When are Dog Boots Right?
Dog boots are good if your dog needs more grip, or protection from weather conditions - heat, cold, icy or wet. Dog boots can offer convenience e.g.no muddy paws on clean floors.
Boots also work for hazard protection in urban environments.
Some medical conditions affect a dog’s gait. Dog boots can help manage the symptoms, by providing extra grip and protection from scuffing, paw dragging or knuckling.
If there’s been an injury or cut to your dog’s paw, wearing a boot will keep the wound dry, clean, and protected while out walking or stop your dog licking and chewing. This is why they can also be useful post-surgery.
How Will Dog Boots Help?
If a dog has a medical condition that affects their gait or paws, boots help by protecting or correcting the paws. Medical dog boots help heal pressure points, sores, interstitial cysts, or cuts without complication.
Dogs with conditions like hip dysplasia, spondylosis and muscle atrophy can find it difficult to navigate slippery flooring. Dog boots give more traction, making it easier. Therapaw Protective Dog Boot has a padded sole for increased shock absorption. This distributes your dog’s weight through their paw more comfortably. This is pain relieving for arthritis or sore paws.
How to Pick the Right Dog Boot?
Dogs who are active will do well in Ruffwear dog boots or Walker Active dog boots (pair), which give grip and protection.
For light knuckling, choose boots - WagWear WagWellies and WagWear Mojave Breathable - that protect your dog’s nails and tops of the paws, from being scraped or worn down. Maximus PawsUp Superflex are for heavier knuckling caused by neurological or physiological conditions.. These boots help your dog put their paw down flat again.
If you have a sight hound, check out Hunnyboots for long slim rabbit-shaped paws.
When there’s a paw wound, arthritis or post-surgery (like toe removal) there are several kinds of boots. Consider Walkabout Protective Dog Boot (single), Therapaw Protective Dog Boot (single) or PawZ Rubber Boots.
Read more about paw knuckling here
Read more about corns here
Read more about Carpal Pad Injuries here