By: Kaitlyn Lackey DC cAVCA
Published: July 5, 2024
Similar to an ACL tear in humans, CCL tears occur to a weakening of the ligaments within the knee. When the CCL ligament is torn or breaks down, it creates instability in the knee joint. Over time, this instability will lead to painful inflammation and erosion of the knee joint.
In addition to traditional veterinary medicine, you might consider exploring complementary means of helping your dog be more comfortable. Complementary is an umbrella term that could include different modalities or treatments, such as: animal chiropractic, canine massage, rehabilitation, red light therapy, and more.
Animal chiropractic care involves identifying and correcting areas of improper motion in your pet's joints. Through restoring proper joint motion, an adjustment can reduce painful muscular compensation, reduce strain to ligaments, and can aid in promoting proper nerve signaling between the body and brain.
When it comes to your canine companion- animal chiropractic can help to decrease discomfort, manage symptoms, and help slow down the wear and tear on your pet's joints.
What are symptoms of a CCL tear?
👉🏻 Cranial cruciate disease (ie: CCL tear) can occur in any size dog, but is more likely to occur in larger breeds.
Symptoms of a CCL tear vary based upon if the problem started suddenly or gradually over time.
The most common indicator is a sudden 3 legged lameness that does not improve with rest or pain medication. There may also be swelling at the joint, sloppy sitting, and a reluctance to use the affected hindlimb.
Please schedule a visit with your vet to have your animal evaluated for this condition if you suspect your animal may be dealing with this condition!
What is a CCL tear? Why does it happen?
👉🏻 CCL disease can occur all of the sudden due to a trauma or gradually over time.
One of the most common mechanism of a CCL tear includes a sudden deceleration coupled with a turning motion (ie: chasing after squirrels.)
Similar to an ACL tear in humans, this condition causes a weakening of the ligaments within the knee. When the CCL ligament is torn or breaks down, it creates instability in the knee joint.
Over time, this instability will cause repeated slippage of the tibia forward which will lead to painful inflammation and erosion of the knee joint.
The knee joint is in a capsule, therefore has poor blood supply. A fully ruptured ligament is not likely to heal on its own.
👉🏻 There are known factors that can put your dog at risk for this condition.
Common risk factors for CCL problems can include:
Early spay or neutering (due to lack of developmental hormones)
Obesity
Lack of proper conditioning
Poor conformation
Pre-existing knee problem on the other side
Did you know that a dog with a CCL injury is more than 50% likely to tear the other side?
Should your dog be at risk, getting your dog adjusted prophylactically can help to reduce stress on the knee joints and aid in maximizing comfort and prevent further joint breakdown.
Should your dog already have a tear, it is a great idea to get under palliative care as well to prevent further wear on the opposite sided limb, as often dogs will compensate and tear the other side within 6-8 months.
Will animal chiropractic care help my dog with a CCL tear?
👉🏻 The "success" of animal chiropractic care can vary depending on the severity of the problem, the length of time a pet has been struggling with a complaint, and the quality of the provider.
Please visit a veterinarian if you suspect your pet may have this condition / to get a diagnosis of how severe the problem may be.
The greater the severity, the less possibility of response to conservative management. If you believe your pet may be suffering with a CCL tear, it is important to talk to your vet and consider pursuing diagnostics (such as xrays) prior to getting your pet adjusted.
Ongoing animal chiropractic care can help to improve alignment of your pet's anatomy to improve their knee tracking and prevent further wear and tear. It's also important to not only address the knees, but particularly other compensatory areas such as the pelvis, hips, and lower back due to chronic limp or lameness problems caused by your pet's knee pain.
It's important that when choosing care for your animal that you do your research. Not all providers are created equally!
When choosing an animal chiropractor, be sure to choose a TRAINED PROFESSIONAL.
Only veterinarians or chiropractors are eligible to undergo post graduate education in animal chiropractic. Upon completion of the coursework, these individuals may also prove proficiency via examination such as the tests offered by the American veterinary Chiropractic Association (AVCA) or International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA).
Common vernacular or abbreviations include:
Certified animal chiropractor (CAC)
Certified in veterinary chiropractic (CVC)
Certified in veterinary spinal manipulative therapy (CVSMT)
Certified AVCA or IVCA (cAVCA, cIVCA)
A licensed, trained, and certified provider is going to be the most responsible choice when moving forward with animal chiropractic care.
You should avoid the following:
provider does not do a thorough evaluation
provider does not evaluate pre AND post treatment
provider uses excessive force and/or theatrics during treatment
pet is excessively uncomfortable or painful during treatment
provider cannot answer your questions about what they are doing
provider continues to treat without any signs of measurable improvement
provider cannot answer where they received training, their license #, or if they have insurance
It is advisable that you seek animal chiropractic care in supplement to your existing vet care.
Numerous conditions and unexplained symptoms can often be improved with animal chiropractic treatment, however, a primary care veterinarian should always be involved and routinely monitoring your animal for signs of degrading health status so that further diagnostics and/or interventions can be explored if necessary.
Across the United States there are different rules and laws about animal chiropractic care. In a select few states pets can see an animal chiropractor without first consulting a veterinarian... whereas in many other states an animal chiropractor may require a written referral or direct veterinary supervision. Please be mindful of this as it could delay your pet's accessibility to an appointment should they immediately be in need.
In Summary
It's important to remember that CCL disease is a common issue amongst large breed dogs. There are known risk factors that can be avoided and also key indicators and symptoms that your pet may be struggling.
Animal chiropractic can be a valuable complementary treatment to help promote better alignment and reduce painful compensation due to inevitable gait changes that may occur should your pet sustain a tear. Chiropractic should NOT replace but rather complement your current veterinary care.
It's important to choose a properly trained and certified animal chiropractic provider in order to achieve the best outcome for your pet. I hope you consider adding an animal chiropractor to your animal's health care team! You can find a provider near you at animalchiropractic.org
Interested in getting your pet started with us?
About the author
Kaitlyn Lackey DC cAVCA
Many people don’t know that I’ve sustained 3 very serious head injuries due to horseback riding.
When I sought medical treatment for these injuries, traditional medicine "failed me."
I'm very fortunate to have found chiropractic. Getting adjusted gave me my life back after I was struggling every day with dehabilitating migraines.
After seeing what it did for me, I thought: why isn’t this available to animals, too?
I decided against vet school and instead pursued chiropractic education. I graduated Parker University in April of 2017 with 2 Bachelors and my Doctorate then later received my AVCA certification in June of 2017.
I practiced for 2 years on humans and then shifted my focus to offering chiropractic care for animals full time in 2019. I now travel across North Dallas offering care to all sorts of animals.
I continue to do all that I can to practice evidence informed and patient centric chiropractic care to guarantee that my clients receive the best results.
DISCLAIMER
We operate in full compliance with all laws and regulations. Our services are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any specific illness or condition and should only be used as a complement to routine veterinary and/or medical care. Chiropractic may provide support and encourage the body into its most optimal state of health. The content provided herein is informational only and is not to be construed as medical or veterinary advice.
I want to let you know you came to the right place for complementary options for your pet! When choosing chiropractic for your pet, choose someone licensed, trained, and certified.