Understanding your dog's health
The ligament that keeps your dog's knee stable — how it tears, the signs to watch for, and how we support recovery alongside your vet.
The basics
The cruciate ligament is a strong band of tissue inside the stifle joint — your dog's knee.
Its job is to keep the joint stable: it stops the tibia (shin bone) sliding forwards and helps control how the knee moves. Every time your dog pushes off, that ligament is holding the joint together.
The most common injury is to the cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) — the equivalent of the ACL in people. A partial tear can develop gradually over time, while a complete tear can happen suddenly.
Inside the knee
Two kinds of tear
Part of the ligament has torn, but some fibres remain. The knee is unstable — but not completely. Signs tend to come and go: intermittent limping that worsens after running or playing, difficulty getting up after resting, stiffness in the affected hind leg, and subtle swelling around the knee.
A complete tear often happens suddenly. Your dog may limp on a back leg, hold the leg off the ground or bunny-hop, become reluctant to jump, run or climb stairs, show pain when the leg is touched, and have visible swelling around the knee. Behaviour often changes too — grouchy, lethargic, not wanting to play.
Beware the "false recovery". With a partial tear, many dogs appear to improve — then go lame again weeks or months later. Partial tears commonly progress to complete tears over time, so an improvement isn't proof the knee has healed. Please still see your vet for a full diagnosis.
One sign worth knowing. Dogs with a cruciate injury often sit in an unusual position — with the affected leg sticking out to the side rather than tucked neatly underneath. It's one of the most recognisable tells.
When to see a vet
Treatment routes
Which route suits your dog depends on the tear, their size and their lifestyle — that's your vet's call.
Rest and controlled movement to give the joint the best chance to settle.
Reducing the load the knee has to carry makes a real difference.
Prescribed by your vet to manage pain and inflammation.
Physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, myotherapy and Class IV laser treatment to support comfort and function.
Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy — the angle of the top of the tibia is changed so the knee no longer relies on the ligament for stability.
Tibial Tuberosity Advancement — the front of the tibia is repositioned to stabilise the joint as your dog moves.
A strong suture outside the joint takes over the ligament's stabilising role. Often used in smaller dogs.
To be clear: surgery is carried out by your vet or a veterinary surgeon — it isn't something we provide. These summaries are here so the options your vet discusses make a little more sense.
How we can help
Gentle therapy can form part of conservative management or — very commonly — post-operative rehabilitation:
A recognised part of post-operative pain management: reduces pain, decreases inflammation and swelling, increases cellular metabolism and blood flow to aid recovery, and improves mobility.
Explore laser therapyMonths of favouring one hind leg builds tension elsewhere. Hands-on work eases that compensatory strain through the back, hips and opposite leg.
Explore myotherapyOnce your vet is happy, staged exercises rebuild strength, balance and confidence in the affected leg.
Read the guideA note on this guide. It's for general education and isn't a diagnosis. Our therapies complement veterinary treatment rather than replacing it, and we can work alongside your vet if required. Surgery, medication and hydrotherapy are part of a vet's plan, not services we provide.
Where this is offered. Post-operative cruciate work needs a calm, familiar room and a floor your dog is not slipping on, so I bring it to you. The area covered runs from Estepona through La Duquesa to Sotogrande, and travel within 15 km of La Duquesa is included.
Common questions
A strong band of tissue inside the stifle joint — your dog's knee. It keeps the joint stable, stopping the tibia sliding forwards and controlling how the knee moves. Every time your dog pushes off, that ligament is holding the joint together.
A partial tear can develop gradually over time, while a complete tear can happen suddenly. The most commonly injured is the cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL), the equivalent of the ACL in people.
The joint loses its stability: the tibia slides forwards and the femur slides back. That movement crushes the meniscus and damages the joint cartilage, which is why a cruciate injury tends to affect more than the ligament alone.
Gentle therapy supports recovery alongside your vet's care and any surgery they have carried out. Treatment happens at home, which suits a dog who is on restricted exercise and should not be travelling to appointments.
If your vet is happy for your dog to start rehabilitation, I'd love to help — gently, at your dog's own pace.
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