I'm happy to report that the boot fits just great and really works well. Before we take him outside we make him lay down and put the boot on him. It stays on him whenever he is outside. When the weather is agreeable, I'll leave him outside (while I'm home that is) for several hours. After I bring him back in, I take the boot off.

It's a wonderful and easy way to protect his leg and foot and we are so happy with the quality of the item. Since we are only using one boot right now, we're keeping the other as a spare or to use when this one gives out, which doesn't look like is going to be any time soon.

Her owner writes: The boots for fit her perfectly. She had quite a deep wound on her paw, which we have been treating and bandaging so the boots have been great for keeping the bandages and her paw dry and clean. Her wound is healing up extremely well and she had not protested in any way about having to wear a boot. She sits very well to get it put on her and runs around quite happily without trying to remove it or chew at it. So I can only assume it must be comfortable enough for her and doesn't give her any annoyance. I would very happily purchase these boots again.

Link to video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpBRuMwONcM

You will need to fast forward to about half-way through where the dog starts to use the boots

His owner writes: "Storm has been dragging his back feet for the last 2 months and has worn down a few of his toe nails. His boots are now protecting them and he has not made any fuss about wearing them."

He is unable to walk with any degree of comfort on hard ground unless he is wearing his boots. Bruce suffers with a condition which causes his two front paws to drag every so often as he walks, which caused him alot of discomfort, chaffing and bleeding of both paws and cracking of his nails vertically, which was very painful for him.

However since we discovered the pro active boots over two years ago bruce is a happy dog walking in comfort and enjoyment as his paws and nails are protected from the ground.

Brier - German Shepherd - Merseyside - UK
Brier drags his hind paws

Ben - German Shepherd - Essex - UK
Ben drags one hind paw

The boots have been a god send as without them we would not be able to go out with him at all. We are sure that he knows the boot is helping him to prevent injury, as he now allows us to put it on him as routine.

Colin's owner writes: "Sadly, he will never get better but at least the boots allow him to walk a bit now without making his nails bleed. We used to do at least 4 miles a day, but now he is shattered after about 20 minutes. He absolutely loves the beach and seeing him on it makes him look like a (very drunk) puppy as he keeps falling over because he cannot feel where his legs are and therefore cannot balance.

Mika recently injured her right, front leg when she jumped out of the back of her owner's ruck. She weighs about 20 lbs. and is VERY active. She had nerve damage and was currently dragging this paw. She has feeling up to her elbow, but was dragging her paw so much that she is getting sores on the top of her foot. She also had an infection under the pad of the right, front paw, that caused her pad to swell and fall off. Since this was an open sore right now and prone to infection, it was very important that her paw waskept clean and dry.

Before her injury, she ran about 4 miles each day with her owner, so this was the type of exercise she was used to. Because of her injury it was very hard to even bring her outside for a few minutes because all the other boots the owner tried just fall off. She is getting around very well and playing with our other dog and chasing our cat all over the yard, but needed something that would stay on her foot, so she could have her freedom back.

She had a few good firsts this week -- for the first time she actually got into and out of the back car seat unaided, AND scooted herself over to sniff out the window. She also managed to jump up on our bed (a tall one). This did require the assistance of a scary vacuum cleaner, and sadly I missed it as Larry was vacuuming.

She's still most comfortable sprawled on the couch or in the one spot in the hall where we can't avoid stepping over her. She also seems to love to chew up ink pens... and left lovely light blue spots all over the carpets last week...sigh.

I'm attaching a few rather bad photos we took in trying out a new film when my sister was here. That's her in the photos.

Anyway, we do love her, and thanks again to Tamara, for letting us bring her home; to Jackie for helping us find Tamara; and to Elizabeth who has sent and re-sized two pair of doggie boots to help keep her going with minimal scraping and bruising.

Rufus - Irish Red Setter - Devon - UK

Patrick, Rufus' owner writes: Our elderly Irish Setter, Rufus, suffers from a nervous complaint which results in messages from the brain not always reaching the hind legs, which in turn causes severe knuckling on the right side and to a lesser degree on the left. Since we first started using your boots in September his ability to walk has improved dramatically. Currently he only wears one boot, but we are now thinking of trying the left boot as well. Your boots are such a succes that frankly we would not have the dog with us if was not for your boots. He would be totally immobile, dragging his hind legs behind him. Your boots have transformed his quality of life - he still goes for short walks, but not every day, he is enjoying life, wags a lot and tells us when it is mealtimes.

Kira - Labrador - Wisconsin - USA

Kira was hit by a car at the age of 4 months old. It was immediately apparent that there was some type of damage to her right front leg. Our vet, along with an orthopedic surgeon, had told us they suspected nerve damage and it could take many months to heal, if at all. The first few months after the accident were very trying. Our little puppy wanted to walk on her leg so badly but with no feeling or control over it, it hung low and dragged behind. This caused many sores to develop on the top of her paw. To make it worse, we could not stop her from licking her sores and compounding the problem. We had tried pet store boot after boot, slings, braces.....nothing was working. It came to the point where we had to limit her activity to the house or yard, no cement surfaces.

