First aid for dogs - how to fit booties, and keep them on

[griffin]

What kind of luck have people had getting their four-legged hiking buddies to wear booties?

My little friend Augzilla cut one of the pads on his paw yesterday, and while it's not a hiking injury, my (failed) efforts to keep his paw covered got me thinking about the first aid supplies I carry for him when we do hike.

Does anyone make booties that don't require you to push, shove and cram to get them on? (which might be difficult if you're using it to cover and injury).

Any bandaging tricks that work?

 

[una_dogger]

I've never had luck keeping booties on. Even though my dog will tolerate wearing them, they've all inevitably gotten lost in the snow.

Vet wrap is a type of bandaging tape that is non adhesive and sticks to itself. Its used widely on horses . Since it doesn't stick to fur, you could probably use it on the top of the bootie to help them stay on, but I would think one would need to use caution not to overtighten.

Abraded pads seem to heal very quickly -- my dog Terra's paws became very abraded on Madison/Adams this past summer -- similar to hiking blisters -- her vet prescribed an antiseptic powder called Neo-Predef--- it was easy to dust on her feet and she was 100% healed within five days --- she self limited her own activity during the healing process.

Hope your pooch is OK.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

My dog is big and the commercial boots aren't large enough, so I made a set from Cordura 1000d. They have drawstrings at the top. I've never had to use them, so I don't know how well they'd stay on him while hiking. Newfs are pretty mellow, so he didn't mind walking around with them to test, but they haven't been "field-tested". I always have duct tape wrapped around my hiking poles, and figured if they fell off I'd use that tape. I've used it for holding bandages on for other injuries, and he's tolerated it well, so figured it would be a good Plan B.

 

[Maddy]

I think Kevin is right with the duct tape and vet wrap is good to but I think I might secure it with duct tape.
I have definitely heard of mushers securing their sleddog boots on with duct tape. Good stuff!
Just be careful you don't apply it too tight and cut off the old circulation.

 

[dug]

I did lose a few, but for the most part she dealt with them. I kept two pair around, and by the time she had passed on I think I had 5-6 left. If it were a true injury, I would've duct taped them on to be sure they stayed.

 

[WinterWarlock]

You might want to try rubbing the cut with something like BagBalm too - I just picked up my dog at the pound a couple weeks ago, and she had a couple splits in her pads...the BagBalm healed them up in a couple days.

 

[Dugan]

Abraded pads seem to heal very quickly

You're very lucky. The abraded or cut pads I've had to deal with have been very slow to heal.

It's important to note, too, to reintroduce rough surface gradually once the pad is healed. It takes time for the pads to toughen up again.

For booties - I've had two methods that worked with some success. I do not know of any method that is 100% successful.

1. Suspenders. These go across the back on a diagonal - left front to right rear and vice versa. Use a wide strap. A narrow strap or string can work it's way through the fur to abrade the dog's skin.

2. Duct tape & vetrap. This is something I learned here - Nadine, maybe? Wrap vetrap 2-3 times around the leg in the area where the top of the bootie would be. Put bootie on. Wrap duct tape around bootie to attach tape to vetrap.

 

[cooperhill]

Has anyone had luck with Musher's Secret for this problem (preventing abrasions/healing)? I bought it for the winter but was thinking of using it for this issue. I've never had luck with boots - my dog acts like she can't use the leg that the boot is on.

 

[griffin]

Has anyone had luck with Musher's Secret for this problem (preventing abrasions/healing)?

I've used Musher's Secret on both my dogs - it does seem to help keep the pads supple enough to prevent cracking, and to protect them from the sting of road salt, etc. Obviously, it's not going to provide the protection of a physical barrier, but it does help and the protection lasts longer than petroleum jelly.

Trimming the fur between the pads can also help in the winter - makes it harder for ice to collect there.

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Mushers

We use it in winter, but also when we know we'll be hiking in the Presi's. The quartzite mica schist make up of the rock above tree-line there is very abrasive as anyone who's taken a fall up there knows. Very tough on dogs pads. We've had good luck using mushers there. I think it also helps that Emma only weighs 22 lbs so there isn't as much pressure pounding on her paws.

She had the misfortune of cutting a pad on broken glass this summer and it took a long time to heal. The tape that sticks to itself worked best as we tried to keep it covered, but it was very hard to keep anything on her paw and had to change dressings a couple of times a day. We taped a bootie on and she eventually accepted that it had to stay on, but we did no hiking while the paw healed.

KDT

 

[una_dogger]

Thanks for the tip, Kevin. I use Musher's for Terra in winter to keep the snow from balling up (works for about a mile or so!) --never occured to me to use it on dry terrain. Wish we had used it in the Northern Presis!

 

[griffin]

We taped a bootie on and she eventually accepted that it had to stay on,

Think I could have her talk to the Augie-doggie? I had him at the vet yesterday because I was worried about infection, and they did a very professional job of bandaging him up. It even stayed on overnight.

But this morning? Off like a prom dress!

I think we're going to have to go bootie-shopping tonight.

Musher's Secret - I never thought to use it for warm-weather hiking, either. That's a great suggestion, though!