Custom Dog Knee Brace: Keep Your Aging or Injured Pets Playful by Choosing the Correct Knee Brace!

Why Should Your Pet Wear a Custom Dog Knee Brace?

Using a custom dog knee brace is usually a solution for your dog exhibiting a lack of mobility or as a result of a veterinary diagnosis. A custom dog knee brace will offer additional support and help reduce pain associated with arthritis or injury recovery, such as a CCL (cranial cruciate ligament) tear.

Injury to the CCL is one of the most common orthopedic dog injuries. The damage occurs when there is a partial or complete tear of the ligament inside the stifle (knee). When this happens, the affected area can be treated surgically or with a custom dog knee brace.

The Top 7 Ways a Custom Dog Knee Brace Helps Healing

Using a knee brace will benefit your dog's healing in several ways. Take Djembe, for example, an 11-year-old Malamute from Alaska. In November 2020, she was diagnosed with a CCL tear and started rehabilitation using an OrthoPets customized dog knee brace with a tarsal cuff (ankle cuff) for added suspension. After being fitted for her stifle orthotic in January 2021, she has been doing great!

Whether your pet is recovering from an injury or is afflicted with arthritic pain, using a custom knee brace will help provide stability and allow more mobility while preventing further injury. Custom dog braces come in many shapes and sizes to accommodate dogs of all kinds and will assist with healing and pain management in a variety of ways.

1. Provides Support with Specialized Hinges

Custom knee braces come equipped with specially designed polycentric hinges designed to duplicate the motion of your dog's knee (stifle) joint. A brace helps provide articulation and limits shearing forces, which aids in preventing further injury to the affected area while still allowing your pet mobility.

2. Facilitates the Recovery of the Injured Leg

Because the brace continually supports your dog's leg, it allows the injured leg to relax. When you see a dog with an injured leg or paw, the dog will move around on three legs, holding the injured leg up, causing the muscles to work harder and obstructing the healing process. A customized brace provides the necessary support to prevent this from occurring.

3. Reduces the Discomfort of Arthritis

A knee brace provides constant support, helping to reduce the pain associated with walking for arthritic dogs. Additionally, the brace aids in distributing the weight evenly, so your dog is walking correctly and not overcompensating on one side. The support provided by a custom brace helps prevent premature deterioration of the good leg and reduces the pain caused by arthritis.

4. Prevents Chronic Injuries in Dogs

Some dogs are more at risk for chronic injuries than others due to being overly active, obese, or advanced age. The support provided by a custom knee brace will help prevent chronic injuries associated with these factors. Obese dogs tend to have added stress on their joints, which can lead to premature arthritis and other knee injuries.

5. Restricts Movement in Certain Areas

A custom dog knee brace will prevent certain motions that might affect healing or cause further injury. One motion controlled is the tibial drawer, or the forward movement of the shin (tibia) while walking. When this motion occurs, it prevents the dog’s knee from forming scar tissue necessary for the healing process.

6. Prevents Injury to the Unharmed Leg

When your dog has an injury or is experiencing pain in a limb, it's typical for your pet to put more weight and add stress to the uninjured leg when walking or standing. This behavior can cause the unaffected leg to experience deterioration leading to the onset of early arthritis or causing further injury. Custom braces are available in pairs, so the healthy leg also benefits from the added support.

7. Minimizes Muscle Atrophy

Whether your dog is recovering from an injury or arthritis, your pet will not want to use the affected leg normally. Lack of use can lead to muscle atrophy, which means your pet’s leg won't be as strong, even after the healing occurs in the affected area. The lack of muscle in a limb can affect the knee's stability and cause pain when your dog tries to use their leg after the resolution of an injury. A custom brace allows your dog to use the affected leg more normally, thereby not negatively affecting muscle development.

What Conditions Make Custom Dog Knee Braces Beneficial?

Custom dog knee braces are beneficial in providing support to dogs experiencing pain or recovering from an injury. A brace helps provide stability and reduce pain associated with the following conditions:

Arthritis
Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) injury
Meniscus injury
Luxating patella
Tendinitis

A custom brace is an excellent alternative if your dog is older and you want to forgo surgical correction. Take Buckwheat, for example, an 11-year-old Border Collie Mix with a chronic CCL injury and a TTA (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement) performed in 2019. Buckwheat's recovery was slow and challenging due to the rapid onset of osteoarthritis. Due to his age and prior surgery experience, his owner decided to pursue medical management with an orthosis. After receiving a standard OrthoPets knee brace with an ankle cuff, Buckwheat has been doing great!

Conditions When a Custom Dog Knee Brace Might Not be Appropriate

Before choosing orthosis as a treatment, be aware that it’s not the correct therapy for all patients. For the customized knee brace to be effective, there are factors to be mindful of:

The device must be put on every morning and removed every night. For the brace to be effective, it must be on your dog whenever standing or moving about.
Adjustments are a normal part of the process and are to be expected. With a customized brace, adjustments may be needed as your dog’s activity level increases and as time goes on.
Follow-up is critical to the success of the treatment. It’s essential to follow up with your pet’s doctor to ensure that therapeutic goals are being met and that the condition and fit of the device are evaluated.
Even with an orthosis, surgery may still be necessary. When the CCL is torn, sometimes the meniscus is also torn. A torn meniscus is painful and may require surgical repair to correct.
Rehabilitation takes time. Whether your dog undergoes surgical or orthosis stabilization for an injury, recovery takes time. Your dog will need to learn to adapt to wearing the brace without resistance. This may require your dog to learn basic skills while wearing the device.
Proactively manage arthritis pain in conjunction with rehabilitation. It’s essential to work with your veterinarian and mobility specialist in creating an individualized plan for managing arthritis pain.
A custom dog knee brace is a new solution to an old problem. It takes time and money to perform controlled clinical trials to compare a new therapy to standard therapies. Patients are selected for orthosis based on the protocols for best success and troubleshooting each individual’s case details.

How to Find the Most Comfortable Knee Brace for Your Dog?

One size fits all does not apply to dog knee braces. For best results, you will want a customized brace tailored to fit your dog’s measurements made by a reputable company specializing in orthotics. Things to consider are:

A snug and comfortable fit that does not rub or damage the skin
Specifically designed to support the problem area
Easily adjustable
Simple to take on and off
Constructed of durable, high-quality materials that are water-resistant

We Make Every Custom Brace to Last a Lifetime, from Dog Knee Braces to Ankle Braces!

OrthoPets designs custom-made orthotics and prosthetics to help pets recover from injury, improve functionality, and enjoy an active life. Whether it’s for a knee, elbow, or ankle injury, OrthoPets has a solution. With a team of veterinary specialists, 3D technologists, and engineers working together, you’ll be able to find a custom brace to fit your pet’s needs. Our products are made from durable, high-quality waterproof material so your furry friend can still get into the water.

Ensure that Your Pet Stays Active with OrthoPets!

Ensuring your pet's quality of life is part of being a responsible pet owner. If you provide them with natural support to aid pain management or healing from an injury. In that case, this may involve investing in medical technology to achieve your dog’s mobility goals.

Whether you need a custom dog knee brace to help manage your aging pet's arthritis or support a dog recovering from a CCL surgery, OrthoPets can guide you toward the proper selection. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are available to help and get your pet fitted for the perfect brace. Contact us today, and get your dog moving in the right direction.