My dog has cruciate damage. What else can I do to avoid surgery?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 3 years and 7 months old | 73 lbs
Vet suspects mild cruciate ligament damage in both hind legs. Suggested mobility diet & cosequin supplements. I switched to Science Diet Mobility & give cosequin daily per instructions on bottle. Also give Science Diet Flexi Stix Jerky with glucosamine & chondroitin, Zuke's Mobility Chews, & Pet Botanics Omega Plus treats. Also feeding Milkbone Brushing Chews. Anything else I could be doing? I asked about specific exercises but vet didn't give any. Would like to avoid surgery if possible.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on August 30th, 2017
Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like you are doing everything you can right now in terms of supplements and joint support which is good. Since it is both her back legs, and she is a large dog, and she is young, getting surgery on at least one leg is a good idea for her quality of life long term. The alternative however is medical management which includes everything you are doing, PLUS weight loss to keep her on the skinny side PLUS getting that muscle mass up. Since her joints are unstable and cannot tolerate a lot of stress, running and walking may cause more damage, therefore swimming is the best option for her. If you can get her muscle mass up with lots of swimming, and keep her weight lean, you might be able to get her joints more support. As mentioned previously, think about getting surgery on at least one leg. Best of luck with Mania!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on August 16th, 2017
I'm sorry Rookie has so many problems at the moment! Talk to your vet to see if they feel she needs to lose weight, as keeping a healthy weight is important for her joints. I would recommend getting surgery for her ruptured cranial crucial ligament (that's how it's referred to in animals, ACL is humans). Studies have shown that medical management isn't effective for large dogs, and surgery is the recommended treatment to bring them back to full function or as close to it as possible. You can help her lose weight if needed by following your vet's diet recommendations, and finding out of there are any places near where you live that do hydrotherapy for dogs. The swimming will help her build muscles in a low impact way, and the warm water will be soothing for her joints. Acupuncture may help as well, and you can see if there is a veterinarian who is certified in acupuncture in your area. First step is the surgery. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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