We are not veterinarians, and this is not veterinary advice. Every clinical statement below is attributed to a named veterinary source and linked, so you can check it against the original rather than take our word for it. Where the evidence is genuinely unsettled, we say so instead of picking a side. If your dog is in pain or cannot bear weight, contact a vet today. Last updated 2026-08-24 · How we source our content

Most breed pages on this site end with "ask your vet." This one ends there too — but for a sharper reason. If you own a giant breed, both paths carry more risk than they do for a smaller dog, and you deserve to see that stated plainly rather than discovered later.

The squeeze

On the non-surgical side. Reported outcomes based on owner evaluation of lameness found 85% of dogs under 15 kg normal or improved at 36 months, against only 19% of dogs over 15 kg at 49 months. A Great Dane is several times that threshold. Conservative management has its weakest reported track record in exactly the size class you are in.

On the surgical side. TPLO complication rates are reported in the range of 10% to 34%, varying from swelling and bruising through to fractures and osteomyelitis — and there is a significant association between body weight and overall complication rate. For giant-breed dogs over 50 kg, reported surgical site infection rates after TPLO run at 21.3% to 25.9%.

Read those together and the position is uncomfortable: the option with the weakest reported outcomes at your dog's size, or the option whose complication risk climbs with your dog's size.

We are not telling you which to choose. We are telling you that if a page, a forum or a product listing has made this sound straightforward, it has not been straight with you.

Why TPLO specifically

Giant breeds have fewer surgical options rather than more. Veterinary sources note that TPLO is more often suggested for large and giant breeds, and that giant dogs may simply be too big for other repair techniques such as extracapsular suture stabilisation or TTA, while doing well with a TPLO.

So the surgical conversation for a Dane is usually narrower than for a spaniel. Worth knowing before you ask "what are my options" and get a short answer.

Anaesthesia is a real consideration

Any anaesthetic carries risk of adverse reaction. Standard practice is pre-anaesthetic blood work to identify underlying conditions that might influence anaesthetic choices.

For giant breeds this is worth taking seriously rather than treating as a formality — these are dogs with large drug requirements, and a breed with a shorter average lifespan means an eight-year-old Dane is a very different anaesthetic proposition from an eight-year-old terrier. Ask your vet directly how your dog's age and health affect the risk.

Why it happened

The American College of Veterinary Surgeons describes cruciate disease in most affected dogs as gradual deterioration of the ligament over months or years rather than a single injury, and notes that partial tears almost always progress to complete tears.

Risk factors identified in the research include breed — particularly large and giant breeds — body weight, sex and neuter status, and age.

The Great Dane is not itself named on the ACVS high-incidence list (which names the Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Staffordshire Terrier, Mastiff, Akita, Saint Bernard, Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Labrador Retriever — several of them giant or near-giant). But body weight is an established risk factor in its own right, and a Great Dane carries a great deal of it.

Signs to watch for

Per VCA Animal Hospitals:

• Sudden severe lameness, sometimes with no weight on the leg
• "Toe touching" — minimal weight-bearing
• Limping that improves with rest and returns with activity
• Stiffness on rising
• Sitting with the affected leg kicked out to the side
• Reluctance to jump into a car
• Thigh muscle loss on the affected side over time

A giant-breed specific note: watch how your dog gets up. Danes offload a painful hind limb by heaving forward onto the front end, and a dog that has quietly changed how it rises from lying down is telling you something before any obvious limp appears.

Also watch the other hind leg. Contralateral rupture is a recognised concern in cruciate disease, and a very heavy dog compensating on one side is loading the other hard.

Weight is the one lever entirely in your hands

Veterinary sources note overweight dogs carry greater risk than fit ones because obesity increases the force applied to the knee at every step. On a dog this size, a few kilograms is a meaningful absolute load through a compromised joint at every stride, it raises anaesthetic complexity if surgery happens, and body weight is associated with post-operative complication rates.

If your Dane is carrying extra weight, that is the most useful thing on this page — more useful than any product we could sell you.

What to ask your surgeon

1. "Given his weight, what is your infection and complication rate for TPLO in dogs this size?" — a specialist will have an answer and will not mind being asked
2. "Is TPLO the only realistic technique for him, or are others viable?"
3. "How does his age and health affect the anaesthetic risk?"
4. "Is there meniscal damage?"
5. "If we manage conservatively, what would you realistically expect at his size?"
6. "How will we monitor the other stifle?"

Find an ACVS board-certified surgeon here. For a dog this size, a specialist opinion is worth the referral fee.

Where bracing fits for a giant breed

Read our assessment of whether dog knee braces are effective and our brace comparison framework first. Two size-specific points:

• Check the weight rating, not the size name. "Extra large" describes dimensions, not load capacity. A brace rated to 45 kg is not rated for your dog because it happens to be the biggest one sold.
• Suspension is harder at this size. A heavy limb migrates a poorly-fitted brace faster. Thigh circumference is the measurement that governs whether it stays up — our measuring guide explains how to take it.

And for a dog in the size class where conservative management has its weakest reported outcomes, a brace is not a substitute for a surgical opinion. Get the opinion, then decide.

Frequently asked

Is my Great Dane too big for ACL surgery? Veterinary sources describe TPLO as the technique more often suggested for large and giant breeds, with giant dogs sometimes too big for alternatives like extracapsular stabilisation or TTA. Size narrows the options rather than removing them. Your surgeon will assess.

How risky is TPLO for a giant breed? Reported TPLO complication rates range from 10% to 34% overall, body weight is significantly associated with complication rate, and surgical site infection rates of 21.3%–25.9% have been reported in giant-breed dogs over 50 kg. Ask your specific surgeon for their own figures.

Can a Great Dane manage without surgery? Reported outcomes at this size are the weakest — 19% of dogs over 15 kg normal or improved at 49 months on owner assessment, against 85% of dogs under 15 kg. That is context for the conversation, not a verdict on your dog.

Will the other knee go too? Contralateral rupture is a recognised concern in cruciate disease generally. Ask your vet how the other stifle will be monitored, particularly given the load a compensating giant breed places on it.