January 2013

My seven year old golden retriever, Yukon Jac, had to have surgery this week at our vet clinic here in Pickering Ontario to repair a ruptured cruciate ligament. I thought it would be a good time to explain the injury and to talk about the surgical procedure Yukon Jac had to repair the knee.

What and where are the cruciate ligaments?

Cruciate Ligament

The word cruciate means “to cross over” or “form a cross.” The cruciate ligaments are two bands of fibrous tissue located within each knee joint. They join the femur and tibia (the bones above and below the knee joint) together so that the knee works as a hinged joint. One of the important functions of the cruciate ligament is to prevent forward and backward sliding of the femur on the tibia bone. In dogs, the most common knee injury is a rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament.

Humans have a similar anatomical structure to the knee, but the ligaments are called the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments. Anterior cruciate ligament rupture is a common knee injury of athletes.

How does a cranial cruciate injury occur?

Acute or traumatic cruciate rupture is caused by a twisting injury to the knee joint. This occurs most often when the dog (or athlete) is running and suddenly changes direction. This places the majority of the body weight on the knee joint, and excessive rotational and shearing forces are placed on the cruciate ligaments. A cruciate ligament rupture is usually extremely painful and the knee joint becomes unstable, resulting in lameness.

Obese dogs appear to be more predisposed to developing a cruciate rupture. In these dogs, the injury may occur with minor trauma to the knee, such as stumbling over a rock while walking.

A more chronic form of cruciate damage can occur due to progressive weakening of the ligaments as a result of repeated trauma or arthritic disease. Initially, the ligament becomes stretched or partially torn and lameness may be only slight and intermittent. With continued use of the joint, the condition gradually gets worse until a complete rupture occurs.

There are various surgical techniques performed to stabilize the knee joint following cruciate rupture, but Dr. Wood used a relatively new technique called a TPLO procedure (Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy). In this procedure the tibial plateau, the portion of the adjoining the stifle, is cut and rotated (see x-ray below) so that its slope changes to approximately 5 degrees from the horizontal plane. This prevents the femur from sliding down the slope of the tibial plateau when the dog puts weight on its knee. A bone plate and screws are used to hold the repositioned tibial plateau in position until it heals (this usually takes 8-12 weeks). The plate and screws are usually permanent.

Yukon`s hind leg before the surgery

Yukon`s hind leg after surgery

Cutting the tibia may seem pretty invasive, but this procedure compared to other techniques results in

• a more rapid recovery
• better range of motion of the joint
• development of less arthritis
• return to athletic or working activity

There are photos of the actual surgery on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/AmberleaAH.

Hear I talked about the TPLO procedures, but there are a number of options to handle cruciate ligament injuries, so, as always talk to your veterinarian about the best treatment for your pet.

All the best, Dr. Fulop.

Source articles: Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy – TPLO, Dr. Daniel A. Degner, Board-certified Veterinary Surgeon (DACVS) and LifeLearn

Veterinarians Blog 2013
Amberlea Animal Hospital serving Durham, Pickering, Ajax, and Whitby, Scarborough, and the GTA

For many of us, the New Year is a time to start fresh. It’s the time when we set personal goals and make resolutions, but don’t forget about our companion animals. Have you ever considered making a New Year’s Resolution for them? There are many ways that you and your pet can help each other make 2013 one of the best years yet.

Here are some suggestions for your pet’s New Year’s Resolutions.

1.  Exercising regularly is good for our physical and mental health. These benefits extend to your pet(s) as well. If you normally walk your dog a few minutes a day try to increase that by 5 minutes weekly until you are walking at least 30-45 minutes a day, unless you have an older dog like my Charley Girl, who has joint issues. For older pets, take them on more frequent shorter walks. For Charley, she gets 2-3 shorter 10 minute walks during the day. The important thing is to get them out to enjoy the outdoors – even if it is for a good sniff! A dog that gets appropriate exercise has fewer behavioural issues and will “act out” less.
Many cats enjoy strolls outside on special cat harnesses and leashes. Spend time playing with your cat – they love the attention and can benefit from the exercise as well. Remember our pets count on us to provide them with exercise and enrichment.

Wynne's (our Client Care Rep) dog Sam playing in the snow.

2. Eating smart is good for us and also for our pets. Invest in the best food you can for your pet. Whether you are feeding a store- bought brand or home-made, pet food options have increased in recent years. Foods can be tailored towards dietary needs, activity level and your pet’s age. Talk with your veterinarian or veterinary staff member about your concerns. Good food can help your pet with weight loss as well as improve his or her health. I’ll only give my dogs healthy pet treats and definitely avoid the following list of “bad foods”:  chocolate and cocoa, sugarless gum and candy containing xylitol, leftover fatty meat scraps, yeast bread dough and fruit cake. Particularly dangerous, fruit cake often contains raisins and currants, which can result in kidney failure if ingested by a dog. Some fruitcakes are also soaked in rum, resulting in alcohol poisoning; when ingested by a dog or cat, it can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature, potentially leading to seizures and respiratory failure. As I have said before, thank goodness I am not a dog – and I still have 9lbs of chocolate to eat.  Any volunteers?

3. Take your pet to your veterinarian at least once yearly or for those pets over the age of 7, at least twice yearly. Pets may not require vaccinations every year but they do require at least yearly examinations. “Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. Crisp apple strudels and schnitzel with noodles” – these may be a few of my favourite things BUT heartworm, intestinal parasites, fleas and ticks – these are a few of Yukon and Charley’s least favourite things. I resolve to ensure that they get their preventive medication on time every month!!

Dr. Fulop at home with Amber.

4. We all know that life gets busy, and the New Year is a time to reflect on what is truly important in our lives and how we choose to use our time – like spending more time with loved ones. Getting home from work sooner allows us to spend more time with our pets and this has been shown to lower stress and increase overall happiness. I resolve to spend more time with family and friends – including my pets, so that I can treasure special moments and memories.

I love my pets so much that I want them around as long as possible. If you are like me, then we all need to start 2013 with firm resolutions to provide the best pet care we can, because your pet deserves nothing less.