Best Dog Cruciate Ligament Knee Braces

If your dog has a partial cruciate ligament tear, your dog can naturally heal in 6-12 months as scar tissue will form. During this period, a knee brace is recommend to firstly, provide extra support and promote healing, secondly, to reduce the risk of further injury e.g. turning quickly.

If the knee injury is a full tear the only way to fix a full tear is through surgery. If surgery is not an option, perhaps your dog is too old, a knee brace will be a lifetime commitment for the dog, meaning the remainder of the dog’s life.

An MRI scan will show if it's a partial or full tear, as well as looking during surgery.

A knee brace will support and stabilise the knee joint and it will also help to prevent putting more stress on the cruciate ligament injury.

When the knee is supported and stabilised, weight is shifted away from the damaged area of the joint. This is turn reduces pain and discomfort so your dog will be able to walk more comfortably.

How severe is the knee injury and how big is your dog? Smaller dogs can size down in terms of firmness of brace.

Light Knee Braces are best for mild strains and protection.

Moderate Knee Braces are best for mild to moderate cruciate ligament tears.

Firm Knee Braces are designed for severe knee injuries or conditions, such as complete cruciate ligament tears or after surgery including post-surgery recovery. This includes Custom Knee Braces.

Question:

"Hello, our Hungarian Vizsla had ACL surgery a few years ago. Left to his own devices he will nibble a hole in his knee because he can feel the metal work inside and wears a cone all night. What would you advice?"

Answer:

The Walkabout Cruciate Dog Knee brace is a good lightweight knee support which will act as a protective layer. To stop any damage from the chewing. It is slightly more robust than the Kruuse knee protector and has an opening at the back of the lower part which makes it easier to pull over the paw. You might also want to look at the Medical Leg Cover here, no more need for the cone!

Question:

"Hello, I have a Sealyham terrier with a tear in her cruciate ligament . I am trying to avoid surgery and would like to try one of your cast knee braces. As a Sealyham, none of the off the shelf ones fit! How do I go about ordering the kit? Have you had a Sealyham use one before do you know?"

Answer:

If none of the standard knee braces fit, we would recommend you get a custom knee brace which fit like a glove. The process takes about three to four weeks.

1. You purchase the brace
2. We send you a form asking for some extra information: breed, weight, injury, colour you want
3. We send the cast to your vet, they will follow the instructions to make the mould (we arrange shipping)
4. Your vet sends the mould back to the USA to make the cast - takes 5 days to make (we arrange shipping)
5. We ship back to you, ready to use

Question:

"Hello, our dog Herbert has been diagnosed with a cruciate ligament injury by our vet. We are trying to avoid surgery at this time but know it might be something we have to do in the future, can you advise on what kind of brace might be helpful for him please?"

Answer:

We have a range of products which are specifically for cruciate ligament injuries / weakness. The Balto Jump is our most popular knee brace for supporting cruciate ligament injuries. It provides good support whilst the injury heals and is a good alternative to surgery or for post-surgery support.

We would also recommend an arthritic supplement as unfortunately cruciate ligament injuries nearly always lead to the onset of arthritis; however a joint supplement can really help to slow this process and keep Herbert fitter for longer.