Dog Bracing Made Simple
Tips and tricks to help your dog succeed with added support
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Cecelia and Ozzie's Triumph Over a Volleyball Injury
Rising from a torn ACL and multiple surgeries, in the end a simple knee brace allowed Ozzie to return to comfort a Mom battling dementia.
Ozzie and Harriet...er...
Cecelia and Ozzie have been best friends for the past 11 years.
Not only is the 12-year-old, black Chow mix a lifelong companion to Cecelia, but he’s a great comfort to her mom, who has dementia.
"Sometimes my mom won't remember who I am, but she'll always recognize her dog,” says Cecelia of her mom’s love of Ozzie.
Cecelia moved back home in 1994 to help take care of her ailing mom. Dementia doesn’t just affect one family member — it can take its toll on the whole family. Cecelia says Ozzie has been a great help, with his calming and steadying presence, for all members of her family.
Cecelia found Ozzie back in 2004 on a pet-finding website. She drove from just outside of Lincoln, Nebraska all the way to St. Louis, Missouri that Memorial Day weekend. Ozzie was only about 1 1/2 years old then.
Adventure takes a turn
Besides having a therapeutic nature, Ozzie also has an adventurous spirit. On a recent visit to a friend’s house, Ozzie injured his leg playing sand volleyball with the other dogs. When he was trying to get back in the car after the visit, Ozzie whimpered.
While it occurred to Cecelia that it could be hip dysplasia, it turned out that Ozzie had actually torn the ligament in his knee.
Ozzie's veterinarian recommended surgery. Unfortunately, the first surgery was not successful. As a result, a second surgery was performed.
But Ozzie wasn’t out of the woods yet. While he was recovering from his second surgery, he tore the ligament in his other knee. Ozzie then underwent a third surgery to help repair the ligament in that knee.
Cecelia knew she had to do something to help Ozzie. After three surgeries, she had to find some additional support to help him heal properly and avoid further injury. She thought about what is available to humans for similar injuries. Humans often use leg braces. Was something like this an option for dogs?
The knee brace
After some research, she discovered Hero and its dog leg braces. After Cecelia connected Ozzie's veterinarian, Dr. Pat McInteer at Hillcrest Animal Clinic, with Hero Braces, the company sent a casting kit. Within a few weeks, Ozzie's brace arrived at the door.
After the brace was placed on Ozzie, he was able to stand up and bear weight on his leg immediately. Within a few hours, Ozzie was almost back to walking normally.
Ozzie is getting up there in years — but don't tell him that — and he is undergoing treatment for arthritis of his toes. He doesn't run as much as he used to, but he is able to go for short strolls and live pain-free.
He continues providing companionship and therapy to Cecelia and her mom. While Cecelia does all she can to help the dog that has given her family so much to live a full, happy life.
(Ozzie’s story was originally posted on June 12, 2015.)
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Bodhi is a survivor. She's a 14-year-old, lovable Cattledog and has been battling cancer for the last year and a half. She's been through two surgeries and two rounds of chemo, but nothing can keep her down. Literally.
A few months ago, Bodhi was playing in the backyard when she made a quick turn and immediately yelped, falling to the ground in pain. Doctors determined that she had completely torn her back left ACL. She was unable to put any weight on it at all, with all movement excruciating. Bodhi need to be carried around everywhere, even outside to relieve herself. This was another obstacle to a dog who has already gone through so much.
Because of Bodhi's cancer and her age, her oncologist recommended against surgery since it would require months of rehab. Out of options, the family considered putting Bodhi down. Then her chiropractor suggested a Hero Brace as an option. She had seen success for other clients and referred the family to Dr. Annette Richmond in Carmel, CA.
Dr. Richmond examined Bodhi and created the cast for the brace. After three weeks, the brace for the ACL tear arrived. It only took a day or so for Bodhi to get used to the brace. Now she wears the brace from morning until just before bedtime and has about 80% of her mobility back.
