Canine Total Knee Replacement: Veterinary Highlights

A total knee replacement is an invasive surgery that comes with serious risks. It can, however, be a life-saving procedure for dogs with a bad knee that doesn’t respond to other treatments.

Do keep in mind there is the potential for serious complications including:

  • ligament damage
  • joint dislocation
  • prostheses issues
  • implant infections

Further information: Total Knee Replacement Surgery

Canine Total Knee Replacement: Veterinary Highlights

It is amazing what veterinary medicine can do these days. But just because one can do something, it doesn’t mean they should. I would want to exhaust all other options before considering such a dramatic intervention in my dog’s body. That doesn’t mean I cannot be amazed by the strides veterinary medicine is taking.

This procedure is still relatively in a cradle, but there are specialty hospitals that perform it. It is, of course, a major procedure only suited for dogs with severe problems where other treatments failed.

Case studies

Cornell University

Cornell University’s first total knee replacement was done in 2011 on a young Chocolate Lab, Jake, who ran in front of a truck and fractured his knee. At the time the dog came to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, Jake’s knee was in such bad shape they were looking at likely amputation.

College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida

College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida has performed their first total knee replacement earlier that year.

Mica, a nine-year-old Labrador Retriever, was suffered an injury at a young age. Both her anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments were severely damaged and cartilage almost completely warns away. Mica was suffering from severe osteoarthritis and was in a lot of pain.

After her surgery, Mica underwent extensive rehabilitation and is now doing great also.

Source article:
First canine total knee replacement at University of Florida a success

Related articles:
Talk to Me about Arthritis

Further reading:
Canine Total Knee Replacement
Small Animal Orthopedic Surgery

Categories: Canine total knee replacement (TKR) • Joint issues • Knee issues

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer, dog health advocate, writer, and author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Countless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that merely seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to get a diagnosis. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners. What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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