Learning Issues:

1. What is the normal amount of positive cranial drawer sign?  According to the Handbook of Small Animal Orthopedics and Fracture Repair textbook written by Brinzer, Piermattei and Flo, normally there is no cranial or caudal drawer movement in the adult animal.  Some large puppies have "puppy" drawer, which lasts up to 10 to 12 months of age due to normal joint laxity.  Some rotary movement of the tibia is normal and is occasionally mistaken as drawer movement.
 
2. What does 4-5 mm indicate in the cranial drawer sign?  From the same source as above, in a fresh, fully torn cruciate ligament in a relaxed medium sized animal, the tibia may slide 5 to 10 mm (grade 4).  Relatively, larger dogs have less drawer movement  than small dogs.  Full drawer movement can be diminished by chronicity, animal tenseness, partial ligament tear, and the presence of a meniscal injury.  Increased drawer movement occurs with multiple tears in the traumatized animal or in Cushingoid dogs.  

3. What is an appropriate caloric intake for a normal sized female Lab?
Based on calculations of RER and DER taken from Small Animal Nutrition class notes, a female adult lab should get 897 kcal ME/day which would be the equivalent of 2.5 cups of dry Science Diet Maintenance.

4. What is this Lab's caloric intake? Calculated as above, Bonnie's current caloric intake is 1460 kcal ME/day.

5. What is the common clinical presentation of rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament?  According to our class notes, clinical presentation can be acute non-weight bearing lameness during exercise in an active, young and fit dog.  Another clinical presentation of this problem is non- or partial weight bearing lameness with a slower onset in an older, overweight dog.  From Canine Orthopedics by Whittick, we read that most affected dogs are obese, it is more common in females in males and altered females versus intact females.  Out of a study of 160 cases of ruptured CCL, 53 presented with history of trauma and 107 were presented without history of trauma.  With a longer history of lameness, it is more likely to find secondary osteoarthritis at time of surgery.  

6. Research synovial cell sarcoma.  From the Merck manual we found that synovial cell sarcoma is the most common malignant tumor involving joints.  It presents with lameness and joint swelling.  Radiographs and biopsy will confirm diagnosis.  Metastasis occurs in about 25% of cases.  From the class notes, we found that the stifle is the most frequent joint involved and it arises from outside the synovial lining of the joint.