Need Booties, etc. for a DM GSD

[Mia's Mom]

My girl, Mia has DM. She needs a booty but I'm broke and unemployed.

She uses a wheelchair that I was wise enough to buy when I still had an income. I'm unemployed and have zero money now and Mia is beating up the tops of her toes by "knuckling over" on her right foot. She still needs the exercise in both legs, so I can't put her legs in the slings yet (she can still walk some), but I don't have money for booties, and I have not been successful in making any that work well. Does anyone have any GSD size booties they no longer need-- maybe just an odd one, that you could mail to me? I know it seems a small thing, but I have two invalid dogs, a diabetic cat, and no job/money. I'd be grateful. Please PM me if you do.

I'm also running low on her B complex, and vitamins E and C if anyone has any of those to spare (but they're a lot more expensive to ship).

[KZoppa]

for a bootie you can take an old sock and fold it over a few times for extra padding and get some elastic to sew in and help hold it on her foot. usually a good tube sock will do the trick. neighbors did it with their dog with DM last year. You fold it inward instead of outward... make sense? figure out how many layers you want for padding and fit the elastic in and then sew it up so the layers and elastic stay in place.

[gagsd]

Take a sock and wrap in duct tape... so that it retains its sock shape, and is just big enough to slide over Mia's foot. Attach to her leg with medical tape or vetwrap. Then you can just slip it on and off as needed, attaching it as needed.

[Mia's Mom]

Maybe because Mia plays so actively in her wheelchair (she chases and pushes a big ball around), or maybe because we're in a very wet climate with very rough terrain, those suggestions haven't worked. Neither has VET tape, an ACE bandage, or anything else. I sew, so I've made her booties out of canvas with reinforced nylon toes, elastic, and Velcro, but they slide down, hang over her toes, get wet and stretch (it's always wet here), and/or wear through after one round of play. Maybe something like that would work if she were just walking, and the terrain was dry and flat, but Mia is playing in brush, wild grass hassocks, large gravel, muddy puddles, marshes, horsetail, and blackberry bushes. Believe me, I've made a lot of prototypes and gone through a number of my own socks, but it's just not working. Maybe manufactured booties won't work either (haven't tried them) but nothing I've come up with or made myself is working, so that's what I'm after.

[Pattycakes]

Mia's mom - check your PM!

[RunShepherdRun]

What I found works better than booties at far less cost than booties are nail caps:
Alternatives to Declawing, Nail Caps for Cats

Pls don't be deterred by the name of the link - they have nail caps for dogs as large as Great Danes. The caps were originally developed to prevent scratches on floors and furniture and have since been repurposed by rehab vets.

They come in a package of 40 nail caps for 23 $ incl. shipping. You probably need to cap the two middle toes of both hind legs. On average they last about six weeks. Even if only four weeks in a very active dog, the package gives a supply for ca 10 months. As long as she drags only one leg, one package will last ca 20 months.

Booties get worn very quickly and a very expensive. You can prolong their wear somewhat by adding tape to the part that drags on the ground.

The nail caps were recommended to me by my GSD's rehab vet.

Best wishes to you and your dogs and your cat.

[Mia's Mom]

Sorry I disappeared. I'm "borrowing" someone's wireless connection, so my access is really sporadic. Got your PM, Pat. Thank you.

RunShepherdRun-- that's a good suggestion except I think Mia's disease has progressed beyond that point. Her actual toes themselves curl over so the knuckled drag the ground-- not just the nails. Both the knuckles closest to the nail, and the next knuckle back are now hairless, and she's even bled a couple of times.

Has anyone tried these: SportDog Leather Dog Boots I keep hearing how the fabric ones wear out fast, come off easy, etc. It seems like these leather ones would be ideal for DM dogs because it looks like they'd help hold the foot in a normal position, and they look secure and much tougher than regular boots.

[RunShepherdRun]

Mia's Mom, I asked our rehab vet who kindly responded. She wondered how well Mia is using her legs?

She said if the legs are moving hardly at all then they don't need to be on the ground. You could put the legs up in stirrups so they don't drag at all.

Or if Mia is using the legs and "walking" a lot then these tough and durable boots would be a good choice: Products - Tammy and Teddy's Foot or Paw Protection for Animals

[Mia's Mom]

Thank you RSR. Mia does walk, even without her chair, but not far. As long as she gets 30 60 minutes vigorous exercise in those back legs, she gets around well enough at home, but if she misses a day or two, then she can barely stand. I think the exercise-- thanks to her chair-- is what is keeping this nasty disease from progressing faster. It progressed at its fastest rate when one of my other dogs was sick, so none of them were getting their long walks. I didn't know then that the lack of exercise would cause Mia's disease hasten (vets told me it wasn't painful, and that there was nothing I could do about its progression).

I looked at the "shoes" on the link. They are very nice-- and made especially for GSDs that "knuckle" while walking. I didn't realize such a thing was made. Unfortunately, I don't have $40. Wish I'd have known about them when I still had an income. (All the things I would have done if only I'd have known sooner that I was going broke!)

[Chicagocanine]

I would suggest asking them if they can sell you a single boot.

I know Ruffwear lets you purchase a single boot if that's all you need:
http://www.ruffwear.com/dog_boots