Bill, Bodhi's owner, reports that her attitude improved immediately, and her quality of life has returned. "Shortly after she started wearing her Hero Brace, she got her "silly" back and is thoroughly enjoying her golden years," Bill says. "I just wanted to say thank you for such a great product. I can't speak highly enough of the results."Bohdi has overcome so much in her dog life. We are happy to be a part of her survivor story. Go. Bohdi. Go
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Bionic Pickles - Dog ACL Success
When Alisha says "hold the pickles," she's not talking about a burger. She's talking about her almost three-year-old Great Pyrenees/Akbash-mix Pickles.
Alisha has been holding and snuggling Pickles since the rescue dog was six weeks old. Pickles had been battling a severe case of parvovirus and struggled with respiratory issues for months with a less than 50% chance of survival. After fighting back with a mix of medications, steroids and a whole lot of moxie, Pickles pulled through.
Just this spring, Pickles was playing with her sister Popcorn (I know. Adorable.) when she made a quick turn on the wet grass and let out a yelp. Alisha's father-in-law, a veterinarian, knew immediately that Pickles had torn a ligament.
The family's local vet recommended surgery, but Alisha was apprehensive. She was concerned about complications with the hardware required for the recommended surgery. She was worried about future injury after the surgery. She was also apprehensive about the 6 months recovery time and wondered how Pickles would be able to remain immobile with three other active dogs in the house. Alisha decided to look for other options.
Alisha's husband had torn his ACL a few years earlier (a similar injury to a dog's CCL tear). One of the options his doctor had recommended had been a non-surgical route with bracing. Alisha knew that if that was an option for humans, there would have to be something similar for dogs. That is when she found Hero Braces.
"The durability and the science behind the brace is pretty impeccable. Now Pickles and her dad have matching braces; it's crazy how much the braces function and resemble one another."
Since Pickles has received her ACL brace, the family is amazed at how active she has become again. She runs and is able to keep up with her pack. When Pickles is in her brace, she acts like a puppy again. Alisha says that Pickles gets excited to put it on and has never shown any discomfort, "We call her our little bionic pup."
Bionic Pickles. Sounds like a great superhero name to us.
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Wheeler Conquers The Great Outdoors With A Torn ACL
Yearning to return hiking and his camping lifestyle, Jason Darrah of the Primal Outdoors Channel needed to find a way to help his dog Wheeler avoid surgery for his torn ACL.
Looking for an alternative to surgery he found Dr. Lisa Plumb of Klamath Animal Hospital and Go Hero Braces.
Watch his journey below:
And if you are really in the mood, buy some of Wheeler's coffee here!
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Benson Battles Cushing's and ACL Tear: Wins!
Benson was born November 21, 2001. He is a parti-colored Cocker Spaniel that sat up and begged for Maria Lowe to take him home 13 years ago. Since then, he has been the joy of the Lowe family's lives. They love to dote on him and treat him like royalty. As a matter of fact, anyone who comes into contact with the family jokes about a desire to be reincarnated as a Lowe family pet.
As a young dog, Benson loved to play frisbee and seemed to fly through the air to catch it. As Benson aged, he slowed down, and although some of that had to do with the normal aging process, he also had some tough times physically. During his 13 years, Benson has had several surgeries for tumor removal and is currently battling Cushing's Disease.
Two years ago, Benson became very sick, running a fever of 105. The family quickly brought him to the ICU, but the prospects seemed grim. After the tests and blood work, Benson's vet, Dr. Gordon Schmucker from Lisbon Vet Clinic in Lisbon, Ohio was unable to determine what was wrong. He suspected there were complications with the Cushing's Disease and Benson's immune system. Benson did make a recovery but lost some of his hearing and became sensitive to different medications.
A few months after he recovered, Benson tried to jump up on the bed and fell back, crying with a limp. During a quick phone consultation, Dr. Schmucker recommended aspirin and monitoring. A few days later, the vet was able to examine Benson and made the official diagnosis of a torn ACL. Worried about what it could do to Benson's weakened body, Dr. Schmucker did not want to recommend anesthesia. Surgery was ruled out as a treatment option. He recommended seeing how Benson would do, letting it heal on its own.
Maria's son, Eric, is a local middle school assistant principal and athletic director. He knew that humans benefit from proper bracing when they injure their ACLs and thought he could find something similar for animals online. He found Ace Ortho Solutions, now known as Hero Braces.
