Category Archives: Veterinary Dog Boots

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Comfort and Care During Recovery

Our furry companions bring immense joy to our lives, and as responsible pet owners, we prioritise their well-being. One crucial aspect of pet care involves protecting their paws, especially during the recovery process following surgery or injury. Here, we will explore the benefits of MediPaw protective boots, designed to offer comfort and care to our beloved dogs and cats, while aiding healing.

Post-Surgery and Injury Protection

MediPaw protective boots serve as a convenient solution for safeguarding our pets’ paws during the critical recovery period after surgery or injury. These products act as a barrier, preventing pets from directly accessing and aggravating the affected areas. By minimising contact, the boots promote faster healing and reduce the risk of infection, helping our pets return to their active and joyful selves more quickly. MediPaw protective boots are versatile and can be used in various situations. Whether your pet requires protection during restricted outdoor activities, post-surgery recovery, or wound management, these products cater to a wide range of needs.

Comfort and Mobility

A key advantage of MediPaw protective boots is their emphasis on comfort and enhanced mobility. Unlike traditional post-surgical methods, which often include an IV bag to keep dressing dry, these innovative products provide a more pleasant experience for our pets. The boots are designed to fit snugly while allowing natural movement and flexibility, enabling pets to walk without discomfort during supervised exercise sessions, ensuring a more pleasant recovery journey for our furry friends.

Prevention of Lick Granulomas and Infection

Pets often resort to excessive licking or biting, which can lead to lick granulomas or secondary infections, hindering the healing process. MediPaw protective boots are particularly effective in preventing such self-inflicted harm. These boots cover the wound or surgical site, acting as a physical barrier and discouraging pets from accessing it. By minimising the risk of licking and biting, these boots reduce the chances of complications, allowing for smoother and faster recovery.

Versatility and Ease of Use

MediPaw protective boots are versatile and suitable for various situations, whether it’s post-surgery recovery, injury management, or a physical barrier. Constructed using high-quality materials, the boots feature adjustable straps for a secure fit, ensuring they stay in place during restricted activities while providing optimal protection. Additionally, they offer excellent protection for pets recovering from paw surgeries, wounds, or infections, ensuring faster healing and minimising the risk of re-injury. They are easy to put on and take off, simplifying the recovery process for both pets and their owners.

Hygienic and Easy to Maintain

Maintaining proper hygiene during the recovery phase is crucial to prevent infections and ensure a smooth healing process. MediPaw boots are designed with this in mind. The materials used are easy to clean, and machine washable, making it convenient for pet owners to maintain a hygienic environment for their recovering pets. By keeping the boots clean and germ-free, owners can promote a healthier recovery process.

Need help choosing the right boot? We offer 3 designs to cover all healing stages and environments:

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Soft Bandage Boot

Soft Bandage Protection

Effortless outdoor protection

The soft bandage boot provides traction and protection so pets can go outside comfortably while keeping their bandage clean and dry.

Superior construction

Constructed with a waterproof, breathable nylon shell for superior protection from rain, snow, mud, dirt, and morning dew.

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Rugged X-Boot

Hard cast, splint, or thick bandage protection

Longer lasting protection

The rugged X-Boot provides optimum traction and long-lasting protection so pets can go outside comfortably while keeping their bandage clean and dry.

Greater mobility

Constructed with a durable, moulded bottom to accommodate thick dressings, wider splints, or patients with difficult gaits on difficult terrain.

User-friendly design

Waterproof, breathable material easily slides over a cast or bandage and adjustable Velcro straps cinch easily at the narrowest part of the leg for a secure fit. Upper drawstring closure keeps the boot in place, and prevents urine or rain from getting in through the top.

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Healing Slim Boot

Protect pet wounds without bandages

Facilitates healing

The Healing Slim Boot features a soft, antimicrobial lining to protect wounds that are in the end stages of healing. Naturally wicking bamboo and silver fabric improves healing by reducing moisture and bacterial threats.

Protects wounds while indoors

Breathable nylon shell protects from excessive licking and irritation. The soft anti-skid bottom provides traction on slippery surfaces.

Going outdoors?

*We recommend using a Rugged X-Boot to cover the healing slim boot during inclement weather.