While searching online for a solution to this problem I found the Pro-Active Paws website. We figured this product was worth a shot as nothing else had worked for us. We ordered our first pair of dog boots in July of 2003, just over four years ago!!

Because of these boots we are able to take Kira out to do the things she loves to do. She is often found swimming in the lake, hunting/running through the fields, going on walks.....all the things any other dog would enjoy. These boots are durable, easy to put on/take off, washable, and they stay on even during the roughest of activity. Kira has never regained any feeling in her leg since the accident 4 years ago. But, with these boots she is a happy, active dog leading a very normal life. They have made our lives easier as well.

Thank you Pro-Active Paws!!

Finnigan - Wolfhound - Wales

Thor - South African Mastiff - Rhode Island, USA

Thor drags his paws, causing damage to the top of his feet

Sadie - Terrier/Beagle - Minnesota, USA

Our Sadie's dog boots are wonderful. They stay on all day, without slippingand are easy to clean. The damage to the top of her paws, from dragging, has healed and not returned. Sadie still has no muscle control in her hind legs so she drags them behind her, almost in a backwards sitting position. She now can run (well more like, move quickly in sitting position). Although, while sitting still, she extends her hind legs and almost completely stands erect. We were so excited. Your boots are helping Sadie regain more muscle control each day. Since she now has more freedom of movement she almost gives herself weight bearing excerise, which the wheeled cart does not allow. Thank you so much for all of your help getting the right size boot. Your boots have certainly helped us to better cope with her therapy and slow recovery. The double leather design for the paw protection seem like it will last a long time. I will be sure to keep rotating them as you suggested. We still use Sadie's cart when she wants to really run to chase squirrels or rabbits.

Smilla - Alaskan Malamute in Germany
Smilla suffered a FCI. Her left hind leg was totally paralyzed. Now she can walk again, but she still is limping and she drags her paw. The wound on the top is healing now because she is getting better, but she still drags her claws and somtimes they bleed.

We made a pair of special boots for Smilla

Remi - Rhodesian Ridgeback - Victoria - AUSTRALIA

She has nerve damage in her front right leg/paw. The outside toe pad wasworn and sometimes raw

Splodge, Irish Wolfhound, Bucks, UK

Splodge drags his hind legs now that he is older

Stuart writes: He has taken to them very well...not even trying to get them off. They fit well and only have a tendency to slip off after he comes out of lying in his favourite stream/bog. I think this could be cured by tying an additional velcro strap around each paw.

The good news is no more bleeding paws!

We sent four extra straps for Splodge

Debbie wrote to us about Nen in 2006. "Nen is now 10 months old, he was paralysed when the car he was travelling in left the road and fell down a 7 metre drop. His owner was killed instantly. Nen was one month old. He had compression of the spinal cord in two places.

His road to recovery has been long and tough, with extra complications, but we are getting there. He can walk well on a leash, though he tends to trip a little on his hind legs, sometimes he lifts them too high, sometimes not high enough, but he does not need a rear harness, he manages well. The problem is that as a rather excitable puppy, he wants to run everywhere, and ends up sometimes tripping, sometimes dragging, he loses all coordination when he runs, if he stays on his feet it is more luck than anything else. Part of the garden is cement and steps which I am unable to fence off from him, so he is getting wounds on his paws, rubbing down his nails, but also on his legs up to and including the hocks. We have worked so hard to get him on his feet that it pains me greatly to see him damaging his legs this way and I have not found a good way of protecting them. His sensitivity is not brilliant, which fortunately means less pain but also means more damage. "

MOVING PICTURES OF NEN: ONE TWO THREE FOUR

We made Nen special boots to protect his paws. Debbie wrote:

"I'm so excited about Nen's new boots that I don't know where to start... It took him about 20 minutes to get used to them but he didn't try to bite them or take them off (he does do that with his harness). Whenever he is outside he never stops, so as long as I take them off when he is inside there should be no problem.

Watching him and watching the boots to see if they were on okay made me realise just how many times he bashes his legs. Because his sensitivity isn't briliant it doesn't seem to cause him much pain and he just blunders on.

I am sending you a photo of Nen in his boots, a close up of the boots on, and a few bits of video. You will see that Nen lifts his legs up quite high when he walks, but that is not because of the boots, he always walks like that. He is all over the place, but at least he is mobile and has a good degree of autonomy. If all my post-paralysis dogs could walk like Nen I'd be delighted, even though people who don't know him think he is strange...

On one of the videos he is playing with my wheelchair doggie girl, Bombon. Before the boots, I couldn't let them play unsupervised because Nen would just get too excited and start dragging himself around rather than walking.

I think he likes his boots (must remind him of the fireman's boots that were on the first photos of him as a baby!) because after he had been playing for about half an hour, he came up to me looking for some fuss and pushing himself against me... it's the first time he ever did that, especially outside. He never looks for affection, he only looks for people to play with him and generally he runs away from me thinking I am going to bring him inside...