Dr. Schmucker was unfamiliar with bracing for dogs but agreed to cast Benson. He did express concern that Benson would wind up just chewing the brace because of previous experiences with him, but was interested in trying it as an option.
When the knee brace arrived, Benson never looked back. It almost seemed like he knew it made his leg feel better and totally accepted that fact. He never chewed or bothered his brace.
Nowadays, Benson doesn't play as much as he used to due to his age. He can still run along the fence and chase the mailman and the UPS man, who really get a kick out of him. All around, the family reports that he gets around very well. The veterinarians at the clinic are amazed, and Benson is a celebrity there.
Maria and her family would recommend Hero Braces to anyone who may be looking for options for their pet. "Thank you so much for creating them and for all of your compassion and help. Hero is an outstanding place to deal with, and Monica is so helpful. Cannot say enough about what this brace and Hero have done."
Dog Bracing Made Simple
ACL tear recovery: See why Magoo's family chose a non-surgical Hero Brace over a costly surgery. His vet was thrilled with the results—Magoo snuggles again!
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Zoey, Thankful for Thanksgiving
Zoey's liver condition made ACL surgery too risky. Read how a custom Hero Brace provided the non-surgical stability she needed to run, play, and recover fully.
Dog Bracing Made Simple
A Christmas Tree Farm's Hero: Kuli's Inspiring Tale
For years, families would celebrate tradition and travel for miles to get their annual Christmas Tree at the Clapp Christmas Tree Farm off the coast of Maine. Waiting, with tail wagging to welcome them and help each family find the perfect fir, was Kuli.
Kuli is a beautiful 10 1/2 year old Black Labrador Retriever who for years has loved to run and play at the Clapp's Christmas Tree Farm, helping families pick out the perfect tree to celebrate the holidays. One December afternoon in 2008, she was out playing amid the trees when she somehow ruptured her Achilles tendon.
Her owners, Kathy and John panicked. Kuli is the 3rd member of the Clapp family, and they could not stand to see their dog in pain. Their veterinarian, Dr. Greg Thibodeau recommended surgery, so they drove almost three hours through a northeastern snowstorm to Norway, ME for the procedure. Unfortunately, the surgery did not work. The surgeon, Dr. Todd Gauger of Norway Veterinary Hospital stated that there was nothing more he could do surgically to help repair Kuli's leg. The situation looked grim.
Dr. Gauger had heard about something new that was being talked about in veterinary circles and thought it was worth a chance. He called Hero to request a casting kit to be sent to Dr. Thibodeau in Blue Hill. He sent the cast off and a short time later, Kuli received her ankle brace. This is the first time anyone at the veterinary clinic had ever heard of bracing for dogs, and Kuli was soon the poster child for the concept.
Proper fit is paramount when determining whether a brace will help or not. If a brace does not fit properly, it will not only fail to help a dog to recover, but it can also cause more physical problems. That is why having a custom dog leg brace and a good cast is so important. When Kathy and John sent the pictures of Kuli trying on her brace for the first time, Ben from Hero was not satisfied. He made another brace for her immediately in order to guarantee the perfect fit.
"We think the world of Ben," says Kathy. "The brace helped Kuli so much." Kuli was able to begin walking and playing again, even wearing out the brace's Velcro a few times during the past 5 years. She has gotten to the point where she doesn't need to wear it any more and continues swimming every day in warm weather.
The Clapps are so grateful for the second chance Hero has given Kuli that they send Ben and the team a Christmas card every year to keep them up to speed with what the family is doing.
It's been a joyous 10 1/2 years on the farm, but eventually all dogs get to the point when they need to slow it down just a bit. This year Kuli has decided to enjoy the season from a different perspective; underneath her very own Christmas tree with a warm blanket, twinkling lights and the comfort of the season.
Enjoy your break, Kuli. You deserve it.
Wherever your Holiday traditions take you this year, we hope your family pet can be with you.