Directions for use:

  • Monitor the wound at least 2 to 3 times per day (more often in warmer climates) for signs of infection: foul odour, swelling, redness, pain, heat, discharge.
  • Monitor boot for slippage, wet/damp boot or lining, chafing.

* Tip: Turn the healing slim boot inside out to spot clean or throw in the washing machine. Be sure to hang dry and keep a second healing slim boot handy for use during drying time.

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Simple Paw Measurement Guide

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“Poppydog can now safely go out come rain or shine, with a dry bandage, no repeated mid-walk battles to replace bags and I know her bandage will survive the weekend until Monday’s appointment. Best of all, she’s not bothered about it because it fits! So I highly recommend the Medipaw medical boots too”

Conclusion

We understand first-hand the challenges of dealing with paw issues and injuries. MediPaw boots offer an effective solution. Tilly, for instance, faced an uncomfortable allergic reaction to cut grass in our field, requiring her back feet to be protected during walks. Meanwhile, Toby often goes through phases of excessive paw licking and we use these boots to interrupt the cycle.

MediPaw protective boots are a game-changer in pet care, offering an array of benefits for dogs and cats. They provide comfort, care, and convenience for our furry companions during the critical recovery phase following surgery or injury. By offering protection, comfort, and mobility, these innovative products contribute to a smoother and more pleasant recovery experience. With MediPaw, you can ensure your pets’ well-being and make their journey to full health as comfortable as possible. This versatility, combined with their user-friendly design, makes MediPaw products a valuable addition to any pet owner’s toolkit.

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MediPaw boots help your pets recover from surgeries, injuries and other wounds easily and comfortably. They are not designed for ongoing or extended use. Boots, in general, should be worn under supervision for bathroom breaks and short walks and should be removed frequently to check the boot inside to ensure there is no moisture near the wound.

Why not take a look at our MediPaw suits too!

Archie

Well Suited!

Archie in Vetgood suit

Archie in his Vetgood suit

A shock discovery

Last month we discovered a hard lump in one of Archie’s testicles. We got him to the vet as soon as possible, which wasn’t easy as there were so many vets off with COVID.

After examining him, the vet recommended castration with scrotal ablation to ensure that everything was removed. Our biggest fear was testicular cancer. We decided to proceed with the operation but then had to wait another three weeks for it to be performed, again because of COVID. As you can imagine, we were very worried about him. However, he seemed perfectly okay in himself. There were no signs of any illness at all.

Finally, the day came around. He had his op and was back home again in no time. The vet assured us that it had all been removed and samples had been sent off for testing. Another anxious week passed, waiting for the results.

Eventually, we found out that it was a seminoma and that the majority of seminomas are benign, plus the fact that we caught it early, so all the signs were good.

He has recovered very well and is now almost back to his usual exercise regime.  We have made subtle changes to his diet, adding some supplements, which we hope will boost his immune system. He must now have his lymph nodes checked regularly.

Know the signs of testicular cancer in dogs

If you have an unneutered male dog, would you know what to look for? There is an excellent article on Checking your Dog for Testicular Cancer.  It is well worth reading and speaking to your vet about it. In fact, it would be a good idea if whenever your unneutered male dog has his annual vaccine, the vet performed this simple check at the same time.

We’ve Got You Covered!

After the op, we thought he would be stuck in the Cone of Shame for a couple of weeks, but we opted instead to use one of our Vetgood Protective Medical Suits. This was an absolute godsend, and we had a relatively stress-free time, whilst ensuring he was fully covered – no scraped walls or bruised shins!

Medipaw boots and suits help dogs and cats recover from surgeries, injuries, and other wounds easily and comfortably.

Vetgood Medipaw Suit

We have a range of suits for cats and dogs

Less Stress and Faster Recovery

Protective gear that provides maximum protection for a smoother, faster recovery all while keeping patients calm and stress-free.

Keep Healing Time on Track

High tech material safeguards wounds when life gets messy from outdoor elements and unwanted licking and scratching. Your pet’s bandages, wounds, and incisions stay clean and dry.

Comfort for Body and Sole

Protective boots and suits are designed for comfort and convenience so pets can easily eat, drink, sleep, and go outdoors.

