Balto in Practice

balto in vet practice

An RVT's Perspective on Clinical Application of Orthopedic Bracing in the Veterinary Industry

As a Registered Veterinary Technician, I personally love having the Balto Braces as an option for my patients.  Using them both in hospital and sending home with the pet parents is made easier with the support materials offered on Balto USA’s webpage.

Some of my favorites include the following:

Balto® Body Lift – This one is a back saver, not only for the pets, but truly for the technicians and pet parents when you have a patient that is immobile after surgery, or during recovery.  It offers greater stability than using a towel, and I don’t have to wait for another team member to be available to take a pet for a walk.  One of my clients had a German Shepherd with bilateral elbow injuries, making it hard for him to push to a standing position.  To make things even more challenging, the owner walks with a cane.  We doubled up the Balto® Body Lift with the Balto® Soft for dual purpose recovery solutions in this pet.

 

Another favorite brace for our patients is the Balto® Hock.  While we have seen success in canine patients, I truly love it for senior felines who get down in the hind end.  I’ve witnessed so many weak older cats that need help walking, standing, and crouching when using the litter box.  The Balto® Hock is easy for our clients to take on and off, providing stability for these senior patients.  They can stand up straighter, rebuild some muscle for walking, and they don’t have anything under their paws when they do climb into the litter box.  Keeping them cleaner, and independent longer.

 

Last, but certainly not least is the Balto® Life.  This dual purpose brace is great for early and mildly advanced hip dysplasia.  The discs that come with the brace help to stabilize the joint space while a client saves money for hip replacement or FHO procedures.  It also supports the patients in the time between diagnosis and surgery so they don’t lose as much muscle through the hips, back, and thighs.  Keeping healthier weight and muscle speeds up our recovery time after surgery.  Here is where the dual purpose makes me very happy!  After surgery, take the discs out of the brace, and you have a lift harness to support the pet as they go home and start rehabilitation.
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Vonda Jayjohn

RVT

Vonda is a 2003 graduate of the Veterinary Technology program at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio. Since graduation she has worked in companion animal orthopedics, companion animal general practice, equine reproduction, and within the sales industry. Currently serving as part of the advisory council for Columbus State, and Fairfield Career Center’s Animal Health Programs. She has also hosted and guest lectured for multiple organizations including several Veterinary Technology programs, The Ohio State University Veterinary School, OAVT Keynote speaker, Columbus Academy, and COVMA.