Why does my dog need surgery for a ruptured cruciate?

In dogs, the cranial cruciate ligament is the ligament in the knee that stabilises the knee in a forward motion. Rupturing or tearing of the cruciate ligament can make your dog’s knee very unstable and is a painful condition. With increased instability, comes abnormal joint loading, tearing of menisci (cartilages) and this can quickly lead to early onset of degenerative joint disease or arthritis. The surgery we perform here at Eltham Veterinary Practice can stabilise your dog’s knee, reducing the progression of degenerative joint disease and maintaining your pet’s joint health.