Dogs, like people, suffer from weekend sports injuries

Dogs can be as prone to sports injuries as their fitness-conscious masters

October 24, 2000
Web posted at: 11:14 AM EDT (1514 GMT)

From Ann Kellan
CNN Science Correspondent

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Weekend warriors know the Monday aches and pains well after jumping too high to catch that fly ball during their days off. But dogs are prone to weekend sports injuries too. And they share a common weakness with their masters.

Physical exertion only during the weekend can make humans and canines more prone to injury, according to veterinarians at a recent conference in Boston. And one vulnerable spot for both is the knees.

Dogs have four legs but only two knees, in the back. And like people, one wrong jump and twist and the ligaments in the knee can tear. The rubber-like strands connect and stabilize the thigh to the leg bone. The most susceptible to injury is the anterior cruciate ligament.

Some dogs born with bad knee construction are more prone to this injury, which can leave them with severe limps.

No matter the cause of the injury, some pets are having a relatively new type of surgery to correct it.

Dr. Kevin Kraus is one practitioner. He removes the bad ligament and instead of replacing it -- as doctors do for anterior cruciate ligament surgery in humans -- he cuts and reshapes the part of the leg bone.

Some dogs born with bad knee conditions can get surgery that removes the damaged ligament and reshapes the leg bone

A metal plate reinforces the bone during healing. Afterwards the dog should be able to walk without a limp.

The success rate? Kraus said after four months recuperation, two out of three dogs feel like Maxmillian. A year ago he limped and had the surgery. Now, he outpaces his owner.

"He doesn't have any problems at all anymore," said Kraus, a veterinary orthopedic surgeon at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in Boston.

The cost is $2,000 a knee. Is it worth it?

"Definitely. We couldn't let him suffer. He's part of the family," said Maxmillian's owner, Susan Bujnowski.

To reduce the risk of injury, owners should follow the same steps prescribed for people: keep pets' weight down and warm them up with a little walk or jog before a full-fledged romp.

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Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine

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