Looking for information on Cruciate Surgery, success rate, causes,
and possibly preventative meds

My Chessie had this surgery. It worked well for him. After the surgery he was his old self for another 6 years and then blew out the knee again. At the time he was 10 and I was moving so we didn't have it re-done.

Of course I"m being partial, but the University of Tennessee has done an extraordinary amount of research on cruciate surgery and rehabilitation. They performed the surgery on an 7 year old drug dog (Labrador) and also put him through an extensive rehabilitation, where they use an underwater treadmill as part of the rehab effort. The results were worth the money spent, and the dog served for 3 more years and is now enjoying a pain free retirement.

My cousin's Rott had a TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) done to both of his knees. This procedure is done by an orthopedic surgeon. Other vets can do a traditional repair but I would recommend the TPLO. Here are some links to give you some information on the surgery.

http://www.vsasurgery.com/Sx_Diseases/Cruciate_Surgery/TPLO/tplo.html
http://www.petsurgeonla.com/ntplo.html

My Lab is recovering from his TPLO 4 months ago. Success rate is very good, assuming that you carefully manage the recovery period (4-6 months). It's important to work closely with the surgeon for the first year post surgery.

Causes of cruciate rupture tend to be athletic in nature, such as a bad landing or twist, or stepping in a hole...that kind of thing, but it can happen just walking. The structure of the knee joint itself can also play a part, if the dog has a steep tibial slope (greater than 15-17 degrees), is bowlegged, pigeon toed, etc.

As far as I know, there is no prevention, in the form of physical devices or medication, or even limiting activity. Your best bet for preventing cruciate rupture is weight managment and conditioning (keeping muscle mass high). My dog's surgeon and his veterinarian both claim that if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen.

I supplement my dog's diet with Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM. Once the ligament is already torn or ruptured, TPLO surgery is your best option, IMHO, unless your dog is very old already. If your dog is young or has years of life left, then the surgery should be done in order to prevent the development of painful osteoarthritis, and to give your dog normal use of his or her leg.