Vetgood Medipaw protective boots

We also have a range of protective boots

Archie in the snow

Archie’s Op

Archie in the snow

Archie hasn’t always been such a handsome boy

Archie is one of the only dogs we’ve had who hasn’t spent a great deal of time at the vet during his adult life.

This wasn’t the case when he was a young pup.

We bought him locally and he was clearly the runt of the litter. After a few days with us, we realised he really wasn’t very healthy. His coat was in terrible condition. He had bald patches where his fur had fallen out, and he was very skinny.

Archie as a sickly pup
Archie pup

The vet was initially puzzled but when we told her what we fed him, she immediately blamed his raw diet. It was difficult sticking to our guns, but we had fed our dogs a raw diet for years. During that time we had seen huge improvements, not only in their health, but also in their behaviour after we switched from dried kibble. Despite the criticism, we continued with his diet, along with medicated baths every day for his itchy patches.

We find the root of the problem

Although the breeder had previously wormed him, it became clear that the cause of all his problems was indeed worms. As soon as we cleared that up, he blossomed. The vet was astonished at the change in him, as were we.

Archie blossomed into a beautiful boy
A couple of months down the line and he blossomed

He went from an ugly duckling to a swan almost overnight and has not had any major problems since.

Last year we noticed a lump at the base of his neck, just above his shoulder. It wasn’t huge and we know that older dogs (he’s nearly ten now) get lumps and bumps. However, it continued to grow, so we took him to the vet. They said it was probably a cyst, and tests later confirmed this to be the case.

Visiting the vet in lockdown

We were advised to leave it alone but keep an eye on it. It got bigger still, so we really wanted to take him back to the vet for a check-up. With lockdown in place, it proved difficult to get an appointment. We had to wait a week or so and in the meantime the lump burst. Or it may have been helped on its way by Archie’s toenail!

Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t get an immediate appointment so instead, sent them a picture of the wound. As it wasn’t what they considered to be an emergency, we continued to wait. In the meantime, we kept it as clean as possible.

Eventually, we got our appointment. The wound was cleaned up and he was given antibiotics. These didn’t help. We got stronger ones and at last, it looked like it was healing. But then pus started seeping from the wound again.

We decided enough was enough and booked him in for surgery.

Thanks to lockdown, we can’t accompany him inside the vets. He has to be handed over and collected at the door. We have to stand outside in the freezing cold for the consultation, but it’s completely understandable and better than no consultation at all!

No cone of shame for Archie

He had his op and seemed completely unfazed by it all. Now we just need to ensure that it has time to heal properly. A cone is no use (thank goodness) because of the location of the cyst. Luckily, we happened to have a Vetgood Veterinary dog boot which is on his back foot to help prevent any damage to the wound should he attempt to scratch it. And he’s definitely given it a try!

All we can do now is wait and hope that this time it heals up completely.

Archie as he is today
Our gorgeous boy today
Toby

Pet Insurance – Is it worth it?

Toby turns four

The birthday boy – Toby

The Birthday Boy

Our Toby celebrated his fourth birthday this month, just as we were celebrating two months of no vet bills. That quickly changed as our accident-prone shepherd suddenly started licking the pads of his front paws non-stop.

We examined him thoroughly but could see nothing obvious, and still the licking continued and became more frenzied. The licking was soon followed by limping.

So it was off to the vet with him and not a moment too soon as he was sporting a gash over his left eye that he had sustained from smacking into a door frame when he wasn’t looking where he was going! The vet examined his eye, and although swollen, it looked like it would heal okay, so no treatment was necessary. As for his paws, he had some red patches between his pads which could mean a contact allergy. Our choices were either a shampoo for his paws or Apoquel. We decided on the Apoquel, which relieves allergic itching, as we were familiar with it and had experienced good results with Fin.

Toby wearing his Trixie Walker Active Protective Dog Boots

These boots are made for walking

For two weeks he took two tabs a day and needed boots to break the itch/scratch cycle. That was easy for us; we chose the Trixie Walker Active Protective Dog Boots for when he went out on his walks. When he was indoors, we used Vetgood Slim Protective Veterinary Dog Boots.

