hello!

this is the first time i've posted on this forum.  i was so glad to come across this site!  long story- short, i have a 5 year old bull terrier tripod.  (missing his right hind leg) he lost his leg after complications from a fracture a couple years ago.  he is extremely active and loves to hike with me.  if he doesn't get his exercise, he is an unhappy dog.  he also has bad skin from environmental allergies, which make the skin on his feet very sensitive.  

in the past year, on our hikes it always seems as though he comes home with sores in between his pads.  we wait until they heal to go out again, but inevitably it happens again on the next one.  it kills me to see him in pain with every step, and i don't know what i can do to help prevent these.  his allergies are mostly under control but his feet are still so sensitive.

i need advice on how to prevent these sores.  has anyone had luck with the boots?  or would a rub (like musher's secret) be better?  if you get the boots, do you recommend the liners, too?  i'm afraid that dirt, rocks, water and sand will get stuck in the boot and still cause problems…

thank you so much!

<3 kano's mom

Don't give up right away if you try the boots and at first he's walking funny (picking his feet way up – harder to do as a tripawd, but Gerry still managed too somewhat) at first, especially in the house.  My first dog Yoda took a few days (this was while he was till four-legged) to walk normally with boots on, but he did eventually.  And walking outside was best for him, because he'd get distracted by smells and enjoying the walk (eventually) and forget about the weird feel of the boots.  At first though, as I recall, he did sort of ignore everything else on the walk except for those darn boots, and did try to shake them off.  I found boots with a drawstring at the top were the most effective for staying on his feet.  (This was before I found Tripawds, so the boots they recommend could be way better – I don't have experience with them).  Don't judge their effectiveness by how he walks with them while he's still in side.  Also, since I've only needed boots for Yoda and Gerry in winter (and only the worst part of winter at that), after going the rest of the year without them, every winter he would have an adjustment period again, but it was briefer.  Good luck!

Hi Kano's Mom,

I'm not that experienced with the boots… but if you try them and they keep twisting around and are not comfortable for Kona, I would definitely try the Musher's Secret that Jerry recommended.

Let us know what you try and how it works for Kona!

Angel Jake and Wolfie's Mom