whovian
Junior Grey Lover
River (a.k.a Iruska Cool Chic) has claimed me as her "friendbeast"
Posts: 171
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Post by whovian on Dec 7, 2013 20:14:25 GMT -5
There has been a lot of conversation about boots on the forum, so I wasn't going to post this, but buying boots for a dog is an entirely new field for me and I feel somewhat overwhelmed.
River got frostbite on her toe-pads on her walk this afternoon. I was super surprised to see it because she hadn't indicated to me in any way that she was tired on the walk, or hurting, or anything. We were outside for about 25 min. She was wearing her Pawz boots, which I knew wouldn't do anything about the cold because they were just rubber. I honestly didn't think that we were verging into dangerous frostbite territory though, as it was only -6. I learned that lesson.
She is ok. Honestly if I hadn't made such a big fuss about it, what with the gradually warming water treatment, I don't think she would have noticed. There is a large blister on one pad and several other toe pads are slightly pink where they would normally be black. The after hours vet assured me that I had already done what could be done, and now I just needed to wait and make sure it doesn't start to look infected. Still, I feel so sick. I could've so easily prevented this.
So I need boots. I have a set besides the Pawz boots, but they fall off and River hates them, I suspect because they tighten via elastic and velcro right over the spot where she broke her hock. She never tries to take them off, and doesn't walk funny in them, but REFUSES to walk more than half a block down the street while wearing them. She just statues after that and cries.
My trouble is this: I can't take River into a pet store to try on any boots because the slippery floors would traumatize her (again). I need dog boots that don't fall off (heh), and that only go over the foot (heh heh). Or at least boots that don't put pressure just below the hock on the rear legs. Anyone have those boots?
The vet didn't say anything about what to do with her now when she has to go out, so I think I will force her into the other boots for the time being and enforce a "no-walk" policy for a little while. She won't like that. Just like when she had the broken foot, she doesn't seem to think anything is wrong. What a trooper.
Anyone have any advice on how to treat frostbite after it's warmed up? Or on pressure-free, miracle dog boots? I've looked at Muttluks and Neopaws, but I just can't tell from the pictures how high they go up on the back legs. Thanks.
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Post by angelollie on Dec 7, 2013 22:54:28 GMT -5
hi whovian .... so sorry to hear about River's frostbite. When the tissue has thawed out, it can be quite painful (at least on a human it is). I've had frostbite a few times from skiing. River's pad may end up looking swollen and red and may begin to peel a little as the dead tissue separates from the live tissue anywhere from 1-3 weeks. It depends on how much damage the frostbite did to her pad and that may not be noticeable until several days later. As the skin freezes, you are not aware of having no sensation, you just don't feel anything as the skin is frozen. That's probably why River didn't limp or complain. Besides watching for signs of infection, just keep River from biting or licking that pad so as not to prevent any further damage to the tissue. Years ago I bought my hounds muttluks ... they are a great boot but I think they would put pressure on the area of River's hock. Last year I got my guys musher booties (dogbooties.com) and they just cover the pads/toes and do up well below the hock. To see what they look like, check this site ... www.facebook.com/dogbooties. Go down the page until you see a bunch of mushers wearing pink booties. And if you decide to order them, get the Velstretch fastener as it seems to have more elasticity and adjustment room. I'm sure River will be just fine, after all, she's got you to take good care of her. And good luck with the booties. I'm sure you'll get a few food ideas from others on the forum which will help you decide what is best for River.
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whovian
Junior Grey Lover
River (a.k.a Iruska Cool Chic) has claimed me as her "friendbeast"
Posts: 171
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Post by whovian on Dec 8, 2013 7:48:24 GMT -5
Thanks angelollie. This will probably sound awful, but it really helps hearing from somebody who has experienced what River is going through. Some days I really wish dogs could talk! Her pads are so dry. Some places on the Web say putting vaseline on them will help, but then other places say that will make it worse. What would you say about that? I put some polysporin on the worst two feet (the back ones) and then put some baby socks over them. The socks stayed on all night, and I am hoping they will keep her from licking and help protect the tissue. I am going to order from dogbooties today. They don't come up to the hock! They come in bright colours! For that price, even if they they don't work, I am only out $25 or so. And if they do work, I can get them in bulk and have shoes for life! In blaze orange, and hot pink, and neon green and fire engine red ... I also ordered non-slip grip doggy socks from Amazon last night (they are an add-on right now for $3.70). I want to see if they will help Riv gain some confidence with the floors. I'll be sure to review them when they come in. Have to go now - it's kibble time apparently Sent from my SGH-I747M using proboards
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Post by lotsoffreetime on Dec 8, 2013 8:40:10 GMT -5
so sorry that River got frostbite, but glad that you caught it early and were such quick thinker! I love the dogbooties that Shari recommended! We bought them a few years ago on recommendation from Karen and Campgreyhound, and have used them ever since. They are especially great when some one gets a cut on the foot or loses a nail sheath and only has the quick exposed (ahem Mirage), and you need to cover the paw up. I also have baby socks on hand, and find that putting sock on under the dog booties adds cushioning as needed (my guys can get the sock off…and Mr. Merlin can work away at the velcro and get the bootie off too, so we have extras). BTW, for the most part, the booties stay on during a fun-run!
