Which Boots For A Slo Dog?

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

Anyone have any advice on which boots to buy for a SLO dog? I am really super busy right now and would love a quick answer. I don't have time to do 50 hours of research! I want to order them today. I saw the therapaws, but they seemed floppy on the dog we had at the kennel who had one. I thought I saw once a boot that was high up on the leg. We are trying to get this under control, but I am getting many different conflicting protocols for treatment, and I am quite confused enough without trying to figure out which boots to buy too. I don't want to go through another winter without boots for him. Thanks!!!

[kamsmom]

Honestly I wouldn't put any boots on. With Isis her nails are so sensitive, thin and brittle that even just touching them hurts her. The quicks are dried up now but what remains is very painful to the touch that I think boots would hurt more.

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

Bugger... he is in a lot of pain too. I haven't put any boots on him as of yet, and we've been going round and round for year with this. I never wanted to cover them up because I thought that would make it fester, but you are right on the money. He would scream if I tried to put boots on him!! Hoping we turn a corner soon Thanks so much for pointing out the obvious for me..I am overwhelmed and trying anything and everything. Another appointment in 3 weeks, hopefully we a going to make some progress by then.

[kamsmom]

Are they still bleeding and raw? Isis's dried up after two months. Now that they arent raw and open she is being puppyish. She walks and even got her excited to see me spins last week .

 

 

 

I remember the overwhelmed feeling too. Blood everywhere and she just kept walking. I had to x-pen her in one area with a bed and an old towel to minimize the mess.

[msjpk]

Although Plummer, has not been officially diagnosed with SLO due to lack of tissue when biopsied,

he is receiving doxycycline 100mg- 3 in morning food and 3 in evening food. His back paws have dried up

completely and the front paw is hopefully on its way.

I keep toddler socks on consistently as he will lick his paws and we start all over again. Socks are changed daily. The

biggest problem for these guys is moisture, so socks are changed to avoid this.

Before I put the socks on I put foot powder on paws as I find this dries them more then any suave.

I use PAWZ booties, size large, over the socks when going out for walks on wet days. I do not keep PAWZ on a

they will make his paws sweat.

Plummer has been dealing with this condition since adopting him 4 years ago. I feel we finally have a control over the situation now, keeping paws crossed.

Edited September 18, 2012 by msjpk

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

ahh... the story: Jesse started showing signs of SLO last year around this time. However, the big markers never displayed. He never lost a nail totally and it only affects three of his toes on three different feet. We treated for fungus. We treated with antibiotics. We gave him benedryl. We started him on Dermcaps and Vit E but didn't do the other stuff until (?) something happened that would give us a clue if it really was SLO. At one point I pulled him off everything to see what would happen. We also waited for several weeks to find out the Tetracycline is no longer being made. He is on Trental. And now I found out yesterday he can not have any pain medication while on Trental.

 

So I decided to join the yahoo support group who now tells me I am doing everything wrong. They say he should be on Doxy and something else. The vet says no more antibiotics or he will become immune and they won't work in the future. My head hurts. But to answer your question, yes they are still bad. My friend and I got them cut back pretty good on Sunday but he screamed the whole time. We have only been on the Trental offically for 5/6 weeks.

 

If you have any advice I'd love to hear it. What is Isis's story? Thanks for taking the time out for me today, can you tell I've about had it?

 

ETA we were following the Grassmere protocol

Edited September 18, 2012 by 4dogscrazy

[kamsmom]

Isis is on Doxy, Niacinimide and Tramadol for pain as needed.

 

She started losing a toenail here and there and then within about two months lost every single one of them. I asked about cutting them but the vet said no way, no how because it is too painful. It was easier to let them come off on their own. When the quick is totally exposed it is a nerve that is exposed so air even hurts them. We kept her on the tramadol for a while because it kept her a bit "sedated" or "drugged" and she would just sleep or lay around and not hurt herself and also not bleed everywhere. The quicks have now dried up and we are crossing out fingers that we don't go through it again. The niacinimide will be forever and we are also adding salmon oil and vitamin e caps to her food every feeding.

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

Another vote for the Doxy, but I just don't think she will go for it. He has other issues, main one being arthritis in the bad foot. I will stick with the Grassmere plan for now, and go over the new ideas next month at his annual appointment. He never bleeds, but that's because he has never lost a nail totally. I don't know what to do from here. It hasn't been a quick episode, it's been going on for a year. We did his nails last month and he wasn't happy but no drama. (He is a bit of a drama king) We are just taking the ends off, because they have gotten so long and we did not quick him. There was no bleeding after at all. I guess I will just hope he is better before we have to do them again.

 

He also started licking his feet obsessively lately and flipping his ears/shaking his head a lot. He did this at this same time last year (I remember because my mom said she kept him up all night when she stayed over to watch them when I was away) So I called the vet this week to ask about Benedryl for him. That really helped last night, so maybe I can keep him from licking and the Trental will work, and then we have some remission. Thanks so much for getting back to me!

[JJNg]

And now I found out yesterday he can not have any pain medication while on Trental.

 

Using Trental with NSAIDs is questionable, but there shouldn't be any reason he can't have Tramadol for pain.