~ Fostering Love, One Hound At A Time ~
Dog Shoes: What Are They For?
There are lots of reasons as to why your hound may need little shoes on. Many of which are for medical reasons, but it can also be to avoid injury when walking in cities. But as usual, normal shoes don't fit sighthounds, so where do you get ones that will?
While it may seem a bit silly, there are a lot of reasons why you may need to put shoes on your hound, but because of the shape of their feet and narrow legs, it can be quite difficult to find ones that fit.
The last thing you need is for one swift kick of a leg to send the boot flying off halfway across the room.
When a greyhound is fresh out of racing, they’re toe beans are often very soft and pliable from living on grass, sand and from the wet on the ground from regular kennel cleaning. They aren’t used to walking on roads, pavements, and other hard, abrasive surfaces. This can make them susceptible to injuries such as splinters from thorns, gravel, or bits of glass, but also cracks in their skin as they dry out walking on pavements.
But really, let’s face it, greyhounds are accident prone. They are forever getting cuts, grazes, breaking toenails or losing dew claws from doing mad zoomies. For some unlucky hounds, they can also be prone to getting corns which can be very uncomfortable and painful.
When they do manage to injure their feet, or otherwise somehow find themselves in discomfort on one (or more) of their feet through surgery such as stitching for a cut or corn removals, you’ll be wanting to get some boots!
In the house, you can prevent them licking at sores, surgery sites or cracks by simply utilising a very budget resource, baby socks! But out on walks, you really should have some form of protective barrier between their feet and the environment to keep any sore spots clean, prevent infection or further damage.
There are other times in which you may need to have shoes on your hound, such as if you have one with allergies or autoimmune conditions. We know of one hound that had seasonal allergies and would have flare ups in his feet and legs when walking on certain grasses. There are also other seasonal risks like the use of gritting salts in winter which can be toxic if ingested. By wearing shoes, you can prevent them from being exposed to many things that can cause them harm.
There are also old age considerations. As greyhounds hit their senior years, they may experience a decline in mobility and joint function, leading to issues such as arthritis. These conditions can cause discomfort and stiffness, particularly in the lower limbs and paw joints.
Shoes with supportive padding and cushioning can provide relief for elderly greyhounds by reducing pressure on their joints and enhancing stability while walking. Additionally, for greyhounds with neurological disorders or mobility impairments, shoes with non-slip soles can improve traction and confidence, enabling them to move more comfortably and safely.
It can take hounds a little minute to get used to wearing them, as the concept is so foreign to them, and it can be an uncomfortable change to start with. But they quickly adapt.
When introducing shoes to your greyhound's routine, make sure to be patient and positively reinforce them as a good thing! Some dogs may initially resist wearing them but where treats are involved, most greyhounds can adapt to wearing shoes without issue. You basically want to create a positive association with wearing the shoes, to make it a stress-free experience!
There are so many types of dog shoe available out there, but rarely have we found ones that fit a hound well enough to stay on effectively or be durable enough to be used frequently.
But through a lot of trial and error, and feed back from numerous hound owners, we now know that there are two brands in particular that are 100% worth having.
HunnyBoots are brilliant, and specifically designed for greyhounds (they even have whippet ones now!), and while they seem quite expensive, they are worth the investment! This is especially true if you have a hound that will need to wear shoes for extended or repeating periods because they are prone to corns.
The alternative is Thera-Paw Boots. These are better suited to short term wear such as surgery or injury recovery…mainly because they are a much more affordable option, and no one wants to spend excessive amounts of money on boots that they’re only going to use for a week or two!
They are entirely suitable for longer term use, there is no problem there, but we do find the Hunny Boots to be of superior quality (sorry Thera-Paw!)