Panic over. The vet said he's been licking it and that's aggravated it. Hubby confessed to leaving the cone off last night (he put it on at 4am after the sounds of licking awakened him....). It's been clipped, cleaned and re-bandaged. We're looking at a few weeks of the cone (or a soft boot) as it as to be 100% healed before his nose is allowed anywhere near it. We also may need a bigger/longer cone as he can just get his tongue over the edge of the current one. Unfortunately the vet said that none of the soft or inflatable cones are good enough where feet and a committed licker are concerned (as the mouth can get to the foot). She encouraged me to have a go at boot manufacture. She reassured me that his foot isn't going to fall off (I asked). While we were there she told us the story of a 9 week old German Shepherd puppy who swallowed 81 decorative garden pebbles and had to have them surgically removed. So it could be worse. These dogs do worry us!
Oh gosh,what a shame it's got so nasty....sounds like it's had a really thorough clean now though and preventative licking measures sound in full force x Get better soon Obi x
Thanks, Angela My advice to anyone thinking about starting their own line in hand-sewn therapeutic dog boots would be to invest your time in something more enjoyable and productive like tattooing the lyrics to God Save the Queen onto your left butt cheek with a rusty nail and a tin of boot polish, or running over your own foot with a heavy duty garden roller. That said, an ugly yet functional boot can be fashioned out of a length of neoprene, some Velcro and two hours of your hard-earned time. The prototype was worn without complaint by our model and survived a mad gallop round the garden. So I'm pretty sure it'll stay on for a walk. I'd like to get the bottom waterproof (tip: cutting up a silicone oven mitt for said purpose only results in a mutilated oven mitt) but it'll do for now.
Goodness! Poor Obi, just catching up with this saga, sort of a yo yo of humour and frustration. The neoprene boot looks fab!
Just thinking, Ruffwear have a range of dog boots and boot liners, sold in sets, not sure if they have seconds or odd ones they would sell off?
Oh Gosh! Well, very glad that the foot isn't going to fall off. And your boot looks great. If you could make one, isn't it odd there isn't one commercially available? Very strange. At least Obi got out in the garden while wearing it. Is the boot going to stay on overnight or is it the cone for sleeping?
Maybe you could paint something onto the bottom to make it water proof? Like the stuff that makes canvas on sailboats water proof.
Thanks Kate - the Ruffwear boots are great and we have a set of those. The only problem is that the sizes we have won't fit over a bandaged foot. But they're an excellent product and I'd highly recommend them for anyone with a dog needing a bit of foot protection or extra grip. We'll go back to them when Obi's foot is getting closer to recovery (hopefully not too far away).... I must have another look at their current range. I've made Prototype No. 2 which is a bit more shaped, with Velcro up the back. It's a bit harder to get on as a consequence of being more fitted, which is a downside.
Wow - very clever. When Obi is finished with them, pop along to some wholesale makers of something similar, write a business plan, get a marketing agency....and you're in business!
Sorry, Julie, think we posted at the same time At the moment the neoprene boot will just be for going outside. It doesn't breathe enough for us to leave it on as 24/7 protection (ditto with the Ruffwear boots we have). That is a bummer as something boot like but breathable and chew resistant would be ideal. At the moment the bandage is serving that purpose but even that is nowhere near breathable enough... Waterproofing might be an option. It just needs to be the sole, really. The neoprene is fine for dryish ground, but not if it's been raining. Any more ideas for materials...send 'em this way! Going to do some internet searching on commercial options...
I mean commercial as in 'ones other people are already selling'... But if no-one is selling over-bandage boots then I may be able to quit my day job at some point after all
Just catching up, so sorry to hear poor Obi has a sore foot. Fingers crossed for Obi Rachel please let us know how he is once he's been to the emergency vet xxx
Thanks for the thoughts, Helen Hopefully we won't have to go back to the emergency vet, just the normal vet (we have an appointment there on Tuesday evening). Having had a look online last night I can see that there are a few companies that do a boot designed to go over bandages. Designs differ. I like the Therapaw, which is kind of like the Ruffwear boots (though it has a hole in the front so wouldn't be suitable for damp conditions).
Just been at the vet for a check up and it looks like things are improving. The incision isn't healing up fast but it's not swollen and not pus-y. We've got another appointment in a week and until then it's the cone, a sock, antibiotics and a daily steroid tablet (anti-inflammatory). He's been given the go-ahead to attend 'Specialised Daycare' on Thursday, which basically means spending the day with a bunch of puppies (who will get the added bonus of being desensitised to a Labrador with a cone).
Aw, poor boy but good that his foot is slowly improving. Hopefully he won't find a bunch of puppies on Thursday to much with the cone.
Hehe, I can't help but smile at a grumpy-looking dog in a cone. Add a sock, and it's just priceless! Poor Obi, go cheer yourself up with some chicken poo.
Yes, he's not too thrilled about the cone. Or the sock. He hasn't had any contact with other dogs for a week and a half, apart from the Guide Dog and the two elderly Dacshunds he's barked at in the waiting room at the vet's. The daycare puppies had better brace themselves. Although he's a right shocker in the waiting room he's just great for the actual vet. Today he again had to lie on his side while the vet cleaned up his foot - this is the third time in 5 days. Looking at his foot, which is quite a mess (ulcerated skin from licking, unhealed incision, half bald), you can see that'd it'd hurt. But he tolerates it without complaint. I'm keeping the door to the chicken coop shut so there will be no comfort chicken poo eating. Don't encourage him, Fiona!
Playing with puppies will cheer him up. Good boy Obi, bet it's no fun people messing with your poorly foot but it sounds like you were a star. I hope it's better soon.
