Canine knee injury is the cause of 85% of all lameness in dogs. There are three common causes of canine knee problems: arthritis, CCL, and a luxating patella.
Signs of Your Dog Has a Bad Knee
- Intermittent limping
- Sudden intermittent loss of support in the rear legs
- Sitting in an abnormal position
- Not bearing weight on a hind leg
- Lameness
- Trouble rising from a sitting position or lying position
- Suddenly less active
- Constant licking
- Swelling or thickening of the knee
While some dog knee problems are minor and will heal naturally, watch your pup carefully if he or she exhibits any of the above symptoms. If they last, seek the guidance of a veterinarian to diagnose the problem and discuss treatment options.
3 Common Knee Conditions in Dogs
Luxating Patella
The knee joint connects the femur, (thighbone) and the tibia (shinbone). The patella (kneecap) is normally located in a groove called the trochlear groove, found at the end of the femur. The term luxating means out of place or dislocated. Therefore, a luxating patella is a kneecap that 'pops out' or moves out of its normal location.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a stiffness in the joint. Just like people, dogs can suffer from arthritis. Older dogs and larger dogs are especially at risk. Osteoarthritis, a dog arthritis condition also referred to as Degenerative Joint Disease, is a progressively worsening inflammation of the joint caused by the deterioration of cartilage. Arthritis will also occur at the site of any knee surgery as the dog ages and at the site of a torn ACL that hasn’t been treated by surgery
Torn CCL/ACL
The word cruciate means 'to cross over' or 'form a cross'. The cruciate ligaments are two bands of fibrous tissue located within each stifle (knee) joint. They join the femur and tibia (the bones above and below the knee joint) together so that the knee works as a stable, hinged joint.
One ligament runs from the inside to the outside of the knee joint and the other from the outside to the inside, crossing over each other in the middle. In dogs and cats, the ligaments are called the cranial and caudal cruciate ligament. In dogs, the most common knee injury is a rupture or tear of the cranial cruciate ligament.
Products for Torn ACL
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