Veterinary Highlights: OrthoPets’ Orthotics & Prosthetics

When Jasmine was diagnosed with a ruptured ACL, the last thing we wanted to do was putting her through surgery.

As it turned out, surgery was what we did, and today I strongly believe that it is the best option for most dogs.

What if surgery isn’t a good option for your dog?

We did a lot of research into non-surgical options for Jasmine’s knee injury. One of the things we considered was a stifle brace.

When I went online and did a search for stifle braces, I had a picture in my mind what I thought such a device should look like. Except I wasn’t finding any. Some of the products I came across I wouldn’t even recognize as being a brace!

Veterinary Highlights: OrthoPets' Orthotics & Prosthetics

Then I stumbled upon the OrthoPets’ stifle brace.

Now, that one looked like what I thought it should! I read all I could about it but I still had many questions. I ended up talking to the founder of OrthoPets; I had a lot of tough questions. All his answers really impressed me, and should we have gone with the brace option, this would be the one we’d use.

Stifle brace isn’t the only product OrthoPets offer.

They also provide braces for hock and paw, elbow, wrist, and paw, as well as full hind and fore-limb prosthetics and adaptive devices.

Their products are held in high regard by the orthopedic department of Colorado State University (yes, I talked to them then also).

Their devices are truly custom fitted for each patient.

The cast molding process looks a bit scary but I’m sure your veterinarian could handle that just fine. (Interestingly, Jasmine’s vet at that time refused to help us out with getting the mold done, which I still cannot get over)

I think that the OrthoPets’ orthotics and prosthetics are really well thought out and well designed and it would be what I’d choose should I need one for our dog.

Did any of you use OrthoPets orthotic or prosthetic for your dog? Let us hear from you.

Categories: CCL injuries • Joint issues • Knee issues • Orthotics and prosthetics

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer, dog health advocate, writer, and author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Countless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that merely seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to get a diagnosis. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners. What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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