Dara 
came to us for acupuncture for a very sore leg; and we were delighted to help. Acupuncture is incredibly useful for neural pain and osteoarthritic pain; but it’s of limited use where there is a mechanical lameness. I was suspicious of cruciate disease when I examined her.
We requested all of the notes and radiographs from her previous vet; and we focussed on some subtle radiographic changes in her stifle joint. We sought an opinion from our wonderful ortho surgeon; who recommended a sterile joint tap as part of a work up.
The joint fluid was found to have inflammatory markers; which confirmed our suspicions of a partial cruciate rupture. This is a failure of the integrity of the knee joint; and results in instability. Eventually this causes irreversible osteoarthritis. We recommended an elective surgery to re-model her stifle and restore her function.
This journey has been difficult and upsetting for her owners; because it involves deciding to do a painful elective surgery on behalf of a pet who can’t speak for themselves! But Dara’s owner bravely opted for the orthopaedic procedure; despite all the associated risks. It’s scary, trusting your pet to your vet for an anaesthetic. They do hover between life and death during surgery; and it’s our job to pull them through safely.
I took this little video post operatively. Dara was fine! Very comfortable and not crying. Our patients get the best analgesia; and we keep them as pain free as possible. I think she was actually doing better than her owner at this point 😉😉. She’s gone home now to recuperate. Her prognosis for excellent function and a pain- free life is very good; and we’re thrilled to be able to help her. Isn’t she just the sweetest soul!
