Is the Ehmer Sling Getting an Upgrade? New Research Compares a Vest-Based Alternative

If you've ever watched a dog shuffle around in an Ehmer sling post-hip reduction and thought there has to be a better way, you're not alone. A new study published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research put that question to the test, and the answer is nuanced.

The Setup

Researchers at Kansas State University prospectively enrolled 12 healthy client-owned dogs to compare two approaches to post-reduction hip immobilization: the traditional Ehmer sling (TES) and a commercially available vest-based sling (VBS). Using goniometry, they measured hip flexion, abduction, and internal rotation in a static standing position with each device applied. Dogs wearing the VBS were then sent home and monitored for up to 14 days for tolerability and complications.

What the Numbers Showed

The VBS outperformed the TES on two of the three joint position metrics. Hip flexion was greater with the VBS (mean angle 53° ± 13°) compared to the TES (66° ± 11°) — remember, a lower angle means more flexion — and hip abduction was nearly double: 15° ± 5° versus 8° ± 6°. Internal rotation was not significantly different between the two devices.

On paper, those numbers look like a win for the vest. More flexion and more abduction are exactly what you want when you're trying to keep a recently reduced coxofemoral joint from popping back out.

Here's Where It Gets Complicated

Of the 12 dogs sent home with the VBS, only one made it to day 14. The rest were pulled from the study due to device-related issues, owner noncompliance, or poor tolerability. That's a completion rate of roughly 8%.

To be fair, these were healthy dogs — not dogs in post-op recovery who may have different motivations to keep still — and study endpoints were predefined and conservative. But tolerability is not a footnote. If a sling achieves superior joint positioning but the patient won't wear it, the clinical advantage disappears fast.

Why This Matters for Your Practice

The Ehmer sling has been a go-to for hip luxation management for decades. It works, but it's not without its own tolerability issues, pressure sore risks, and owner compliance challenges. The idea of a vest-based alternative that achieves more consistent hip positioning is genuinely exciting — particularly for cases where you're fighting recurrence or managing a dog with soft tissue that needs more aggressive positioning.

This study gives us something we didn't have before: actual goniometric reference values for what the TES is achieving. That baseline matters. Now we know what "standard" looks like in measurable terms, which gives future research — and clinicians — something to anchor to.

The VBS isn't ready to replace the Ehmer based on this data. But it opens a real conversation about whether the vest design, the fit protocol, or the acclimation process could be improved to make it viable. Watch this space.

The Bottom Line

The vest-based sling achieves better hip flexion and abduction than the traditional Ehmer — but tolerability in healthy dogs was poor, with only 1 of 12 completing the full 14-day wear period. More research is needed before this becomes a clinical standard, but the goniometric data alone is a meaningful contribution to how we think about post-reduction immobilization.

Huber AL, Picavet PP, Hamon M, Renberg WC. A vest-based sling provides greater hip flexion and abduction than a traditional Ehmer sling, with limited tolerability in healthy dogs. Am J Vet Res. 2026 May 4. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.26.02.0067