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$895.00
Purchase your Custom Brace.
We send you a Casting Kit for you to make a mold of your pet's limb.
You ship us the mold. We use it to build a custom brace for your pet.
We ship you the finished custom brace. You fit it to your pet. Your pet is on their way to recovery!
Measure the circumference of the leg just above the hock (the raised part of the ankle below the knee)
Most dog ankle braces are made with a Tamarack-Tether hinge, which allows for a limited range of motion in order to prevent abnormal motion. Some diagnoses will require an alternative, Range of Motion (ROM) hinge. There is an additional $200 charge when fabricating a custom brace that requires a ROM hinge.
Our shell is constructed from durable polypropylene. The cast you send us forms the blueprint for the shell, so it is imperative you cast your dog's leg correctly. When cast correctly, the resulting custom brace fits the contours of your dog's leg precisely.
Most dog ankle braces are made without a paw segment. This is especially advised when the dog is particularly active or has a bilateral (both legs) diagnosis. If you are unsure if a paw segment is needed, please contact your veterinarian before ordering
Similarly to breaking in a new pair of shoes, the Custom Dog Ankle Brace should initially be worn in short increments as your dog builds up a tolerance to the device. For best results, place the brace on your pet for only half an hour the first day. You can typically increase this time by a further half hour each subsequent day. You can facilitate this process by positively reinforcing and rewarding your dog for wearing the brace. Please keep in mind that the break-in period and time of each increment will depend on your pet's diagnosis and overall acceptance of the brace.
If there is any irritation or skin breakdown, discontinue use of the brace for one full day. If irritation continues, contact us at care@aocpet.com
It is crucial that you thoroughly inspect your pet's skin after each use of the Custom Dog Ankle Brace. This is especially important during the initial break-in period. While it is not uncommon to see minor problems for the first few weeks of brace usage, make note of any blisters or other unusual marks on the skin. Skin redness that does not disappear within an hour after the brace is removed and other signs of skin breakdown are indications of excessive pressure from the brace. The brace can easily be modified to relieve these areas of irritation.
You should also carefully examine the brace itself after each use. Identify any cracks, tears, or areas of unusual wear. Padding and the hook and loop straps can be replaced by contacting Animal Ortho Care. Consult our warranty terms for other details on the service process.
Both the Custom Dog Ankle Brace and areas of skin that come into contact with it must be kept clean. This reduces the chance of your dog contracting contact dermatitis or other skin conditions. Regularly clean the brace with a mixture of half water, half isopropyl alcohol. After cleaning, dry with a towel or let the brace dry at room temperature. Do not speed the drying process through use of applied heat, such as from a hair dryer. Never put a wet brace onto your pet, as it will affect the fit. A properly-fitted brace can be worn in water, but should be thoroughly dried after use before re-application.
Purchases of our Custom Dog Ankle Braces include a free casting kit, which you will use before we begin fabricating the brace itself. Once you have cast your dog's leg - or legs if you are ordering a pair of Custom Braces - you will mail us the casts. At that point we craft your brace order based on the cast of your dog's leg, and then send the Custom Braces back to you.
Please contact us and we will work with you to find the fit! The hook and loop straps give you some freedom to adjust the brace yourself. Depending on the issues with the fit, we may instruct you to ship it back to us for more extensive modification.
Please note it is imperative that you take an accurate cast of your dog's leg in order for the brace to have the best possible fit. Please refer to our casting directions and be sure that you are familiar with them before attempting a casting.
Refurbishing your dog's brace is easy. Strap replacements are free within the first 90 days of your purchase if you order and replace them yourself. We offer various methods for refurbishing your brace depending on what needs to be done. You can order new Straps (1 inch or 1.5 inch) and Pads to replace on your own. If you don't want to replace the straps yourself or need a liner replacement, you can use our Custom Brace Refurbish Service and we will refurbish the brace based on what you order.
There is a two-week break-in period where you will gradually increase the time your dog wears their Custom Dog Ankle Brace by 30 minute increments. Once this period is complete, you may leave the brace on your dog for up to 14 hours a day. However, be sure to remove the brace when your dog is resting, this will prevent irritation and allow their leg to air out. Check for any signs of irritation and/or swelling after removing the brace.
