We get a lot of emails from our readers of ideas for footwear for Jake. Can I just say that we have the best readers! It means so much that you would take time out of your day to think about solutions for Jake’s wonky leg issues. LOVE.
We’ve pretty much tried everything. I even ordered some boots from China. Of course they didn’t fit and sending them back would cost more than the boots themselves.
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Either he couldn’t walk in them (the heavier shoes/boots) because he just doesn’t have the hind leg strength or they were impossible to get on (the red Pawz) or too big (the blue Pawz) or they ripped right away (the disposable booties) or they wore down too soon due to his dragging (the hand-made booties — hand-made by his awesome dog walker!). Then there were the socks, which are adorable but useless. Humans don’t go for walks in socks, it was impractical to think dogs could.
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![photo 1[1]](https://i0.wp.com/ohmelvin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/photo-111-e1398894327809.jpg)
So now, Jake has a closet full of shoes he never wears. It’s almost like he’s a woman.
It would be a bit labor intensive…but what about vetwrap over the bootie/sock and a duct-tape “patch” over the part the vetwrap/bootie combo that gets dragged on the ground (or maybe just several layers of duct-tape patches over the part of the bootie that gets torn…). If the duct-tape patch was enough, you could re-layer the duct-tape when it starts to wear through…without having to re-wrap the whole bootie in vetwrap and tape every time.
When our horses lose a shoe, we often wrap the foot in vetwrap and put a duct-tape patch on the bottom to allow them to go outstide without tearing their foot up while waiting for the shoe to be put back on (my vet made a nice photo how-to here: http://erskinedvm.com/Resources/FootBandage.pdf ) – just wondering if something similar would work for Jake for times he’d like to walk instead of roll in his awesome new stroller 🙂
I should have mentioned the vet tape, that was probably the best solution of all but as you stated it was labor intensive and a bit wasteful. It would have been great to wrap him once a day but he chewed the tape off and after each walk, there were still areas where he was able to wear through. Three walks a day = a lot of wrap/wrapping. His main issue is dragging but you have to strike a good balance with him being able to feel the ground or he ends up falling over every few steps. That is why the duct tape didn’t help, it was too thick and he ended up just dragging the whole time. Once we stroll him to an area on the path where we can get over into consistent grassy areas, he gets out and walks. And we do lots of exercises with him in the back yard where we can actually get him running!
Oh Jake, you’re keeping your mom on her toes (no pun intended) with your need for the perfect shoe!
He’s high maintenance!
Haha, that last line killed me! Eko has the ruffwear boots, and they’re great in the winter but they’re definitely heavy and can be a bit tough to manage.
Hhahaha! Little did I know Jake was going to take up so much closet space.
I love the shoe collection. I know you’ll understand when I say I love sorting through Ray and Julius’s clothes and collars.
Oh yes! I have thought about doing a post on our collar collection, I have the photos, just need to brave it and share with the world how obsessed i am!
Share! Share! I need the inspiration.
How about the Muttluks? Looks like you might have a pair (black). Versailles has a history of ripping her paw pads off hiking and they have pretty good reviews.
Oh man, we have 6 Ruffwear boots in this house too for Lexi! Fortunately they do wonders for her, but her issues are entirely different. 95% of the time I only use them on the back feet and for walks outside the yard/beach/hiking – she has graduated to walking around the yard totally naked unless it’s really wet out. I think sticking to grass is probably the best solution for Jake but I’m sure you wish there was something else you can do! With his buggy and lots of grassy time I’m sure he is happy as a clam (and not so secreteley impressed with himself when in said buggy…). MIght I suggest donating the boots to a local shelter or rescue if they are definitely not going to be used? You could ask around to see if there any dogs with environmental allergies, injuries, etc. that might benefit from the boots. Lexi’s first pair was donated by a supporter of the rescue while she was still in foster and they were a god send!
A local non-kill shelter stops by our house every month to pick up donations! The boys have a lot and they give a lot! We always like to provide dogs waiting for forever homes with gear their future families will appreciate!
Awesome! 🙂