A Torn ACL / CCL is the Most Common Dog Injury
A torn ACL / CCL requires rest, immobilization, and often surgery for repair. The Cruciate Care Dog Knee Brace acts as a CCL brace or ACL brace for dogs and offers therapeutic support and stabilization before and after surgery. It is also useful in cases when surgery is not necessary or feasible. Immobilization of the knee and leg promotes reduced pain and inflammation and support during healing. In 60% of cases, a dog with a torn ACL will later injure the other knee. It is our hope that by stabilizing the injured knee as well as balancing the dog’s back and hip areas, further injury can be reduced.
A Soft Dog Knee Brace, Highly Adjustable, and Appropriate for Dogs of All Ages
Our unique and original butterfly design of the back anchor support of the dog knee brace also lends support to the lower back and hip areas to reduce strain from limping. By stabilizing and balancing the rear end of the dog, the brace may help prevent injury of the other knee or joints.
It fits dogs with aheight of at least 20 inches,thigh circumference of at least 9 inches (for the brace), and a chest circumference of at least 12 inches(for the harness). See How to Measure
We designed this dog knee brace to fit the natural angle of the knee to prevent it from hyper-flexing while still allowing limited mobility. Flexible metal stays on either side of the knee aid in keeping the knee in its natural position and foam padding at the knee offers a more cushioned support. The brace allows your canine friend to move easily and without strain on the joint.
Indications for Use
- ACL tear (anterior or cranial cruciate ligament, CCL) of the knee
- Strain or sprain of the knee joint
- Back leg limping, instability, or fatigue
- Post-operative support
- Arthritis
- Knee stabilization
- The dog knee brace can be worn during the day and taken off at night
- Please REMOVE the brace and harness at night so the skin can breathe — please also remove the brace and harness if you are crating your dog or leaving them unattended
Easy Storage
The Cruciate Care Knee Brace comes in a nylon mesh draw-string bag for easy and clean storage. Just throw the bag in the back of your car and head out for fun with your dog!
More about Ortho Dog
Our braces, the people who make them, and our commitment to helping dogs.
For a Good Fit, Take Careful Measurements.
Before you can purchase an Ortho Dog Cruciate Care Knee Brace, you will need to measure your dog’s height, thigh circumference, and chest circumference to determine if it will fit. This will inform what size harness and brace to order. Please note our harness color is determined by size and you will not have a choice regarding color. If you have a German Shepherd, read our specialized measurement instructions.
How Do I Measure? Along with our instructions below, we’ve provided a video to ensure proper measurement for all of our products.
Step-by-Step Measuring Instructions for the Cruciate Care Knee Brace
Be sure to take all measurements while your dog is standing.
Use a soft measuring tape (or string) for a snug measurement.
Measure the circumference of your dog’s chest by wrapping the tape completely around the body. The minimum size to fit is 12 inches, with a maximum of 43 inches.
- Measure the circumference of your dog’s thigh by wrapping the tape completely around the area halfway between the bend of the knee and the groin. The minimum size fit is 9 inches, with a maximum of 19 inches.
Measure your dog’s height from the bottom paw to the top of the lower back. The minimum height requirement is 20 inches.
Enter your dimensions in the “Measure Your Dog To Get Started” fields on this page and submit with the “Does it Fit?” button. Based on your measurements, the results will let you know what size harness and brace to order. Please note our harness color is determined by size and you will not have a choice regarding color.
Need Help? Send us a message.
How to Put on the Cruciate Care Knee Brace
Along with our instructions available for download, the video below demonstrates how to fit the Cruciate Care Knee Brace on your dog.
We recommend taking your dog on a short, leashed walk once the brace is secured. Positive reinforcement (treats, encouragement, and praise) is essential in helping your dog adapt to wearing a knee or ACL brace.
The Cruciate Care Knee Brace and harness should always be removed at night so that the skin can breathe. Please also remove the Cruciate Care Knee Brace if you are crating your dog or leaving them unattended.
Download Cruciate Care Brace Instructions
Free Fit Consultation
Your dog’s knee brace may be an improper size or require some adjustments if the brace does not return to the proper position when your dog moves from a seated or down position to standing. We’ll be happy to help with a Free Fit Consultation. Simply email us three photos of your dog standing in the brace, and one of our fit specialists will provide specific recommendations for your pup.
Still Having Trouble?
We welcome any questions to support you and your pup with your Ortho Dog brace! If you are having issues with the brace fitting properly, please contact us and we’ll walk you through it, or exchange your product for a different size.
Brace Materials
- Spacer mesh material – lightweight, dries easily, washable, molds to fit dog’s body
- Stainless steel hardware
- Nylon side-squeeze buckles
- Nylon wide-mouth slip locks
- Nylon low-profile strap keepers
- Heavy and lightweight nylon webbing – strength, flexibility, adjustability
- Commercial-grade nylon Velcro
- Metal stays – lateral stability
- Embroidered Ortho Dog emblem sewn on brace
- Nylon draw-string mesh bag for easy storage
- Braces sewed by local sewers
Made in USA
Ortho Dog braces are manufactured in the United States, and are all sewn locally in Western North Carolina.
Veterinarian Approved!
Ortho Dog is grateful to work with veterinarians across the country and internationally to supply affordable bracing solutions as an alternative to surgery. All of our braces have been designed with deep input from the veterinary community.
More about the Cruciate Care Dog Knee Brace
About the dog knee brace and how it could help your dog with an ACL/CCL injury.
