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My small dog tore her ACL. Will she get arthritis without surgery?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 8 years and 2 months old | 15.5 lbs

I have a small dog (cairnoodle) that is 8 years old and 15.5 lbs. She is in great shape but just got a tear in her ACL. I've gone to two vets and one suggested surgery and another said not to because of her size. If keeping her sedentary for a few weeks doesn't work I'll obviously get surgery but how high are the chances of getting arthritis and how long could that take? I'm mostly concerned about her long term well being. I plan on having her live for a long time.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on January 5th, 2018

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this with Sookie. If Sookie's cruciate ligament is completely torn, surgery is the best option for stabilizing the joint and developing less arthritis as she ages. Without surgery, the knee will scar and Sookie will walk on it again, but Sookie will develop more arthritis in the joint than if she has surgery. Small dogs often do "OK" without surgery, but do develop more arthritis in that joint than if they have surgery. Arthritis actually starts developing almost immediately after a cruciate injury, so it is a concern. Since Sookie is 8, I suspect the surgery will provide her the best quality of life for a long time with the least amount of arthritis. Here is more information on cruciate disease. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1975 Finally, if you decide to avoid surgery or would like to get another opinion, I would recommend trying to find a rehabilitation veterinarian to help you with your decision and possibly recovery after surgery. http://www.caninerehabinstitute.com/Find_A_Therapist.html Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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