My dog has an ACL tear. Should I wrap his leg with a bandage?

Wrapping the leg is unlikely to help and an improperly applied bandage could actually do more harm than good. You could look into a custom brace - these along with physical therapy can be successful although they can cost nearly as much as surgery. Otherwise I’d recommend following your vet’s recommendations for medical management.

Braces are rarely used if surgery is an option. In small dogs, they are not usually needed. Braces can cause some issues because the fit has to be absolutely perfect to avoid rubbing the skin or causing other joint damage. The best thing to do is “bed rest” and pain medications as prescribed by your vet.

Your best option is probably to keep her confined and only take her outside to go potty on a leash, much like you did after her first surgery. Wraps or splints can be harmful if improperly applied, or applied too tightly.

Hi there. No, I would not recommend attempting to place any kind of wrap or bandage at home - this is not likely to be helpful, and often makes things worse. If your dog is painful enough that he yelps when he gets up and is limping on one of his legs, I would strongly recommend taking him to the vet to find out what's wrong. Your veterinarian can examine his leg and take x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what kind of treatment is needed.

So, this is not a simple answer because braces for ACL tears are not as easy to work with in dogs as they are in people. For a knee brace to work in a dog, it needs to be custom made which requires a vet to make a cast from Shamus' leg and mail that to the company to make the brace. They braces cost about $800, but that does not include casting or fitting fees. The brace I have used most commonly is an OrthoPets stifle orthotic. https://orthopets.com/products/dog-knee-brace/ Hero is also an excellent company. https://www.goherogo.com/braces/knee-brace I have not personally casted for this product, but have done rehabilitation on dogs with a My Dog's Brace, and the owners have been pleased with them. https://mypetsbrace.com/canine-knee-braces-rear-leg Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

We don't typically wrap legs in dogs who are limping unless we know the cause. It would be important to localize the pain to help determine if it is a soft tissue injury, a torn ligament, or a broken bone. A good physical exam and radiographs can really help determine how to treat Tallulah. Make an appointment with your regular veterinarian soon to help figure it out.

In these cases ACL or CCL tear is the most likely reason for it. Tear can be partial and conservative management (especially in dogs under 15kg) could be successful. Complete rest and anti-inflammatory meds can be attempted.