Is cranial cruciate ligament surgery always necessary?

For dogs weighing less than 15kg, cranial cruciate disease can be managed conservatively – weight loss until an appropriate Body Condition Score (BCS) is achieved, exercise restriction for 3 to 6 weeks, and possibly physical therapy and pain medication – allowing acceptable comfort and function.

In dogs weighing more than 15kg, cruciate disease will eventually cause significant arthritis, and dysfunction is inevitable without surgical treatment.

No single surgical technique is clearly superior, so the choice of surgical repair should be decided by the surgeon and the needs of the owner.