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Can I Prevent an ACL Injury?Īs with any injury, you can’t completely prevent a CCL rupture or tear in your dog. Certain breeds are more at risk, too, including Staffordshire bull terriers, Rottweilers, Labrador retrievers, and Akitas. Large and giant breeds are frequently affected, as are obese dogs. What may start as a minor tear or hyperextension can lead to a complete rupture over time.Īll dogs can suffer from CCL injuries, but some pooches are more prone to knee problems than others. This gradual breakdown of the ligament can occur because of repeated injuries or degeneration. It’s hard to say for sure, but it seems Remy’s initial tear happened when some of my friends were playing flirt pole with a bit too much intensity and flicking the flirt pole too high in the air, causing Remy his initial leg injury which only worsened from there.
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Make sure to check it out if you’re considering ACL surgery for your dog! I’ve actually written an entire guide to my journey treating my own dog’s ACL injury, from diagnosis to surgery and recovery.
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Megan here! My own dog Remy now needs a double ACL surgery – due at least in part to some flirt pole play, along with the likelihood of a genetic predisposition. Injuries to the caudal cruciate ligament can share symptoms with CCL damage, too. In rare cases, both ligaments can be injured at the same time. The two ligaments cross over one another and allow the knee to function properly as a joint.Įssentially, the ligament prevents your dog’s knee from moving too far forward or backward.Ĭaudal cruciate ligament injuries, including tears and ruptures, can also happen in dogs, but they’re far less common than CCL issues due to the ligament’s position. Like the ACL in humans, this ligament connects your dog’s upper leg bone (femur) to his larger lower leg bone (tibia), along with the caudal cruciate ligament in the knee joint. While sometimes mistakenly referred to as the ACL, the proper name for the ligament is the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) when you’re talking about dogs. However, the both the ACL in humans and the CCL in dogs perform the same basic function. Things like anti-inflammatory medications, braces, and crate rest can help some dogs recover, but vets tend to evaluate ACL/CCL injuries on a case-by-case basis.