From our pet to yours --
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Caleb, Happier than a Pig in Slop
When Caleb tore his CCL, his owner refused 13 weeks of crating. Read how a custom Hero Brace provided a non-surgical solution that made Caleb "happier than a pig in slop."
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Even after a full ACL tear, Roxy returned to "super dog" status! Her vet recommended a Hero Brace over surgery, allowing this athletic Boxer-mix to run, jump, and play again.
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Boo Boo, Melts a Heart, Saves a Life
Boo Boo saved his owner’s life, then his owner saved his. A severe car injury severed a tendon, but a Hero Carpal Brace helped him regain strength and mobility.
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Bowa's Comeback: From Injury to Obedience Champion
When surgery threatened Bowa’s career, his owner found a custom Hero Brace. Discover why this non-surgical solution was the perfect choice for a competitive dog's recovery.
Dog Bracing Made Simple
From Roof Jump to Squirrel Chase: Farley's Inspiring Tale
After a painful jump led to severe carpal injuries, Farley faced $6500 in surgery. Discover his inspiring non-surgical comeback with custom Hero Wrist Braces.
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Jack's Triumph: Overcoming Knee Injury with a Hero Brace
When four surgeries couldn't fix Jack's patellar luxation, his owner (a vet) chose a Hero Brace. Read how this custom knee brace prevented re-injury and restored his activity.
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Facing amputation after a severe injury, Luke's owner chose hope. A custom Hero Brace completed his recovery, allowing this active dog to run and hike the mountains again.
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Kepa tore a knee ligament, but couldn't have surgery. Read how a custom Hero Brace got this adventure dog back to hiking the Pacific Crest Trail pain-free!
Dog Bracing Made Simple
Achilles Ruptures in Dogs - Hunter's Story
It’s been a relaxing spring day at your house. As you leave the kitchen, you realize that your senior Golden Retriever is no longer by your side.
You look back to see him struggling next to the dishwasher, one rear leg caught under the sharp sheet metal edge. You act quickly. Minutes later, you have untangled his leg and are confronted with a deep cut above his ankle.
Your mind races as you prepare to go to the vet. Is this repairable? How long will it take to recover? Who has the knowledge to help?
Hunter’s Journey
This is what happened to Hunter, Amy’s low-key Golden Retriever. Amy knew that he needed immediate attention and had the Achilles tendon on the back of his ankle repaired by a veterinarian.
Amy was told Hunter would be in a cast for 8 weeks and then start several months of physical therapy or “Rehab”. During rehab, the tendon would still be healing and would need support if Hunter were to go back to his normal play quickly. Who could help guide her through the healing process and provide a quality brace?
His Therapist to the Rescue
Luckily, Jolene, Hunter’s rehab therapist at VCA PineRidge, suggested supporting the leg with a custom ankle brace from Hero Braces. Their team guided Hunter through the process to create a brace to support his hock. This brace allowed Hunter to be more active right away and served to protect the Achilles tendon as he regained strength.
Amy felt that wearing the Hero Brace gave Hunter more confidence to move and play during his recovery, and now, a year later, he continues to do well. Even though Hunter has been given permission to go without his Hero Brace, ”Hunter is more confident when he wears it,” Amy noted, and “Hunter won’t jump or use stairs without his brace.” He is “just as mobile now with the brace as he was before” his injury.
“His brace gives him confidence so he can let his playful spirit shine!”
Healing Achilles Injuries in Dogs
Achilles tendon injuries can be debilitating if left alone, and even after corrective surgery, the tendon is never quite as strong and can require continued custom support. Hero Braces has a custom Ankle Brace that allows your dog to play sooner and fits in nicely with traditional Rehab.
Although Hunter still wears his brace daily, many pets graduate and no longer use the brace daily or use it only when playing hard or going on hikes. As an owner, it’s comforting to know that Hero Braces is there to help speed recovery and prevent re-injury.
Does your dog have an Achilles injury? Consider a hock brace.
Update: After a full life, our gentle-souled Hunter recently crossed the rainbow bridge. He will always be close to our hearts. Hunter's mom, Amy, made a beautiful video of his life. Please watch it here.
Helping Pets live fuller lives
Helping Pets live fuller lives