By the end of the two weeks, Toby was much improved and we were relieved, if a little poorer!

Should you insure?

We took the decision many years ago when we had five shepherds, all insured and costing us a fortune every month, to cancel our pet insurance. Instead we vowed to put away an amount each month for any unexpected occurrences. At that time our dogs were relatively young, very healthy and rarely needed the vet, so the monthly expenditure seemed a total waste of money.

As they got older, this started to change, but then the premiums would, of course, have risen to reflect their ages.

And as for putting money aside, or self-insurance, as it’s called, we quickly forgot about that!

Towards the end of their lives, our five shepherds, none of whom were now insured, racked up hundreds of pounds in vet bills. However, we’d saved ourselves hundreds of pounds in premiums, so we may just have broken even, or even come out slightly ahead.

But pet insurance is not just about illness. Some policies cover a whole host of other things such as theft, treatment for behavioural problems, liability cover and kennel or cattery fees should you yourself become ill and unable to look after them.

Is pet insurance worth it?

With hindsight, we would have insured both Toby and Tilly; Tilly’s elbow arthroscopy cost an arm and a leg. We would also have been able to claim for any hydrotherapy she has going forward. Toby has ripped open his shoulder and his tail due to his clumsiness and heaven knows what he’ll do next. Insuring those two would have been a good investment.

Jack has also had a major op. He swallowed something which caused an obstruction in his gut and had to be removed. So far, Archie has needed very little veterinary treatment. He’s getting on a bit now, so no doubt problems will start to crop up.

Pet insurance is a safety net, most obviously used for veterinary bills, but as mentioned above, there are other benefits. It can seem like an unnecessary expense – until you need it! What does it cost, what should it include, and what are the alternatives? We came across a good article discussing the pros and cons of taking out an insurance policy on your pet, so if you are unsure whether to insure, why not read Pet insurance – Do you need it?

Daisy’s Story

Pup at 14 weeks

Daisy pup at 14 weeks

The White Wolf

Daisy’s story begins with a devastating loss for us. In the summer of 2009, we lost two of our five German Shepherds, Molly and Amy. One after the other within a week. Completely unrelated illnesses. They weren’t old, so it was totally out of the blue.

The grief was raw and for me, I couldn’t seem to get past it. I kept thinking puppy! I bought the local paper and trawled through the pet section. For once there was a distinct lack of German Shepherd pups for sale, but there was one ad that I decided to respond to.

I spoke to a woman who told me she had a 14-week-old white German Shepherd pup for sale. It wasn’t KC registered but was a full shepherd. If I was interested, I should act quickly as there were other people interested in her.

I had never wanted a white shepherd. We live in a very muddy place and I couldn’t think of anything worse than a white dog. However, she was all that was available at that moment in time and I felt like a pup was the only thing that would drag me out of my grief.

Neil didn’t take much persuading and we arranged to see the pup the next day.

On arrival, we discovered that the pup was living in a rented shed in someone’s back garden, with both its parents. The woman who was selling her, didn’t even keep her dogs in her own home.

Alarm bells should have gone off, but no. We saw her running around with both mother and father, who were friendly enough, so we took her. Instantly, I called her Daisy.

When we got her home, we carefully introduced her to the others, Sophie, Blitz and Fin. Sophie as always took charge.

That evening, despite the fact that she had never had much human contact, she spent the whole time asleep on my lap. She was a small white bundle of fluff and a real poppet. Although she was pure white, she had one single black spot on her front leg!

Daisy settled in well with the others, but it wasn’t long before she began growling at me. I was drying her tummy after she had been outside, and she started. I couldn’t quite believe it. I told her off, carried on with what I was doing, and she shut up.

From that day on, she was always a growler. She would growl at everybody apart from Sophie. Sophie wouldn’t have stood for it.

Our first encounter with DM

Not long after her arrival, we discovered that Blitz one of our rescue boys, had DM (degenerative myelopathy), a progressive disease of the spinal cord in dogs, most common in the German Shepherd Dog, although other breeds such as the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Boxer, Rhodesian Ridgeback and Chesapeake Bay Retriever can also be affected. The condition has also been referred to as CDRM (chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy). It was our first experience of this horrible disease. The vet told us there was nothing to be done. As time went on, Blitz couldn’t move about much, so Daisy would cuddle up to him on his bed.