My labradoodle tore her ACL and I was told she'd need surgery. I purchased an Ortho Dog knee brace for her--she wore it with no fuss for a couple of months and has been fine ever since. She's a very active fetcher so having good legs is important! When I brought her to the top veterinary hospital in Boston, Angell Memorial, for a check up, the doctor said the brace was the best one she'd ever seen! Kudos Ortho Dog!
- Damian M
I purchased the Cruciate Care Knee brace from Ortho-Dog back in June for our 9 year old Pitbulll who had torn her CCL. Deciding that surgery was not the best option for her at her age, I researched and found Ortho-Dog and their brace. It has been a life-saver for her. She has been able to enjoy her walks again and still play with her best doggo friend. Customer service was wonderful and answered all my questions, prior to ordering. The shipment arrived on time and the brace was well made. With a little instruction in the beginning, I was able to get the brace on and sized correctly. Now, it goes on without a hitch. I highly recommend this company! Their products and service are top-notch!
- Mindy M
At the time I purchased the brace I had serious fitting concerns, Abby was kind enough to walk me through and personally checked my measurements. After receiving the CCL brace for our Bogart I sent pics and Sarah replied promptly with fitting corrections that used clear and concise verbal instructions along with directional arrows on the picture. Bogart has varying degrees of happiness with his brace, and I was VERY much on the fence about whether it was helping or hurting... but here we are a week later and he is able to walk and use his leg. I am highly optimistic that he will continue improving. He's a boy and surgery is cost prohibitive and I think it would be absolute misery to place crate limitations on big active boy for 8-12 weeks. Thank you Ortho-Dog for providing help & natural relief! ps- tiny adjustments are needed to the brace throughout the day, but that's no different than any human brace I've ever worn.
- Valerie H
Awesome product, Jagger can put his own weight on his injured leg again
- AJ S
Our Aussie, Toast, tore her ACL and was having difficulties squatting to relieve herself. We looked at a few braces andordered one from Amazon, but it did not do the job. We found Ortho dog on the web and noted some of the greatoutcomes, so we ordered their brace. The brace worked great to help her walk and squat. Sarah was VERY helpful infine tuning the brace adjustments for optimal performance. Very responsive to emails with detailed instructions andpictures. She requested photos so she could help us with adjustments. Highly recommend Ortho Dog.
- Randy J
Our vet wanted to go right into an MRI and surgery to the tune of $10,000 for our dog's torn CCL.We wanted to try conservative management. I am happy to report our pup is a month into his recovery/rehab and is doing great. The brace protects him against re-injury and he gets along fine with it on. Getting it adjusted when we first got it was a bit of a challenge but now it's just a matter of getting him clipped and velcroed in for the day. We are still 3 months out from full recovery but it's a long process whatever route you go.
- Kim C
Ortho Dog gave us so much more than an effective knee brace. They gave us hope and relief from the emotional drain of watching our dog struggle to walk in pain. Our mastiff is only 5 years old and was already diagnosed with hip and elbow dysplasia when she blew her CCL. We were told the surgery would cost over $12,000 here in Hawaii and her other knee was very likely to go as well. Making a decision to not help Harley purely out of financial hardship was a difficult burden to carry.That's when we found Ortho Dog. Their customer service was beyond expectation. They helped me adjust the fit by creating diagrams with my photos and exchanging pieces for a perfect fit. They emailed to check in and responded very quickly to my questions and concerns. The knee brace worked, and Harley was able to immediately walk around the block again. Just a few months later, my dog is now walking without the brace and looking like her normal, slightly "broken" self again.Thank you Ortho Dog!
- Jody G
I reached out to ortho dog for some help with my girl Pip and they were so prompt and helpful!! thank you!! I will pay it forward :)
- Nicole P
This is the second time that our (now 13-year old) golden retriever has injured her CCL. The first time it was her righty rear leg. The day that we put on the Ortho Dog brace, she was walking around again - without limping or favoring the uninjured leg. That was about four years ago. She wore the brace almost fully for three months and she was like her old self. This time, she injured her left rear leg. We purchased a new Cruciate Care Knee Brace for the left leg a few weeks ago. She is, once again, getting around great and even romping and playing with our miniature Aussie (as much as a 13-year old Golden does)! We will keep the brace on her for a couple of months - taking it off to check her progress, massage her legs, and wash the Ortho brace. If you can't tell, we couldn't be happier with this amazing product - and it beat putting our girl through one or two surgeries and months of recovery each time. Thank you Ortho Dog!!!
- The Welsch Hills Inn
18 months ago, my uber-athletic 10 y.o. heeler/mix blew both CCL's within a month of each other. I felt surgery was prohibitively expensive, but found the Orthodog brace system. The brace went on and he supported him while he learned to walk again. The system allowed flexibility for us to brace both legs, or just one at a time while he rebuilt. Now, he's 12 and hasn't worn the brace in 8 months. Today we went on a 6 mile run in the snow and he did great. He runs up stairs with no issue and sometimes even stands up tall for hugs. Orthodog is a great small business and the last year and a half of doggie love has been worth every penny.
- Dan T
Our Aussie Doodle had a torn cruciate (doggie ACL) and needed surgery. We bought the Cruciate knee brace to use for a few weeks until we could get surgery scheduled. It seemed to help him walk better by isolating and limiting his knee movement. The staff responded quickly to emails and double checked measurement to make sure we got/ordered the right size. Overall a good experience.
- John S
