If your dog has suddenly started limping or is holding a back leg up, a torn cruciate ligament is one of the most common causes — and one of the most treatable, when it's caught and repaired properly. Here's what TPLO surgery involves, and what to expect at each stage.
Cruciate injuries don't always happen dramatically. Some dogs yelp mid-run and stop using the leg immediately; others develop a subtler limp that comes and goes over weeks. Watch for:
The cruciate ligament stabilizes your dog's knee. When it tears, the knee becomes unstable with every step, which is painful and — left untreated — leads to arthritis over time. TPLO (Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy) addresses this differently than older repair methods: rather than replacing the torn ligament, we change the angle of the top of the shin bone (tibia) so the knee stays stable without needing the ligament at all. For medium and large dogs especially, this tends to give a more reliable, longer-lasting return to normal activity than alternative repairs.
Your dog is under general anesthesia throughout, with pain management before, during, and after the procedure. Most dogs go home two days after surgery.
Strict rest and confinement. Short, slow leash walks only for bathroom breaks. This is the phase where patience matters most — most setbacks happen from a dog doing too much, too soon.
Gradually longer leash walks, with continued crate confinement.
Gradual build-up of muscle and return to normal activity.
We may also recommend a course of Cartrophen injections. These help increase the amount of joint fluid in the joint space, repair cartilage, and get your dog moving around better with less pain.
We have a therapeutic red light laser, which can help with inflammation and speed up healing. We can do this immediately post-op and for the first two days in clinic, then once weekly or as needed during recovery.
Everything above covers what most owners need. If you'd like to understand the whole story — why this injury happens, how weight and joint health factor in, and what recovery really involves long-term — this section walks through it.
Unlike a human ACL tear, which is usually a single traumatic event, a dog's cruciate ligament more often weakens gradually before it fails — sometimes from repetitive strain, sometimes from a genetic predisposition in certain breeds, and often for reasons that are still only partly understood. That's why a torn ligament can happen from something as ordinary as jumping off the couch, not just from a dramatic accident. It's also why, once one ligament has torn, the other knee is at meaningfully higher risk over the following one to two years.
Body weight has a direct, measurable effect on how much load goes through the knee joint every single step — a few extra pounds on a mid-sized dog translates to real added strain. Before and after surgery, we'll talk through your dog's weight and body condition, since keeping it in a healthy range is one of the few things an owner has direct control over in both preventing further joint problems and supporting a smoother recovery. For some dogs, a joint-support diet or supplement (glucosamine, omega-3s) is worth discussing as part of long-term maintenance, though it's a complement to surgery, not a substitute for it once a full tear has happened.
Pain control starts before your dog goes into surgery, continues through the procedure itself, and goes home with you afterward — typically an anti-inflammatory and a short course of additional pain medication, tapered as healing progresses. We check in at recheck visits to make sure the plan still fits how your dog is actually doing, since recovery pace varies more than people expect.
TPLO has a strong success rate, but like any surgery it isn't risk-free. The most common issues are minor incision irritation or swelling, which usually resolve with basic care; less commonly, infection or implant-related discomfort can occur, which is why recheck visits and X-rays at set intervals are built into the recovery plan rather than left to chance. We'll flag anything that needs closer attention early, rather than waiting for a problem to become obvious.
For very small dogs, or in specific cases where surgery carries higher risk, conservative management — strict rest, weight control, physiotherapy, and sometimes a stifle brace — can be a reasonable path instead of surgery. It's not usually the better long-term outcome for medium and large dogs with a full tear, but it's worth discussing honestly at your consultation if it's relevant to your dog's situation.
Cost depends on your dog's size and individual case. We'll give you a clear, itemized estimate at your consultation, before anything is scheduled — no surprises.
Your dog goes home with pain medication, and we adjust the plan at recheck visits based on how they're doing. Most dogs are noticeably more comfortable within the first couple of weeks.
Not necessarily, but dogs who tear one cruciate ligament have a higher chance of tearing the other at some point. We'll flag anything we notice on that leg during your visits.
The sooner the knee is stabilized, the smoother the recovery and the less long-term arthritis develops in the joint, which means your dog can move better.
