How to Measure Your Dog For A Knee Brace

When you have made the decision to invest in a dog knee brace for your best pal there is a little work on your part so we can ensure the best fitting brace possible.  First we need to have the animal’s affected limb casted with a soft fiberglass casting material that we provide in your casting kit.  The next thing we need are picture measurements.  These measurements will allow us to build a brace that is unique to your dog.  

You will need to assemble three things to be successful for accurate measurements:

1. 1. 3 people including yourself
   2. A Tape Measure
   3. Camera or Cell Phone with Camera Feature

It is important to have helpers, person #1 will help the animal lay down and stay calm.  Person #2 will hold the tape measure in the correct anatomical locations, and person #3 will snap the photo.  If you have a very well behaved dog that will lay still for several minutes then two people may work for this project.

Some important anatomy you will need to know:

• Groin: this can be found where the thigh meets the belly, the hair usually changes direction here.   
• Top of knee: This is the first bend in the leg just below the groin.
• Bottom of knee: This is the second bend in the knee before you get to the hock.
• Hock: This is the back bending joint between the bottom of the knee and the paw. 

Two measurements are needed:

1. Measurement A is the groin to the top of the knee-  This measurement is important to ensure that the brace is not too tall.  If a brace is too tall it will dig into the thigh and can potentially cause skin irritation and wounds.  It can also cause the brace to slide down when they walk. 
2. Measurement B will be the top of the knee to the apex of the hock.  This measurement will determine the length of the device and allow the animal to have adequate range of motion at the knee and the hock.

If your animal has a lot of excess hair please use the casting sock that comes in the kit to place on the leg to hold the hair down and allow measurements to be more easily seen.  Once you have your animal laying down in a calm and relaxed state and person #1 is catering to their needs, person #2 can get ready for measurement “A” by placing the tape measure from the groin to the top of the knee and hold it there while person #3 snaps a photo.  Be sure to have a clear picture so we can read the tape measure numbers in the picture.  We prefer using inches rather than centimeters. When you have an adequate photo prepare for measurement “B” by havingperson #2 place the tape measure from the top of the knee to the apex of the hock and have person #3 snap the photo.  

Next Step- Please email the picture measurements to [email protected]                                                                                   Make sure your dogs name is in the subject line (example “Stella Measurements”)

Last Step- Give your dog a pat and a treat!

Please see pictures and diagram provided to visualize your anatomy markers.  Once measurements and casting is completed you will return your order form along with the cast to our fabrication lab at 5111 E. Spangle-Waverly Rd. Spangle, WA 99031

Please call Specialized Pet Solutions with any questions: 509-934-0067