scritches to River...
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Redhead
Grey Lover
Teague (Natural Red Head)
Posts: 823
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Post by Redhead on Dec 8, 2013 9:19:23 GMT -5
Did the vet verify that this was indeed frostbite (ie. are you sure it's not a corn)?? That would be very unusual in the conditions that you were in, especially wearing boots. My dogs hate any and all boots so I don't use them, but I have a paw cream/wax that I sometimes put on to protect them.
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whovian
Junior Grey Lover
River (a.k.a Iruska Cool Chic) has claimed me as her "friendbeast"
Posts: 171
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Post by whovian on Dec 8, 2013 9:46:08 GMT -5
Redhead - No, I was just talking with the vet over the phone about whether I needed to find an after hours clinic. I am not sure what a corn looks like, but it behaved an awful lot like frost bite. All her pads were a little pink and the hard, black calloused skin of her pads was gone in the centre of most of them. Two of the pads on each of her back feet were pinkish-approaching-white in colour and one was swollen like a blister. Her feet were quite cold to the touch when I first looked at them. The webbing skin between the middle toes of her back feet, right where the pad starts, is reddish brown where it is usually a light pink (her skin tone is white/pink). When I touch it, it obviously hurts. Over the phone the vet wasn't concerned about corns, but he did wonder about an allergic reaction to the rubber of the Pawz boots. Still, she didn't develop hives or a rash anywhere else. I won't make her pose for toe pictures today, but this blurry pic below is almost identical to what the pads look like. I was surprised at frostbite too, but we were walking on concrete and it was -5 with a windchill. Maybe she is just extra sensitive? lotsoffreetime - I just placed my order with dogbooties, so we'll give those a try next. I'm glad you've liked yours! I'm excited about the neon green.
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Post by angelollie on Dec 8, 2013 16:28:59 GMT -5
whovian ... that's what my face and fingers used to look like (maybe a little more white) after being frostbitten. If River isn't showing any other signs such as an allergic reaction, I would be treating her for signs of frostbite. If it is't frostbite, the pavement must have been cold enough to remove the tougher layer of skin. In about a week, you should see the resulting damage from frostbite and in 1 - 3 weeks the skin will begin to shed. If this doesn't happen, I would say it's not full blown frostbite but a close call. Certainly reason to begin protecting her feet whenever she goes outside for any length of time. Was there a lot of salt/sand on the pavement too, although it doesn't sound like sores from salt?
And for dry/cracked paw pads, I rub in Utterly Smooth cream. This cream used to be used on cows' utters to keep them from cracking. It's greaseless and stainless and humans can also use it. I picked up a 12 oz jar at the TSC store for around $4.00. Sometimes, I also use paw wax on the hounds' feet especially if they are walking on slippery floors or out on salted/sanded walkways. You can pick up a small can of paw wax at Walmart. Hope this helps. River is lucky to have a Mom so concerned about her baby.
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Post by GreyPoopon on Dec 8, 2013 17:07:02 GMT -5
I realize you've made your decision, but for future reference: Muttluks, size Medium, work just fine. The velcro fastens just above the feet. The knitted top can be extended higher, but I usually leave it folded. They're not great for running--they tend to flip off--but are adequate for walks. I buy the fleece-lined version at Ren's or Pet Valu. I've used them on dogs with corns (especially Edie) and for those (currently Pink and Betsy) who drag their back feet and wear their pads raw.
I hope River feels better soon.
