23/04/2026
Meet Sheldon 🐶🐾
Sheldon recently came to see us after suddenly becoming very sore on one of his back legs. After assessment, he was diagnosed with a cruciate ligament rupture in his knee, a very common cause of hindlimb lameness in dogs. A week later, Sheldon underwent a TTO (Triple Tibial Osteotomy) to help get him back on his paws.
Cruciate disease is something we see frequently in canine patients and can lead to instability in the knee joint, causing pain, inflammation, and eventually arthritis. Unlike in humans, where these injuries are often the result of a sudden sporting accident, in dogs, it’s usually a gradual, underlying condition. Subtle changes in the angles of the bones place ongoing strain on the ligament over time, often long before a rupture occurs.
Whilst there are a few surgical options available, our UQVETS Surgery Team offer a TTO, which is a major orthopaedic surgery aimed at changing the biomechanics of the knee. The whole process involves taking pre-operative X-rays of the leg to calculate the angles in an individual patient's bones. We then calculate highly specific cuts to be made during surgery in order to correct the abnormal angles and re-establish a stable, comfortable knee joint. This is possibly one of the most common surgeries we do here, and a very common orthopaedic conditions affecting dogs.
If you would like to know more about booking an appointment with our surgery team, call 07 5460 1788 💜🩺
