Cruciate, patella and fracture surgery, with the rehabilitation planned first
An orthopaedic result is made in the twelve weeks after the operation as much as in the theatre. We book the rehabilitation appointments at the same time as the surgery, because the recovery that gets left to the owner alone is the one that stalls.
12weeks of planned recovery, booked up front
What happens
Imaging before anything else
Radiographs at minimum, and CT for anything involving a joint surface or a comminuted fracture. The plan is made from the images rather than from the limp.
Cruciate disease
The most common orthopaedic case we see. We do both the tibial plateau levelling procedure and the extracapsular repair, and the dog's size and age decide which one it gets.
Patella luxation
Common in small breeds and often bilateral. Grades one and two are usually managed without surgery, and grades three and four are the ones that come to theatre.
Fracture repair
Plates, pins and external fixators. Fractures in growing animals involve the growth plates and are handled as urgent, because a plate placed late changes the shape of the adult limb.
The recovery weeks
Lead-only for six weeks, controlled loading from six to twelve, and a recheck radiograph at eight. Most owners find weeks three to five hardest, because the dog feels ready long before the bone is.
Handover to rehabilitation
The surgeon writes the rehabilitation plan and the Subiaco or Canning Vale team runs it. The underwater treadmill work starts at week three for most cruciate cases.
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The twelve-week cruciate timeline
This is the schedule a tibial plateau levelling case follows, week by week, including the appointments that are booked before the surgery happens.
| Week | Activity | What happens at the hospital |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Surgery, then strict rest | Overnight stay, pain relief, discharge next morning |
| 1 to 2 | Toilet breaks on a lead only, 5 minutes | Wound check at day 3 and day 10 |
| 3 to 4 | Lead walks, 5 to 10 minutes twice daily | Rehabilitation starts, underwater treadmill |
| 5 to 6 | Lead walks, 15 minutes twice daily | Weekly rehabilitation session |
| 7 to 8 | Lead walks, 20 to 25 minutes, gentle hills | Recheck radiograph at week 8 |
| 9 to 10 | Longer lead walks, controlled turns | Strength work in rehabilitation |
| 11 to 12 | Off-lead in a small enclosed area | Final assessment and sign-off |
Dogs that skip the rehabilitation weeks still recover. They recover with less muscle on the operated leg, which is what loads the other stifle.
Where you can get this
2 of our six hospitals, because the equipment and the people it needs live in those buildings.
What it costs
From $4200cruciate repair
Includes imaging, surgery, the overnight stay, both wound checks and the week 8 radiograph.
All consult feesQuestions we get asked
My dog tore one cruciate. Will the other go?
In a significant share of dogs it does within two years, because the same conformation loads both. Weight control and the rehabilitation weeks are what change the odds.
Is the tibial plateau procedure always better?
For dogs over about 15 kg and for active dogs, generally yes. For a small, older, quiet dog the extracapsular repair does well and costs a good deal less.
Can this wait a few months?
Waiting lets the joint develop arthritis and the meniscus tear, and neither reverses. If cost is the issue, tell us, because the answer changes what we recommend.
Which hospital does the surgery?
Fremantle or Joondalup. They hold the CT scanners and the orthopaedic sets, and both have overnight nursing.
Does pet insurance cover it?
Most policies do when the condition started after the waiting period. We write the history the insurer asks for as part of the discharge.
Book orthopaedic surgery
Available at Fremantle, Joondalup.