Nothing can dampen your pet pooch’s spirit than a knee injury or ACL tear that restricts their movements in the outdoor environments. Cruciate damages are one of the most common orthopedic problems in dogs. It can be in the form of cranial cruciate ligament or CCL, which is the same condition as ACL in humans.
Surgery seems to be a distinct treatment. However, a knee brace for dogs can also help in both no-surgery and post-surgery situations.
Symptoms of CCL Tear in Dogs
Sometimes, after a sudden jump or reckless motion, your dog may tear their CCL. Initially, the tear may not be much painful, but it can get worse with time. Since pooches are naturally hyperactive, they find it hard to resist quick movements like running around the backyard or chasing squirrels. It can aggravate their injury and show the symptoms like:
- Limping or lameness
- Abnormal sitting position
- Swelling or inflammation in the knee
- Audible clicking sound due to stress on the meniscus
When your pet starts bestowing any of these symptoms, you need to consult a veterinarian before the muscles get weaker immediately, or the injury leads to arthritis.
Knee Brace is the Solution!
The knee is a hinge joint subjected to excessive motion and needs proper support, especially after an ACL (CCL in dogs) tear. Although surgery helps to treat this problem, some dogs can’t undergo the procedure.
Here, a knee brace for dogs can be a lifesaver. It can help the pets that cannot undergo surgery but still need help to let their body develop a medial buttress or scar tissue for stabilizing the knee. Braces make this possible with proven results. It can create a shift in knee motion when your dog exerts more pressure on the leg.
How Does a Knee Brace Work
The canine knee brace gives extra structural support to stabilize the weakened joint. It is a stifle brace that can control the backward motion of both femur and tibia bones. As a result, the bones do not slide away from the natural movement and cause discomfort to your pooch.
How to Choose the Right Canine Knee Brace
When your dog suffers a CCL tear, the vet will conduct a cranial drawer test to check if the ligaments are damaged. Depending on the diagnosis, you can choose the right type of knee brace. Customized braces are a potential solution. They conform to the knee of your canine companion and allow a range of motion. You may choose the right size and shape of the knee brace according to your dog’s breed and size.
Remember, every dog’s knee is different, and you can’t have a standard brace size to fit them all. A custom-made knee brace for dogs has a cast taken from your pet’s leg. It involves creating a mold of the leg from the cast to build the brace. The braces are also fabricated with durable and comfortable plastic along with replaceable pads and straps for snug-fitting.
The brace helps to protect the joint and reduces the pain and improves your pet’s mobility so they can romp around carelessly in the outdoors.