Daisy and Blitz cuddled up

Daisy pup with Blitz

We didn’t really know much about DM but learnt as we went along from various groups on the internet and although Neil made a wheelchair for him from copper pipe, we never tried him in it as he also had a mass in his gut and we were wary of putting any pressure on it.

Dog wheelchair frame

Our first attempt at making a dog wheelchair

Neil would carry him outside in a belly band that I made for him out of old sweatshirts. He was happy enough sitting in the garden. Then, of course, inevitably, the day came when we had to say goodbye. We were prepared, but it still hurt.

After we lost Blitz, Neil had to have physio for tennis elbow due to strain on his joints from hefting a large dog around day in and day out.

With just Sophie (Amy’s litter sister), Fin and Daisy, who was growing rapidly, we soon added to our numbers with Archie, then Jack came along. A collie. We had sheep, they needed herding and the German Shepherds just couldn’t quite grasp that concept.

We lost Sophie in the wintertime. She collapsed suddenly and died before we could get her to the vet. We were once again devastated.

The big Ginger Fin, our second rescue boy, was getting on and had his own ailments. Namely, anal furunculosis, a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease of dogs that results in ulceration and inflammation in the area surrounding the anus. He needed constant nursing, but inevitably we lost him too.

Daisy takes charge

Daisy was now in charge. She ruled the roost with Archie and Jack and continued her growly ways, but we were used to her and took no notice, although she could be alarming to visitors. She may have growled and snarled, but it was all show.

Daisy and a goat kid

She loved her life here on the croft, surrounded by livestock. There were two walks a day in the fields, the occasional rabbit to pursue and her favourite thing of all, chasing frisbees. She adored them from a tiny pup. When the Pullers came along, she was in her element.

In 2017, I started to notice that her back legs weren’t working quite as well as they should. There was nothing obvious, just a feeling I had, having been through a similar thing with our Blitz.

We buried our heads in the sand for a while because we didn’t want to believe that there was anything wrong, but during the winter months, I could tell from her pawprints in the snow that all was not well. It was apparent she was dragging her back legs very slightly.

Paw prints in the snow

December 2017

It was time to face up to it and get a diagnosis. A few years had passed since we had lost Blitz so there could have been some new treatment available.

DM strikes again

DM was confirmed, and we were disappointed to hear that there was still nothing that could be done to combat this horrible disease. We had recently discovered that we had a dog hydro pool nearby, Fusion Vet Therapy, so we decided to try physio and swimming.

Dog physio

May 2018:  Physio

We didn’t know how she’d react to the pool; she had never swum before, but during her first session, she took to it like a duck to water. She absolutely loved it.

Dog swimming

November 2018

As well as her swimming and physio, we scoured the internet and Facebook groups for something, anything that would help us prepare for what was to come.

As her disease progressed, and her back legs got weaker, we put her in Dog Boots to stop her from damaging her back feet. We tried just about every boot on the market with varying degrees of success. Some wouldn’t stay on her feet and we would spend hours looking for lost boots in the field. We quickly learned to tape them to her legs with micropore. Some wore out too quickly so we would reinforce them with duct tape. The boots that worked well for us, we decided to stock ourselves. Daisy tested them all!

After doing a lot of research, we learned that DM could be related to deficiencies in diet, after finding the following article: Does DM (Degenerative Myelopathy) and other Neurological issues like Seizures and Doggie Dementia, actually start in the gut? In desperation, we embarked on an extensive vitamin regime which was primarily based around vitamin B and magnesium.

Eureka!

We had one moment of triumph. Five days after we started her on the vitamin supplements, she suddenly stood up on her back legs for the first time in weeks and we were over the moon. We really thought we had found the cure!

Dog with DM stands up

December 2018: Daisy stands up

But it was short-lived, and we soon realised that vitamins weren’t the answer.

We continued with the weekly swimming sessions. She would get so excited when she realised it was time to go to the pool. She also had hydrotherapy sessions which she wasn’t quite so keen on but put up with them with good grace. Funnily enough, she never once growled at the girls at the pool.

