Early this spring I had my first instance of TVD and had to spay a girl I love. Another pointed male with great potential failed a clearance. In late May I took back a 10 month old pup with ED and and am still paying on her surgery. This Monday one of my girls got an abscess on her rear molar and had surgery to extract two teeth. On Thursday my male developed a bad hot spot that needed vet care and antibiotics, and tonight the dog with the abscess is limping in a manner that looks like a partial ACL tear. I think I'm cursed...

Sorry to be having a pity party here, but I just can't believe how my dog luck is running. It's been like this for the past year and I'm getting discouraged. I love this hobby but apparently it doesn't love me!

Anyway, my reason for writing is to find out if anyone has ever tried buying one of the braces advertised to help dogs with ACL tears recover with conservative management. Right now my girl can bear weight on her leg so I'm going to try crating her first -- and pray it works. I'll buy a brace too, but I don't want to throw any money away foolishly, especially if she winds up needing surgery. Right now I'm pretty tapped out on vet bills!

The research I did when I was in your position didn't give me a good feeling. most post said that the dog ate the $$$$ Brace and my dog would certainly eat it.
I ended up doing surgery but crate rest can do miracles. also add joint supplements and anti-inflammatories. Ice for 20 minutes several times a day.

Are all these dogs related? Maybe start with another line? I hope your luck makes a turn to the best.

Years ago I had a very active little yellow girl that had a partially torn CCL. I was competing in obedience with her at the time (she was 3 years old)I had a consultation with an othro Vet and he recommended strict rest for 8 weeks and then leash walking for exercise for another 8 weeks. I also started a course of Adequan injections, and then Cosequin. I would let her walk around indoors when my other dogs were outdoors, then she would be in an expen when the others come in. I stopped obedience training for an entire year. I then slowly allowed normal exercise. The CCL never completely tore and she went on to earn a UD,WC and JH title. She lived to be 13 & 1/2 and as she became a senior developed a slight hitch in her gate. I must admit it wasn't easy to keep her quiet for all that time but it was worth it in the end. Best of luck with all you are dealing with, you're right about this sometimes being a heart breaking hobby.

Hey we all need to vent!! I really do understand where you are coming from. I seem to be throwing quite a few pity parties lately about and not about dogs! Pity away!!

Catastrophe here end of last year and I still am paying my very understanding vet! I so sympathize!
For ACL tears: weeks of crate rest, leash walking just to air for months, literally. The brace should add stability - but you'd probably have to put a cone on the dog to prevent them from destroying the brace....

sorry for your bad luck
but yes! I have had wonderful luck with a brace for ACL.

Had a bitch just bred, tear her ACL, in fact they though it could be ruptured. but since she was bred we wanted to try something beside surgery.
I met with my repro vet that also works with UF vet school ortho vets. She is told me about a brace that she has used on several clients with great success.

http://www.aceorthosolutions.com/

It cost about $500 total, we cast the leg and sent it in and the brace was made and mailed to me.

she wore it during pregnancy. anytime she was out of the box during puppies and for two months after....about 6 months total.....she is doing great, she can move around with little issues. I do put it on if we are going to run in the pasture or if she will be playing with other dogs but I have been super pleased with the results.

the brace stays in place with a neoprene wrap, and it never slipped down or came off. She never even tried to chew the brace, I think she knew it was helping her.

would do this again in a heart beat over surgery.

I do agree with the AKC's position that dog shows are for evaluating breeding stock. However, successful breeders are "evaluating" a lot more than just the dog they see in front of them. They are seeing what dogs and combinations of pedigrees are producing, that is also evaluating breeding stock. I am grateful to be able to see has many labs in the ring as possible regardless if they are "sound breeding representatives" or not.

I have had 2 dogs with CCL issues (cranial cruciate is more correct than anterior cruciate in a dog... the terms for front.. do you mean belly or head) off that soapbox


I had one dog with a CCL tear that did great on conservative management
another with 2 within 3 years, who was NOT good on CM.. she would have eaten a brace in a heart beat, had to be in 2 collars, ecollar and bite not to keep her off the sutures/staples..

It all really depends on the dog.. dog 1. I said, you have to be in a crate and leash walked for 8 weeks, she said, sounds good to me

the other one had surgery because I knew we couldn't keep her on crate rest,and both rehabs were hell on wheels..

there is no one size fits all when it comes to dealing with a cruciate