healing is on track and so that we can instruct you to continue to increase exercise intensity and frequency with confidence. After 4 months of healing your dog should be ready to run around again and go back to a full and fun life!

Every surgical procedure has potential complications and worldwide studies show that there is a 10-20% complication rate in TPLO’s. For this reason we make our selection of which procedure to use based on your particular dog’s anatomy, temperament and age.

The complications range from haemorrhage at the time of surgery, to minor infections at the surgical incision, meniscal injuries following surgery, loosening of the screws, movement of the plates, infection of the implants or fractures  of the shin bone from the implants. Although some complications require further intervention and cost, we always work with you to get the best outcome possible for your pet.

We take anaesthetic monitoring extremely seriously and are proud to offer the highest level of monitoring care for you pet.

We go above and beyond the accepted standards to include:

  1. monitoring of oxygen levels via an spO2 probe (called pulse oximetry)
  2. a continuous ECG trace to track the heart’s rhythm throughout surgery;
  3. blood pressure monitoring – this is the key to a successful recovery;
  4. carbon dioxide monitoring to ensure the lungs are able to blow off all harmful gases;
  5. patients are warmed with a ‘bare hugger‘ to prevent deleterious cooling;
  6. all patients receive intravenous fluids to ensure hydration remains perfect;
  7. we use the most modern anaesthetic machines and drug protocols.

Patient comfort is also key and again we go above and beyond! We ensure all patients are kept as comfortable as possible with a combination of local anaesthetic pain relief, opioid pain relief and anti-inflammatory pain relief.

Gap Only Payments Available!

We work directly with most insurance companies so that you only have to pay the gap for any hospital treatment or surgery. Sorted!

Gap only treatment available at Macquarie Veterinary Hospital in North Ryde