Frequently Asked Questions
If the symptoms are mild, it is enough for the dog to have support in e.g. hobbies or long walks. When the dog’s wrists are bend, or they have osteoarthritis and the dog is limp, it is good to wear braces on all walks. Knee support is usually used when outdoors, it can be on all day if needed. It is recommended taking the support out at night.
We recommend removing the support while swimming. The dog usually does not need it when swimming in the same way as when walking, and this also prevents the support from falling off and disappearing for some reason.
If the veterinarian has recommended that the support be kept while swimming as well, then of course it will be used.
If the support is not a proper fit for your dog, you can exchange or return it. If the support breaks within first three months of use, we will service it free of charge or, if necessary, replace it with new support.
We will not refund any supports that have been used.
We offer maintenance services for the support at an affordable price, so it is worth contacting us if the support has been in use for a long time and needs maintenance.
The support withstands well normal daily use. It is made of military fabric and patent-strong yarn. It is worth noting that if the fabric parts of the brace constantly touch to the ground, the brace will wear out quite quickly. The lower edge of the right sized support should not touch the ground when the dog is walking at all (with the exception of severe carpal hyperextension).
The support is also not resistant to dog chewing. If your dog has a tendency to chew objects, it’s not a good idea to keep the support with the dog unattended, e.g. when he is alone at home or in the car.
Velcros usually hold up very well. Still, sometimes clean them from any hair and debris.
If the dog has carpal hyperextension, then the dog’s entire weight will be on support. At the initial stage, it is advisable to carefully monitor whether there will be abrasion at any point and whether the hairs will start to wear out. Also, dogs with highly protruding bones (e.g. due to osteoarthritis) should be careful. Neoprene padding is attached to the support, and additional padding can be obtained from us if necessary. Sometimes a ring made of sheep’s wool helps prevent abrasions. Contact us if you need advise or more padding. The knee brace almost never makes abrasions because it does not require the use of metal parts.
Usually, the waist strap and knee support stay well on. If the dog has very skeletal hips and a slick short hair, the waist strap sometimes slips downwards. We can add a strip to the support, which fastens the straps from above the knee to each other. You can also attach the waist belt from the back to the harnesses.
When using Taituki orthoses, for example, in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the dog, the muscles tend to remain stronger than without support. This is because when a dog can step on foot better and is able to jog more easily, muscle tone improves as well. A dog that limps and very cautiously steps on it or does not step on foot at all, loses muscle more than a dog with support in the foot.
No need to. Use support on the leg where there is a problem. If the other leg starts to go off in time, only then you will need another support for your dog.
The wrist and hook support curve to the right and left sides equally well. Knee support can sometimes also work on the other knee, but there are slight differences between the right and left legs.
We see lots of dogs using Taituki, so changes will be made quickly if we find they are beneficial to dogs. We update images to handouts and web pages are sometimes made with a slight delay.