Dog Knee Brace for Bilateral CCL Injury – Razin

dog knee braceMy name is Karin from N.Y. I have a 6-year-old puggle Razin with two ruptured ACLs! She likes to chase rabbits in my backyard. I was devastated to find out she was injured so badly. I am very hesitant to make the appointment for bilateral surgery. She started to walk again without a limp shortly after she tore the ligament in the other leg. It is going on two weeks now…I carry her everywhere and try to keep her stable. She has been on medication for the inflammation and pain. Shortly after she hurt her second knee I noticed that she wasn’t as depressed as she was when the initial injury occurred. She isn’t lethargic and has almost all of her energy back. I am so happy that I didn’t rush into surgery like I have been told to do. There’s a good chance that she will do very well without it. It is not being ruled out, just on hold forever, hopefully!

I knew it would be best to get braces for her to wear a few hours a day. Especially when she is in the backyard to keep her from going wild and chasing everything that she saw. So, I started to search for braces. I did A LOT of homework. I decided to take a chance and order from a company I found online. The braces come in 3 sizes, looked sturdy, and came with a splint that was removable. I went with my gut feeling and ordered the size small. I received them in a few days and I couldn’t be HAPPIER!

They fit my dog perfectly and she is an awkward dog to fit anything onto. She walks well in them. Shedog knee brace squatted to go to the bathroom in them. They were at my house when I came home from work yesterday so I haven’t had much time to take her anywhere with them on. But, I had them on for a lot longer than I had planned. She was all spread out and relaxed after we went outside the she fell asleep while wearing them! This is not how my dog behaves when you put something on her! Obviously, I took them off before I went to sleep. I made the best decision. And now I want to give back, so I am going to try to get my positive feedback out there for people in need of it!

17 thoughts on “Dog Knee Brace for Bilateral CCL Injury – Razin

  1. Can I ask which brand of knee brace you purchased? I am up in the air with which one to get for my girl, and feel that there isnt very much positive about any of them except their own websites. I am looking for some independent input as to which brands worked and which wasnt havent.

  2. I would like to know what brand of knee brace you used? There are so many options online and I frankly don’t know who to believe.

  3. The surgery unfortunately makes the dog favor the other leg snd then that one blows. Then it is another $3500 surgery but…the oain meds by that time have eaten thru your dog’s stomach so you euthanize. We took an alternative route…cold laser therapy. Boosters will be on going but dog is not miserable or dead. Was looking for alternative to tramadol and Gabapentin. Any one have experience with Dasuquin?

    1. my 36 lb. puggle started using dasuquin and does not seem to have any stomach problems with it. we are trying to avoid or delay acl surgery so we are going the holistic route.

  4. We did NOT buy a brace. The dog has had initial cold laser treatments (lasted over 8 days) and 4 weeks ago we went back for two booster treatments. Our dog is walking (NOT running any more because we do not let him and he inherently knows that will hurt him since he’s tried). I think there is a time for a brace depending on the dog, but most of healing will depend on you and keeping your dog on a level and shorter walking regimen. I don’t want to sound like I am practicing medicine, but this is working for a 106 pound dog who we are making an effort to restrict high caloric foods with. You can’t just eliminate food (like we do with people and “starve” a dog) but we have always had to measure his food due to hypothyroid issues. Add less ability to exercise (chase a frisbee, return a thrown stick) and we just get real choosey about “treats.” His favorite and one that we do twice a week is to buy soup bones (ones with marrow) and cook for 15 minutes, let him chew out the marrow, remove the empty bone and his teeth stay clean and he gets high protein. He does NOT get to keep the bone after the marrow is out. Hope this helps. Perhaps talking to a vet who is cold laser certified would be your best bet. Just can tell you what our experience has been.

    1. 2018 my dog is on pain meds i worry bout his kidneys he is 2 97lbs both back legs i give him ice cubes for hydration only few weeks in overwhelming

  5. How is your dog now? Better i hope. Mine is 3 yrs old @ 55 pounds and set for ACL surgery on one leg. I don’t want her to have to go through it.

