Restoring your dog’s mobility after it has been lost from an injury, ailment, or surgery is imperative if you’re a dog owner.
That’s why Cathy Erwin founded Walkabout Harnesses LLC in 1986. She wanted to create a range of products that help pets shorten a pet’s recovery time while maximizing their mobility.
There is a wide range of products by Walkabout Harnesses that you can choose from when you’re helping your dog recover from an injury or surgery.
Today, we’re going to assess the effectiveness of the Walkabout Cruciate Knee Brace and give our review of what makes this product work.
About Walkabout Harnesses
Walkabout Harnesses LLC was founded in 1986 by veterinarian Cathy Erwin whose mission was to create quality braces for dogs and cats suffering from injuries, ailments, or post-surgical recovery.
Pets using Walkabout Harnesses products after suffering from an injury or recovering from surgery had their function and mobility restored more quickly than using other braces.
Today, Walkabout Harnesses LLC continues to actively work in rehabilitation research so that they can continue to always manufacture state-of-the-art products for pets in need.
Whether your pet needs a product to help them recover from an injury or as post-operative support after surgery, Walkabout Harnesses is dedicated to providing you with the latest rehabilitative devices for an injured dog. And it’s not just harnesses that they’re known for…
Walkabout Cruciate Knee Brace Review
What We Love About the Walkabout Cruciate Knee Brace
- A perfect balance of compression and stabilization. The Walkabout cruciate knee brace compresses the knee joint to stabilize it to reduce pain and inflammation while increasing blood flow.
- Easy to take on and off. You can easily put the Walkabout knee brace on your injured dog while he is active and then take it off while he is sleeping or left alone.
- Two adjustable stirrups straps. The Walkabout knee brace is designed with two adjustable stirrup straps that go over your dog’s back to make a snug and comfortable fit.
- Can be connected to a chest halter. If your dog needs additional support, the Walkabout knee brace can be attached to a chest halter to provide extra support.
- Additional devices can be used with this supportive brace. Walkabout Harnesses makes additional devices to attach to the Walkabout knee brace. This allows your pet to have the precise extra support he may need for the injury or ailment he has.
How to Use The Brace
Any dog brace is only effective if it is used properly. That’s why it’s so important to know how to use the Walkabout cruciate knee brace.
Before we get started, we need to mention the different sizes that the Walkabout dog knee brace is available in. Knowing what size dog knee brace to choose is the first step to knowing how to use it.
Measure Your Dog to Choose the Right Size Brace
The Walkabout dog knee brace comes in eight different sizes, from XXX-small to X-large. You will need to take four measurements of your dog to choose the correct size that will fit your dog and his injured leg or knee injury the best.
Measurement #1: Measure the circumference of your dog’s abdomen directly in front of the area where the back legs start.
Measurement #2: Measure the circumference of your dog’s upper thigh at the point where it meets the body.
Measurement #3: Measure the circumference of your dog’s leg one inch above the knee if your dog weighs more than 15 pounds. If your dog weighs less than 15 pounds, measure ½ inch above the knee.
Measurement #4: Measure the circumference of your dog’s leg one inch under the knee for all dog sizes.
Once you have made all of your measurements, use this chart to determine what size you need to choose.
| XXXS | XXS | XS | S | M | ML | L | XL | |
| A abdomen | 7″-12″ | 9″-12″ | 10″-18″ | 12″-20″ | 18″-26″ | 25″-29″ | 30″-35″ | 31″-35″ |
| B upper thigh | 3.5″-5.5″ | 4″-6″ | 7″-8″ | 8″-11″ | 9″-14″ | 12″-16″ | 16″-18″ | 17″-22″ |
| H 1″ above knee | 3″-4.5″ | 4.5″-5.5″ | 5.5″-6.5″ | 7″-9″ | 10″-11″ | 12″-13″ | 14″-15″ | 16″-18″ |
| G 1″ below knee | 1″-2″ | 2″-3″ | 2″-3″ | 3″-4″ | 4″-6″ | 5″-6″ | 6″-8″ | 7″-10″ |
| brace length from top to bottom | 5″ | 5″ | 6.5″ | 7″ | 9.5″ | 10.5″ | 10.5″ | 12.5 |
After receiving your Walkabout cruciate knee brace, you will need to put it on your dog. With your dog standing up, slide the brace onto your dog’s back leg and pull it up until it reaches your dog’s body. Take the Velcro straps of the brace and wrap them around your dog’s back so that the brace stays securely in place.
Once the straps have been securely attached around your dog’s back, tighten the straps of the knee brace that go around your dog’s leg using the Velcro straps. If you are using a harness or an additional device, you can attach it at this point.
Here is a helpful video that shows you how to put the Walkabout cruciate knee brace on your dog.
Keep the Walkabout cruciate knee brace on your dog for as much as 12 hours a day to help your dog regain mobility in his leg. You can leave the dog brace on as your dog uses the restroom, or you can take it off.
Why We Trust the Walkabout Cruciate Knee Brace
We trust the Walkabout cruciate knee brace as one of the best dog knee brace options because it can treat a wide range of mild to severe knee injuries and joint issues. Some knee braces are designed to be used only for severe injuries. Braces like these have more compression that is needed to treat the issue and provide extra support.
With the Walkabout cruciate knee brace, you control how much compression and extra stability you need your injured dog to have based on his exact needs.
The Walkabout cruciate knee brace can be used for the following conditions:
- Cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) tears
- Overuse of the knee
- Luxating patella
- Arthritis
- Rehabilitation
- Post-operative surgery recovery
We like that the Walkabout cruciate knee brace can be used for any of these conditions and that the brace can continue to be used while our dog goes through recovery. It’s not one of those braces that can only be used at the beginning of the injury.
You can keep it on your dog as he continues going through the recovery process.