Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)

dog jumping

The rupture of the cruciate ligament is the most common knee injury in the dog.

This injury has two common presentations. One is the young athletic dog playing roughly who acutely ruptures the ligament and is non-weight bearing on the affected hind leg. The second presentation is the older, overweight dog with weakened or partially torn ligaments that rupture with a slight misstep. In this patient the lameness may be acute or there may be more subtle chronic lameness related to prolonged joint instability.

Your veterinarian will perform an orthopedic exam and take radiographs (x-rays) in order to diagnose this injury. The orthopedic exam involves an analysis of the gait, examination of the joint for swelling and/or pain and the presence of "drawer movement" (the presence of forward instability of the knee joint). Sedation is often required to do an adequate evaluation of the knee, especially in large dogs. Sedation prevents the pet from tensing the muscles and temporarily stabilizing the joint and preventing the demonstration of the drawer sign. Radiographs confirm inflammatory changes in the joint and establish the level of osteoarthritic changes present.

Surgical repair is recommended in most cases to stabilize the joint and prevent further osteoarthritic changes secondary to the joint instability. There are three primary types of surgical repair: intracapsular, extracapsular, and tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). The type of surgical repair will be determined by the size, age and activity level of the pet as well as the degree of osteoarthritis already present in the joint. The recovery time and recommendation for physical therapy will depend on the type of surgical repair performed.

Location

Find us on the map

Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

8:00 am-5:30 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:30 pm

Wednesday:

11:00 am-5:30 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-5:30 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-5:30 pm

Saturday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonials

Read What Our Clients Say

  • "They came highly recommended by my aunt and she was right. Very kind, gentle with my old fella and compassionate about our situation. Very helpful and fairly priced"
    James Woodruff
  • "Great place to take your pets. Dr. Karl is fantastic! I highly recommend Free Home Animal Hospital"
    Carol Wade
  • "Freehome Animal Hospital is the B-E-S-T! They are so professional and friendly. The hospital is super clean and Dr. Karl is a stellar veterinarian. I can't say enough about this animal hospital. I am very picky about my dog and wouldn't take her anywhere else. I travel 30 minutes to go to this vet."
    Laura Cegala
  • "We brought our precious Golden Doodle to Free Home when she had a mysterious illness of being lethargic and was not eating. The doctor and the entire team where fantastic - they provided a tremendous amount of love and caring for our Bella as well as compassion for me with my worries. Although the cause was out of the ordinary, they were able to identify the problem and within days, our little girl was back to herself.

    The price was fair, the service fantastic and the outcome perfect. We will not go anywhere else now even though we live in Alpharetta and this is out of our way."
    Mark Goodman
  • "This is the best animal clinic I have ever taken my dog to. I love the staff and vet. They truly loves animals! Reasonable prices too."
    Mallory Smith