  6. I am SO glad you emailed me. I have NEVER in 20 years met an owner or dog who had that where things went well. I am not kidding. Here’s what happens. I am not practicing medicine I am speaking from many tales of woe and death and observation. First you will understand that torn ligaments never heal (I fell off a high playhouse and my foot landed on a brick and twisted it all up…the pain, the recovery, the “I was in 2nd grade” embarrassment of using the crutch my father made). I generally just hopped places with a wrap and soaked frequently. Years went on and every time I tried to run..I’d “sprain” my ankle. So my track career (kidding, I only run when I’m being chased which isn’t often) was over.
    So what happens is you pay anywhere from $2000 to $3500 for the operation. It is extraordinarily painful for an animal especially because they don’t know why they hurt more now than they did when they initially injured themselves. Of course you’ll be told to confine the dog…I believe a minimum of 6 weeks to 6 months…meaning initially in a kennel or small bathroom and only walking to pee and poop. Then you’ll be given a regimen of pain medications. Here is what happens. The dog favors the leg that doesn’t hurt (of course) and they end up blowing that one out. Then you pay the vet another few thousand and the meds increase and/or go for a longer period of time. Then, here’s what no one ever tells you (admits to)….it’s bad enough you’ve broken the bank on the beloved family member, but the meds eat thru their stomach and they start bleeding and before they die in agony, owners end up euthanizing them. So there’s another $500 to do that and your poor dog thinks you’re terrible.
    I did cold laser treatment years ago on my wonderful 15 year old black lab for arthritis. I think it might have worked better if I could have done it myself at home or had the laser tech visit the dog…because getting in and out of the minivan (low car) even with a ramp and riding 27 miles to have it done both ways, well, he was helped but it would have been better if I’d been able to get the tech to come to the house.

    My dog was never going to have that operation so it was with no reluctance I sought out another special vet who could tell me first hand how they knew it worked. I now know two vets. You pay for several day after day treatments…it’s a package, one won’t do much of anything…it’s cumulative. Our dog was confined to the interior of the house (with our cats) and only walked briefly 4 to 5 times 5 to 10 minutes just to pee and poop. Noticeable difference after 7 days. That surgery is a joke. But I can’t be going on line saying bad things about this not being a vet. But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to observe, the dogs end up dying form the medication you have to give them for this operation. My friends went thru this surgery. I helped with the machinery to see that she did home stretching because it hurts so much no one can force themselves to do the stretching and they get stuck with a limp.
    We’ve gone back so far after a year for only one set of booster cold laser treatments.

    I encourage you to look up two vets. For our dog (I don’t know where you live, but we weren’t really close to the vet in Matthews but he could explain how it works…stimulates the mitochondria in the cells to heal faster. But once you tear a ligament, it’s always a problem. I will suggest you consult with: Dr. Frank Rutowski at Animal Care Hospital of Matthews. 704-847-3647. He is the one we use ONLY for this treatment. We have a closer vet who probably could do it but it worked. Our dog weighs quite a bit more than yours (106). If it can work for him, it seems logical it can work for yours. We keep ours on a leash so he doesn’t run, but he jumped out the car after a car trip before we had the leash attached and that’s what happened. Now he can walk around our deck, go in a fenced in area but he prefers the house and sitting on our wrap around deck. 🙂

    You have nothing to lose consulting with Dr. Rutowski and lots to lose with that terrible operation. I’d even google it. I hope I help you and your dog find the best solution but keep in mind, you want your dog to be a dog, not suffer with internal bleeding.
    Let me know what you do. I care. Glad you asked. You need to know there are other options.

    Carol Butler

  7. My parents German Shepherd had the TightRope CCL surgery done on both knees and had great success. He was 2.5 years old for the first one, and 5 years old for the other knee. He lived a happy active life after that and passed away at the age of 12 years old. However, my 9 year old pitbull (with arthritis) just blew her CCL and I certainly do not have $3,500 for the recommended surgery. I’m looking into laser therapy as an alternative, and I’m heartbroken that I can’t afford to do more. Anyone else have success stories or suggestions on alternatives to the surgery?

    1. Hi there. My pittie needs this surgery, too. She’s 8 1/2. She had it on her left leg when she was 3 and now needs it on her right but I cannot afford it and it’s KILLING ME to see her in pain. She is my whole life. My everything.
      What did you end up doing?
      Thank you.

  8. My 2-yr. old pup, Dakoda, ruptured his left CCL in March. I’m torn over what to do. I can’t afford the $4,500 TPLO surgery I was quoted, in which the doc is saying he has a 43% tibial slope and will definitely need surgery for the other knee at some point. I also have a 3.5 yr. old bigger, beefier dog who loves to rough/tumble play with him, so now I’ve had to keep them inactive/separated outside. This is no fun for any of us. After much research, I bought a custom dog knee brace from Posh, though it hasn’t helped one bit. Initially, he got a cut on his foot on front side of hock, then it seemed to make him want to sit down more. After the cut healed, and several consultations with this company, it was clear to me that it wasn’t helping deter the painful motion in his joint. He has exactly the same range of motion with the brace on that leg as he does his uninjured leg. He’s been hobbling around on 3 legs for the past 4 months and is now getting barrel-chested up front and his spine is more hunched over. I love him dearly, though now I feel I’m not doing him justice living this way. He’s been on pain meds twice/day with a good joint supplement.

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