The inaugural report reveals data from 735 surgical procedures.

The first annual report of the RCVS Knowledge Canine Cruciate Registry has been published, revealing data logged by veterinary surgeons and dog owners about canine surgical procedures.

The registry, which was launched two years ago, includes data from 735 surgical procedures that have been performed on dogs. The data relates to dogs from almost every stage of life, from nine months to 15 years-old.

The web-based registry aimed to provide the first large-scale bank of evidence on the effectiveness of different canine cruciate surgery techniques for individual patients.

The findings reveal that 78.3 per cent of patients had suffered a complete cruciate tear, with most of the procedures performed being osteotomies. An examination of the findings also highlighted that pain in the stifle as the most common clinical finding.

The dog breeds most recorded to undergo surgery were Labrador retrievers, English springer spaniels and golden retrievers, and the majority of owners reported that their dogs were better after surgery than they were before.

The Canine Cruciate Registry was designed as a database of information about cruciate surgery in dogs from across the UK. It is hoped that the findings will give veterinary surgeons and dog owners the evidence they need to navigate clinical decisions with confidence.

It collects data on different surgery techniques and clinical findings, as well as client reported pre-operative and post-operative data about their dogs’ recovery and progress through their lives.

It also provides veterinary surgeons with an audit tool, where they can compile their cruciate surgery data in one place to measure outcomes, make necessary changes and measure their results. They will also be able to compare results to the national average.

Ashley Doorly, head of quality improvement at RCVS Knowledge, said: “This first dataset provides fascinating results. I encourage you to read the report if you carry out canine cruciate surgery or own a dog.
 
“If you are thinking about taking part, or are already contributing, your data matters. Your participation will continue to help us grow the evidence to support all veterinary surgeons’ clinical decision-making. If you haven’t signed up yet, it only takes a few minutes to set up, and to log your data after performing surgery.”

The full report can be found here.

Image © RCVS