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whovian
Junior Grey Lover
River (a.k.a Iruska Cool Chic) has claimed me as her "friendbeast"
Posts: 171
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Post by whovian on Dec 8, 2013 17:11:34 GMT -5
No, I have seen salt sores before and that's not what this was. I think her Pawz boots would prevented any salt from getting in but there wasn't much salt on the ground because we haven't had much snow. I am 97% sure this is frostbite. She hasn't even considered licking and the toes that aren't pink look much better now, which is stellar. Thanks for the timeline angelollie. I will pick up some paw balm and try the udder cream. I use that stuff on my hands so it is handy. Should I wait until the fresh skin has grown back on the frostbitten toges though? I seem to be thinking of this like a sunburn (accurate or not) and I don't know if moisturizing will prolong the healing process or help it. Thanks again. Seriously, you've made me feel so much better Sent from my SGH-I747M using proboards
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Post by Mag's Mom on Dec 8, 2013 21:05:23 GMT -5
I'm so sorry to hear about River's poor paws. I hope she feels better soon.
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Post by angelollie on Dec 8, 2013 22:06:54 GMT -5
If you find that some of the paw tissue should become cracked then I would use a little polysporin/vaseline, covered with a sock as you mentioned. I remember being told not to use creams on frostbitten skin because it slows down the separation of dead tissue and living tissue. Mind you that was years ago, so maybe treatment has changed. You'll have to keep us informed on River's healing ... I feel so bad for her raw feet.
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Post by rubylottie14 on Dec 9, 2013 21:30:46 GMT -5
Poor River. So painful to have toes/pads that hurt. Hope she heals quickly.
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Post by angelollie on Dec 10, 2013 18:26:10 GMT -5
Whovian .... just curious, how is River doing?
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whovian
Junior Grey Lover
River (a.k.a Iruska Cool Chic) has claimed me as her "friendbeast"
Posts: 171
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Post by whovian on Dec 10, 2013 21:57:51 GMT -5
River is doing well. Her front feet are almost back to normal - only tiny light coloured spots left on the pads. Her back feet are getting better - I am hoping that in another day or two I will be able to announce that we are out of the woods for infection. The space between her toes, which is the part that's red and a little puffy, looks much better today on the left foot. There hasn't been much change on the right, but that's not bad news either. She slept and stayed off her feet Sunday and Monday. The most activity she had was learning to use a new bed we put in the dining room (no small feat actually - took 4 days to coax her over to the new spot). But today she insisted on going for a walk. She was so excited about the new snow that I couldn't say no. I put every piece of clothing she owned, a pair of socks and the despicable boots on her and we walked around the block. She didn't even hate the boots today. And she seemed much relieved that for the first time since Saturday she was allowed to bless the around-the-corner neighbours with her poo. The next door neighbours had been receiving more than their fair share lately, and I am pretty sure it's been keeping her up at night. Her feet weren't even cold when we came back in, so the boots are well made even if she hates them. In short, I think she is sore but she's in very good spirits about it. Still putting polysporin on, and the vet suggested an Epsom salt bath so we will try that tomorrow. River appreciates that her forum friends are so interested in her recovery. She sends her kisses as thanks. Sent from my SGH-I747M using proboards
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whovian
Junior Grey Lover
River (a.k.a Iruska Cool Chic) has claimed me as her "friendbeast"
Posts: 171
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Post by whovian on Dec 12, 2013 15:30:20 GMT -5
River's paws are doing better, but I thought that I would upload pictures of what the frostbite looked like just in case anyone else experiences it later and wants to know (hopefully that never happens). This is what the worst paw looked like the day after. Her paws are not normally pink at all. The light pink section is actually slightly raised, like a blister. It was super hard to get a picture of this as I didn't want to cause her any more pain, and lighting is impossible. But I think from this you get some idea. That isn't blood - it's reddish brown skin, ever so slightly swollen. She never seemed to find pressure on her pads painful, and hasn't limped or walked funny since Saturday. This spot between the toes hurts though and she pulls away whenever I dab polysporin on it (I've gotten good at squishing it between her toes quick with a Q-tip so no rubbing is involved). It's a similar colour underneath the toes (in the really ticklish section in the middle). Polysporin 2X daily and an epsom salt bath seems to be keeping the infection at bay. It's been 5 days and the toes are hot now and itchy I think - she doesn't like having the socks on any more. As she hasn't licked the toes once, I've decided that she probably knows herself best and I've been letting her travel barefoot for the last day or so except for a few hours after I put the polysporin on. I hope no one else ever has to go through this. I terrible about what happened. Still, we're on the mend and River is ready and raring to get back outdoors already (with good, warm boots on of course)! She never wants to stop going for walks, though I'm limiting her to a quick 5 min zip around the block for the next couple of weeks until every thing is healed.
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