Has anyone used an orthopedic brace for a tron ACL. This is an alternative to surgery and I am investigating the pros and cons.

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I haven't but I looked in to them.  I have a corgi that tore both rear ACL's two years apart, and one corgi that has a very old ACL tear in the right rear leg that never got fixed when it tore (he was in a puppy mill).  I know surgery is expensive, but it really is the best thing for the dog.  If you don't get it fixed, you are guaranteed to have severe arthritis vs mild arthritis.  By the time you shell out money for pain meds for a couple of years, it's more economical to go with the surgery....and just better for the dog.  Plus all the braces I looked at were quite expensive too....and very hard to find for a dog with no legs to begin with.  :-)

I would think if it's ruptured surgery is probably the best option.

My dog hurt a knee a year ago.  We gave him rest and hoped for the best.  He seemed to heal, and was hiking again 8 months later, but relapsed badly at 10 months and I think he's a surgery candidate. 

Our four year old female blew out her cruciate ligament four weeks ago.  We went with surgery three days later; she is 90-95% recovered and doing very well.  We would do the same thing again.

How much did surgery cost? How long is recovery? How much does your corgi weigh?

it is all very complicated:  no surgery, fishline/tightrope, TPLO, TTA.  A lot of reseraching to do.

It depends on what kind of surgery you go with.  I found a vet to do the fish-line for $500, but the TPLO can be as expensive as $2500.  In the end it cost me $1200 for each leg.  Recovery is 12 weeks confined rest, no running/jumping, walks on leash only.  Then every day you have exercises you need to do.  Pretty much all the vets will tell you that the fishline surgery (extra-capsular) is fine for a corgi.  I had my surgeon tell me he refuses to do the TPLO and TTA on a corgi, as their legs aren't designed for it, and he's seen too many horror complications from that type of surgery on a corgi.  

We could never get a concrete diagnosis but it was thought that Milly tore her ACL a year ago. I did tons of research and decided against surgery. There is information out there but I did conservative therapy meaning rest, short walks, fish oil ans glucosamine supplements. She healed well but as expected about six months later one healed and the other started causing problems. We are on the tail end of that one getting better and she fraps with the best of them :) she is about 25 pounds. I would suggest do your research and know your dog before making a decision rather than feeling pressured by a vet.

If the ACL is torn completely it won't heal and you are setting your pup up for arthritis later in life. In most cases surgery is your best option. Braces generally cause more problems than help and fitting a brace on a corgi leg and having a corgi that will tolerate wearing a brace makes things even more difficult. Every time the brace comes off he/she will risk re-injuring the leg, however the brace can't stay on 24/7 because it will cause pressure sores and the muscles will likely atrophy from lack of movement and use. Add to that the cost of a custom made brace for a corgi and you are probably looking to close to the same price as the fishing line ACL repair which is the type of surgery most surgeons recommend for small breed dogs. 

Best bet is surgery, if you can't afford that then strict exercise restriction for at least 4-6 weeks while saving up for surgery. If it is a partial tear it may heal on its own with just pain medication and strict rest. 

Yes, I agree! Surgery is the only option that makes sense in the big picture. We are off to the vet specialist next week to see what we are facing! Thank you, everyone for your input! ♥♥

What did you end up doing? 

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