She was at the stage where she couldn’t stand up on her own and we were using the belly band that I made for Blitz to get her out and about. She could drag herself along the floor so to help her get about indoors, we removed all the rugs that she was getting snagged on. This left wooden floors which were difficult for her to grip, so we bought metres of black rubber flooring and covered the ground floor of the house.

There was also some incontinence, so we got a cover for the sofa and invested in boxes of puppy training pads.

A wheely good idea

I really wanted to try a wheelchair, but Neil wasn’t so keen. I spotted a second-hand one on Gumtree which was not too far away from us, so we went ahead and bought it.

At first, it wasn’t a great success. It was a bit on the big side for her and she didn’t like the rigid saddle. She would just stand in it and not move. On the other hand, if we put her in the belly band, she would run around quite happily with Neil trying his hardest to keep up with her.

Sweatshirt belly band

October 2018: Out and about in her sweatshirt belly band

We decided to make some modifications to her wheelchair so that the belly band could be used to support her instead of the fixed wheelchair saddle.

When it was done, it looked a bit Heath Robinson, but she loved it. She had her freedom back. She could walk outside unaided, go to the toilet, run with the other dogs and even chase her beloved Puller.

Modified dog wheelchair

October 2018: We combine the wheelchair with the belly band

She may not have had her legs back, but she had her life back.

Her back legs were still very mobile, although they couldn’t support her weight, so we still needed functional boots.

There wasn’t the space to use the cart indoors, so she would crawl.

Her feet were of major concern to us, and every day we would check them over, put Sudacrem on any sore bits and bandage them up to protect them when she crawled. She also developed sores on other parts of her body from the friction of using the chair daily, and they also had to be attended to.

We rarely went out or left her alone for more than an hour as she got distressed. One day my mother was staying with us and offered to sit with her whilst we had a few hours away from home. Daisy was under the table in the kitchen. After a while, my mother detected an odour and when she looked, Daisy had pooed. As she was in such an awkward position, my mother couldn’t get to her to clean it up, so she used my extra-long wooden jam spoon to drag the poo nearer and pick it up! Needless to say, I shan’t be making jam with that spoon ever again!

But it didn’t matter what we did, there was no halting the progression of the disease and day by day, week by week, month by month, it gradually crept up her spine, leaving her more and more debilitated and reliant on us for her every move. She was too heavy for me to lift and take outside in the homemade belly band, but then we discovered the Solvit Mobility Harness, and with the aid of this, I could manage when Neil wasn’t around.

Her cobbled together wheelchair was wearing out, so we managed to get her another from a DM charity, Cure4DM. Once again, she had a new lease of life, only this time her back legs were no longer mobile, they were just dragging, so we hooked them up in stirrups. Still, she was running with the others and chasing her Puller.

Dog wheelchair with stirrups

April 2019: Her back legs are now in stirrups

It wasn’t long before we realised that her front end was struggling. She found it challenging to sit up. She was no longer dragging herself around the house and wasn’t finding it that easy to walk in her chair. There were also problems with diarrhoea and urinary incontinence.

The vet recommended Incurin for the incontinence and it worked. No more peeing herself overnight. The diarrhoea was a problem on and off. We knew we were having a good day if she ate her breakfast, didn’t pee herself and her poos were firm!

We lived day to day, hoping for the best. Worrying when she was under the weather. Neil slept next to her every night for months, holding her paw or rubbing her belly. He started off in a chair in the lounge and then graduated to a camp bed!

We decided to get her a new quad chair so that she would have support at the front end. We ordered her a snazzy, camo Walkin’ Wheels.

Daisy in her Walkin' Wheels

September 2019:  In her Walkin’ Wheels

Her new chair arrived, and it was perfect. However, we never did fit the front wheels. Our fields are rough grassland so we weren’t sure that she would be able to manoeuvre around it with the front wheels on. We were at the point where we were going to fit them on her wheelchair to try them. If they didn’t work for her, we would have looked for a flatbed trolley to take her out and about.