Please remove the brace before your dog goes to bed at night.
Yes! However, give your dog a few days of using the brace before they attempt stairs. If they seem to be adjusting well to the brace and moving comfortably, you should be able to introduce stairs. Be sure to supervise their first few attempts.
Once we receive the cast of your dog's leg, it takes 5-7 business days to fabricate the brace. Expedited Fabrication is available for $150.00 per brace which reduces the fabrication time to 3 business days.
We offer free 5-7 business day ground shipping in the US for both the casting kit and custom brace, as well as 2 Business Day or Overnight shipping options for an additional charge. If you select an expedited shipping option, we will ship the casting kit to you based on that option. Once we receive the cast of your dog's leg and fabricate the Custom Brace, we will ship that using the same option you selected at checkout.
The difficulty of casting will depend on your dog; more anxious or badly injured dogs may find the process more distressing. It is recommended that you perform the process with at least 3-4 people depending on your dog's energy level.
Detailed instructions on how to cast are included in the casting kit. We can walk you or your veterinarian through the casting process, so please contact us with questions or concerns before you begin casting your dog's leg. We also offer FREE on-site casting at our Arden Hills, Minnesota location.
Product fabricated and shipped in a timely manner. The straps and velcro fasteners were not as durable as expected. I had to manually repair (sew) two straps. When the vet tried to adjust one strap to make the hock area more flexible, the screw would not come out. Very disappointing! When I talked to customer service they said perhaps locktite was used on it at the factory. Other screws on other parts do unscrew. Not being able to adjust this flexible hock area does not allow the movement that he needs.
Hey Mary,
Thank you for taking the time to write a review for the custom tarsal brace and sharing your experience. We will have a customer care representative reach out to you regarding your concerns!
Respectfully,
AOC
Great customer service. Our situation was a little different, since we live in Switzerland. We had to get the brace with out a fitting post production. The customer service was great. The production seemed rushed and the finished brace still needs some tweaking after the production. The spacing between the main parts of the brace were not cut parallel, the stitching of the straps ran over the edge and the placement of the straps of the brace wasn’t well thought. Fitment was good but again fitting is still needed post production so nothing can be said about the post production service.
Hello,
Thank you for the feedback. Looks like a customer care rep has reached out regarding your fabrication concerns with the brace.
Repsectfully,
AOC
Amazing customer service and high quality durable brace! My experience with this company has been excellent. The team is very friendly, knowledgeable, accommodating, and quick to respond. I am beyond happy with the brace we received, it fit perfectly and my dog is finally able to play fetch again with no pain. It was well worth every penny and I’m so grateful I was able to find this company. Don’t go anywhere else if you’re looking for a brace for your pet!
Hi Monica,
We are so happy to hear you are happy with your product...and more importantly it is helping your dog so much! Happy to hear your dog can get back to more normal activity such as fetch and play without being in discomfort. Please do let us know if you have questions along the way, always happy to assist. Thank you for taking the time to write us a review.
Best,
Animal Ortho Care
It would be much easier to slide a tapered Velcro strap through the metal piece as opposed to a blunt tip piece of Velcro. The blunt tip has to fit more exact and that can be hard to do on a rambunctious Lab. All in all the brace was a perfect fit.
Hello,
Thank you so much for your feedback, we will share this great feedback with the team. We are so happy to hear the brace fits well. Please do let us know if you have questions along the way. Thank you for taking the time to write us a review.
Best,
Animal Ortho Care
The people there are so nice .I had to cancel my order because of the virus my dog was not diagnosed with Cushing desease. He fell and went lame we had to hire dog ambulance out of Cleveland to get him to animal hospital.When he fell he ripped his elbows off with exposed bone. They couldn’t be fixed and we had no choice but to let him go. We are heartbroken but we couldn’t get the braces soon enough. We got a refund. Should one of my other Standard Poodles need help or any of my friends I will definitely send them there .Hope that explains it all.
Hi Arlene,
We are so deeply sorry to hear what happened. It is never easy to lose a furry loved one. Please know if you ever need anything down the line we are always here to help.
Best,
Animal Ortho Care
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