Pads And Boots

[Macha]

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My dog who severed two metacarpal ligaments almost 7 weeks ago is finally out of his splint and it appears the stitched ligaments are holding. (all the did to get such a bad injury was step on something, probably a broken glass bottle). He is missing most of his large pad on that paw, however. Vet says he's "cautiously optimistic" that the pad will regenerate but it is a very slow process and the dog's foot needs to be protected in the meantime. His wound is still a bit raw and is unbandaged at present as he needs to get air on it, but I've been advised to put a boot on his foot when exercising/toileting the dog.

The boot I used to put over his splint and bandage when I took him out, to keep the bandage dry, is too big and I don't even think a smaller size will suit. Can someone recommend boots that are suitable for the purpose I now need them for? Because of the length of the healing process, it would preferably be a boot that would withstand a fair bit of wear

 

[clairej810]

Hi, so sorry you've had a nasty injury. We have had something similar a couple of weeks ago - Tiny cut his foot and had a large chunk of the big pad and part of one toe removed. I have just ordered some boots from Canine Concepts I don't know how good they are yet as I olnly ordered them today but the write up is good so we'll see.

There is another one called therapaw but I don't know if they are available in the UK.

Good luck with the injury! :huggles:

 

[Janimal]

This company sells dog boots too...

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/searchprods.asp

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/prodinfo.asp?number=BOOTWALKLGE

 

[jayp]

Hi, The THERAPAW boots are fabulous, padded, washable, breathable, you can buy them from a company called VETERINARY INSTRUMENTATION on line

They are expensive but so worth it, Go to the THERAPAW site first to see how to measure etc, then go to the above vet site to purchase on line. Jan

 

[julie_s]

I'm afraid I've no idea about the boots but I thought I'd add another tip to this thread. When Ruby had her stopper pad removed last month we used silicon gloves to cover her foot and bandage when she went out. The gloves are the kind doctors use and you can buy then from the chemist. We turned one inside out so the fingers weren't hanging out and used a bit of vet wrap to hold it in place. They're quite economical and you can use one a few times. We were excersing on grass and tracks so I guess it really depends how much excercising you are going to do and on what surfaces.

 

[Eleanor Gibbins]

My whippet has been dragging one of his front legs due to a neck injury, and was scuffing his claws on the pavement, making them bleed. I tried 3 different kinds of boots from PAH and the internet - none of them proved to be suitable for one reason or another (too big, too small, too loose, not tough enough for outdoor walking) - none of them would stay in place for more than 10 seconds before slipping off.

So I decided to make my own, using some scrap leather from an old leather boot of mine. I cut a strip of leather about 2 inches wide, and long enough to reach from just below Fly's 'knee' joint on the front of his front leg, round the front of his paw and up the back of his leg to just below the knee joint again (about 6-7 inches long in all). This is then taped in place with micropore tape - tight enough to hold firmly against the leg, with the micropore coming down to just above his paw, so the whole arrangement can't slip off.

It works a treat - it allows his whole paw to spread properly as he walks, while protecting the front of his claws from scraping on the ground. It is quick and easy to put on and off, and after 10 minutes or so he was walking totally normally (I found that with the shop-bought boots he was doing a sort of exaggerated step that was causing him to trip up). The sides of the 'boot' are open, so are not waterproof, but the leather is tough enough to cope with getting wet regularly. If you needed to keep a dressing or something dry, I guess you could put a small plastic bag over it before putting the leather boot round the foot.

Of course, you may find that you can buy boots which suit your dog, but if you find you can't, you may wish to try my alternative solution!

 

[Macha]

oh dear, I got a theramed boot in the post and I can't get it on. From the outside the sole seems big enough for my dog's paw, but I can't stretch the topside over it. I wonder if the next side up would suit.

Eleanor, can you post a photo of your contrivance?

 

[Eleanor Gibbins]

I am at work at the moment, but will try to get some photos at the weekend and upload on Tuesday.

The boot is very simple - just literally a strip of leather (1.5-2.00 inches wide, depending on the size of your dog's leg and paw) which reaches from knee at front of leg, down the leg, over and under paw from front to back, and up to about knee level at the back. It needs to be wide enough to fit the width of the dog's paw when it is standing on the ground in a weight-bearing position. I then use micropore tape, taking it round the leg and spiralling downward from knee down as far as top of paw, keeping it tight as possible, and just leaving the sides of the foot open so that Fly can put his paw to the ground normally and the pad can spread naturally. This is important so that the dog can walk with a 'normal' gait and doesn't 'carry' the paw at all. The leather makes a nice flexible, lightweight contraption, and Fly doesn't seem to notice that he has got it on after the first couple of minutes.

I have found that the combination of leather and micropore tape will stand up to pretty rough use - I am only able to walk Fly for 30-45 minutes max at the moment. I take a reel of micropore with me if the terrain is wet or muddy, so that I can redo it if necessary. Since it is only the leather which is in contact with the ground, this is not usually a problem.

I forgot to mention that the leather I use is shiny on the outside and has the rough 'suede' texture next to the dog's skin, which I think helps it to stay in place and not slip down. To help with grip on slippy surfaces, I have cut a small (2 inch diameter) disc of leather and superglued it shiny-side-to-shiny-side onto the strip, where the 'sole' of Fly's paw meets the ground - this means that the 'suede' side fo the leather is outermost, and gives grip like you get on suede moccasin-type slippers.

Having written this all down, I realise that it sounds MUCH more complicated than it actually is! Try following the above instructions with a strip of paper or something first, and I think you will see what I am getting at!

Eleanor

 

[Macha]

I got the next size therapaw boot and although it seems to fit it fell off very quickly. Eleanor's device seems time consuming (need to tape anew each time) but looks like what I have to do. I got micropore tape, though when I was making foot covers with plastic bags I found masking tape did the trick (but the bags didn't; they tore very quickly).

Claire, which boot did you order for Tiny? and how do you find them? what type of dog is he? According to the canine concept blurbs for their disposable boots, it is hard to fit whippets and greyhounds (the type of dog I have)

Although the ligaments haven't held - my dog holds his hurt paw very flat and the middle toes feel flacid - my dog IS able to walk now with a slight limp.

 

[marielou]

I think what you need is a boot made to measure. I have used these people before and found there service to be first rate and very reasonably priced. They are based in Ireland. Just click on this link MADE TO MEASURE BOOTS

Hope that helps

Marie