We lost the fight

Sadly, there was no halting the ever-creeping paralysis and the weekend just after Christmas she lost coordination on her right-hand side. Her belly was distended. She wasn’t peeing when we took her outside and she was generally sluggish and quite distressed.

As painful as it was, we knew the time had come to let her go while she still had some dignity, so we called the vet out. He examined her and agreed with us. It was her time.

On her bed in the lounge next to the wood burner, with a Christmas tree in the background, we said our goodbyes, told her how much we loved her and held her paws while she slipped peacefully away.

We buried her in the garden next to Blitz, Sophie, Fin, Amy and Molly. Some she had known and some she had never met, but we like to think of her running free with them all.

The pain of the loss seems unbearable, but we know from bitter experience that it will start to fade in time.

Knowing what to do with ourselves is another matter. Our days revolved around her care and now they seem to drag on endlessly.

We have the others to focus on. Archie, Jack, Toby and Tilly and already the pack dynamic has changed. We were always so focused on Daisy, her needs and her wellness, now we can see them coming out of their shells and blossoming with our attention. It must be hardest for Archie as he spent all his days in my office with Daisy and myself.

From the summer 0f 2017 until December 2019 was the time it took for that horrible disease to take our beautiful White Warrior. She fought it so hard and so did we.

We went to extraordinary lengths to care for her. Our whole lives were geared up to her needs and people must have thought we were crazy, but I know that there are hundreds, probably thousands of DM dog parents out there doing exactly the same. From diagnosis to progression of illness, to aids for caring for your DM dog, there are so many people seeking solutions. And we are passionate about sharing our experiences and knowledge with them.

Breeders take note

We have had Archie, Toby and Tilly DNA tested and we know that none of them will ever suffer from it which is a massive relief for us. However, we know Toby is a carrier. If mated with a bitch who is clear, none of the pups would be affected by DM, but there is a 50/50 chance that they too would be carriers. When I gave his breeder the results, she told me that none of her dogs had ever suffered from DM, but although she claimed her dogs were DNA profiled, they couldn’t have had that particular test. Without that knowledge, she could possibly mate two fit, healthy dogs that just happened to be carriers, thereby creating a new generation of dogs vulnerable to DM.

We will never buy another pup unless it has been tested.

We know nothing will stop the puppy farms and back street breeders, but to all those registered breeders out there, or even owners who think it would be nice to have a litter from their dogs, we urge you to DNA test your dogs before breeding from them. It’s a simple test. We used Animal Genetics, who offer a whole range of canine testing options. It doesn’t cost a fortune and it could stop other people and their precious dogs going through what we’ve been through, twice now.

Neil will once again be getting physio for his elbows, but he would gladly put up with the discomfort of carrying Daisy again in a heartbeat, if he could.

Daisy on the beach

April 2019: Daisy 2009 -2019 The White Warrior rides again

Tilly with the cone

Neutering – making that choice

Tilly wearing her cone

The cone of shame or e-collar

Tilly is Scored

It’s been a sad month for us. We had planned to breed from young Tilly. Such a lovely, bright, happy girl. Full of fun and love for everyone. Having waited for a long time to find a German Shepherd with the perfect nature, we wanted to ensure that her physical health was good too, so we had her DNA tested for DM (Degenerative Myelopathy, also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy – CDRM). Having had two GSDs with this condition, we wouldn’t risk perpetuating such a devastating disease. To our delight, she was clear. Next, we had hips and elbows scored. Her hips weren’t the best at 14, but the big let down was her elbow score of 3. It seems she has elbow dysplasia on the left side. This could be hereditary meaning she could pass it on to her offspring, but we will also have to deal with this painful condition that needs lifelong treatment.

X-Ray of Elbow

Choosing to neuter

Because of this, we made the difficult decision to have her spayed. It’s not easy to send a healthy dog under the knife, but we have two entire males in the house and it was the only sensible thing to do.

She came home from the op looking quite dopey, but we were certain she would brighten up later. Unfortunately, she didn’t and by 11 pm that evening, blood was dripping from her wound. We were told to expect some seepage and weren’t sure if that was what we were seeing.

