LOS ANGELES — Dashing after a ball or tumbling off a couch make dogs up to 10 times as likely to get surgery on a key knee ligament that is similar to the one athletes often injure.
Playing sports such as soccer, basketball or volleyball can lead people to traumatically tear their anterior cruciate ligament, more commonly known as the ACL, during games or practices. Dogs can get hurt that way, too, but it’s more likely their subtle tears will grow over time from an everyday strain to a painful obstacle because of the animals’ high level of activity.
“I think the average dog is infinitely more athletic than the average person,” said Dr. Ross Lirtzman, a veterinary surgeon at Arizona Canine Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Group.
While dogs are living longer and becoming bigger parts of people’s lives, more pet owners are getting the surgeries for their pets, Lirtzman said. But with increasing interest in the operations comes potential pitfalls. Veterinary care isn’t as well-regulated as the medical industry, so heartbreak can follow if pet owners fail to get a qualified surgeon for the operation.