I was referred by Dr. Steve Wilson to Action Orthodics for a brace, as my dog has an CCL tear and we had been told that this is a good option outside of going direct to the $5000 surgery.
After $1600 for the brace and 3 months, I noticed little improvement and her leg had lost a considerable amount of muscle. I took her to Dr. Tara Edwards who is a certified canine rehabilitation therapist to see what else we could do assuming that this was due to something I wasn't doing.
It was at this point that we were informed that the brace was designed for a human, and not a dog - that there was no support for the injury whatsoever. This was because it was designed for a straight standing leg and not a dogs leg composition. I was mortified. Her leg had lost almost 10cm compared to the other and we had lost 3 months of healing. Not to mention the discomfort and pain she has been in.
I was told by Dr Edwards that they might not have been aware that this isn't the correct design, but I should make them aware. I contacted the Lakeshore Vet office to let them know about the issue and inquired about help towards the purchase of a new brace, initially.
After I was repeatedly told that they did nothing wrong, and that the design had worked for other larger dogs, I stated I felt there wasn't due diligence in the research and I can only rely on what a vet has given us. I expressed that there was, what came across as, a lack of accountability. it was at this point that I requested they take care of the entire replacement because Ethically, this would be the course of action when provided evidence of an in incorrect referral-especially at the price point that we were charged.
It frustrated me that he can refer to Dr. Tara Edwards as a colleague but not for the information regarding what would be a correct design vs. Incorrect design when sending people and their animal's for such a costly expense.
Had this been a matter of incorrect use, I would totally have understood - but the design is completely different than what my, or any, dog would need in order to provide the correct support.
Now we are left to spend another $1600, right before the holidays, on a brace that is actually meant for dogs-and my pet has suffered because of this and will now require more rehabilitation and treatment to recover lost muscle mass.
I would highly recommend anywhere but here.