A sleepless night followed and at 7 am the next morning, the blood was still dripping. By that time, there was a lot of it, so we couldn’t wait any longer and called the emergency vet. Back at the surgery, she was operated on again and the problem resolved. It was a really scary time and the guilt we felt for sending her in the first place was awful.

At the vet with a compression bandage to stop the bleeding

Cone versus suit

Thankfully, she has made good progress since then and it wasn’t long before her sore belly started to interest her. The inevitable cone or e-collar (Elizabethan collar) came out and she had to wear it. Everyone who has ever had a dog operated on will know the misery of the cone of shame. Shins, furniture, other dogs, nothing is sacred. It was a stressful week for all until we remembered a sample suit we had from the makers of the excellent Vetgood veterinary boots.

We used these Vetgood boots on Daisy to protect her feet when she was out and about and they were so brilliant, we decided we had to share, and now stock the full range.

We slipped the protective recovery suit on Tilly and hey presto, instant calm. Although it was a little big for her, it did the job and protected the site of the wound without causing upset to our girl or the rest of the pack and the gentle, constant pressure from the fabric had a dramatic soothing effect on her.

The two-piece design of the suit makes it easy to put on and take off when necessary. The vest and pants connect easily with Velcro. It’s made from 95% cotton with 5% lycra, so it stretches. It even has pockets inside where you can put ice packs, should that be necessary. It helps us humans help our pets heal and recover, and restores peace to a disrupted household!

We shall be stocking these suits very soon.

Tilly in her Vetgood Suit

Modelling the Vetgood Protective Recovery Pet Suit for Dogs and Cats

Vetgood Protective Waterproof Dog Boots

Vetgood Protective Waterproof Dog Boots

Vetgood Protective Veterinary Dog BootsBoots are In! Collars are out!

If you have ever been to the vet for paw or leg wounds, you will know that most of the time you are sent home with a neatly wrapped bandage or even worse a cast or splint and an uncomfortable and hideous Elizabethan collar to prevent your dog from interfering with the wound.  Your dog walks into walls or your shins, slobbers in the collar and lets you know by barking or whining that the hot and uncomfortable collar has to go! Finally, someone has thought of an answer!

Vetgood Protective Boots keep your dog's wound clean

Vet wrapping versus Vetgood

Vetgood Protective Waterproof Dog Boots

We are delighted to distribute the Vetgood line of boots for wound care! These lightweight and durable protective boots cover all types of wounds and have so many benefits to us the pet owner. First, you can get rid of the Elizabethan collar-hooray!  Second, you can protect the wound not only indoors, but also outdoors allowing your pet to get the much-needed exercise to heal and to resume his normal routine even with the bandage, cast, etc. And finally, it reduces the number of times you need to return to the vet clinic to get a bandage re-wrapped or re-casted which is so inconvenient for you and a real relief for your dog!

Vetgood offer a range of boots for all your needs

Vetgood offer a wide range of sizes in their protective boots

So which boot do you need?  (See the chart below to choose the right one for your pet.)

VetGood-Boot-Comparison-Chart

The Vetgood Extreme Dog Boot

If they have a cast or splint or a bandaged wound that will last more than 2 weeks? You need the Extreme boot with the durable, moulded bottom.

The Vetgood Extreme Boot for longer-term injuries

Vetgood Extreme Protective Veterinary Dog Boots

The Vetgood Basic Dog Boot

If they have a soft bandage then you need the Basic boot.

The Vetgood Basic Boot for bandaged wounds

Vetgood Basic Protective Veterinary Dog Boots

The Vetgood Slim Dog Boot

There is even a boot for open wounds that have no bandages – perfect for hot spots or lick granulomas – lined in a soft bamboo and nanosilver fabric that has antimicrobial properties to promote healing.

The Vetgood Slim Boot with a microbial lining for open wounds

Vetgood Protective Slim Veterinary Dog Boots

So stop struggling with the E-collar.  Boots are in!

How to size your Vetgood boots

Tested by Daisy!

But we use Vetgood boots as we find they are great protection for Daisy’s delicate paws, whether she’s being carried in her harness or out and about in her wheelchair.

Daisy wearing her Vetgood Slim Boots

Daisy shows us a clean pair of heels in her super smart Vetgood Slim Boots.