Nen drags his paws in just about any position, including upside down, so he has really given them a good "road test" this weekend... an absolute thrashing in fact. I think if your boots can stand up to Nen they must be able to stand up to any dog.

Later Debbie wrote: Nen's boots have been so fantastic that at the moment he doesn't need them! His wounds healed fast and then he started walking much better, so I guess the wounds must have been giving him more pain than I thought. So now he is wearing the boots only on certain occasions when we need to specially protect his paws, but not all the time, unless I see he gets any more wounds. I think before it was kind of a viscious circle, but now his legs are stronger he doesn't seem to bash them so much. Thank you for helping to improve greatly his quality of life!

Catherine writes:

Spunko was hit by a car that broke his spine in three places, and paralysed his hind quarters. By the time he was found, he had been dragging himself around for nearly a month and his spine had 'healed' in the worst way. However, despite huge compressions on the nerve, it was still alive, and the surgery went ahead.

His recovery has been remarkable -- he 'walks',has regained bowel and bladder control, even wags his tail. But he still drags his feet when he is tired or excited, and the lack of sensation encouraged him to chew his paws raw.

The boots made all the difference! They protect his feet from abrasion, allowing previous wounds to heal, discourage chewing, *and* have him lifting his feet higher as he moves! The surgeon was so impressed at his progress that he has asked for information about the boots to give to other owners, and our local vet is also promoting them!

The additional protection and support has made a real difference -- we are even considering the possibility that extra exercise might help him develop more nerve and muscle control, and we have begun to introduce him (slowly -- he is a street dog!) to the idea of swimming.

Thank you so very much on behalf of this gentle and handsome dog. The improvement in his life gained from his Pro-Active boots is nothing short of miraculous.

Laura, Rebel's owner writes:

About 2 months ago, I ordered a pair of 'special' boots for our 12 1/2 yr old German Shepherd, Rebel. He has a progressive combination of severe spinal arthritis, a disc compression in his spinal cord, and Degenerative Myleopathy. Months ago he started to drag his rear right paw. We have tried numerous brands of boots but could not find just the right mix of durable materials and perfect size. Everything either fit well but lasted only a few walks or had a longer life but was difficult to use (too thick resulting in more loss of sensation, hard to put on, fell off, etc). THEN, I found your site!!! I was not sure which size to order and needed them quick so I put in an order for 2 different sizes. I was so pleased that you promptly emailed me back to confirm Rebel would need a size 4; I was able to order 2 of the same boot instead of wasting money on one that was bound not to fit. Rebel wears his boot every time we go for a walk. He no longer wears down his claws until they bleed or gets sores on the top of his paw. They are very easy to put on (we did cut it to be shorter, just below the hock) and they STAY PUT. I love that they are double-sided so we could flip it over once he wore a small hole in it. (He is now on his 2nd boot as both sides of the original boot have very small holes with enough skin exposed to cause sores.)

We are back for more. I just placed our second order and decided to load up since we love your product so much. I truly do not know what we would have done without it. Rebel would not be able to walk on concrete at all and we live in Chicago. Not a good combination! He can take walks along the sidewalk without any pain and loves his found again freedom!

We take him for hydrotherapy and accupuncture. We tell everyone there with animals in similar situations about your site.

Thank you for making Rebel's tough times a lot more enjoyable.

Pepper - 7 month old Australian Cattle dog - Washington USA
Hikes with her owner in the mountains on difficult terrain on the weekends for fun, and run daily up a steep soft surface trail for exercise. Pepper sustained nerve damage to her left front paw. Now when she puts pressure on the paw it curls under causing her to walk on the top of her paw.

Pepper's story is most encouraging to those with dogs with dragging front paws, and so is well worth a read. Note that Pepper is a young dog, and such results can't be guaranteed

Pepper's owner Rock writes "The booties arrived right on schedule and my puppy is now on day 2. Pepper's playmate next door is a Great Dane puppy. They roughhouse for hours at a time in grass, dirt, mud, and in a small wading pool. Needless to say, the booties are getting a workout as they protect Pepper's paw. They
are now combat booties and holding up famously. Thanks for including the care instructions and the fact that the booties are washable."

A few months later Rock wrote: "I thought I would show you progress directly attributed to the durability of your booties. I fashioned a rough orthotic from foam rubber pipe insulation (this is available from plumbing supplies or hardware stores) and inserted it under the booties for about a month. After that time, Pepper's brain 'remembered' to walk on the pads rather than the knuckle of her paw. Now she does not need the insert, and uses only your booty. I think it will take up to a year for full recovery. From the photo, you can see that the booty is used and roughly so, but perfectly fuctional and Pepper's paw is showing surface recovery (no worn spot). Her musculature is recovering but still 'work in progress'. The most amazing thing is that she is regaining the use of her left shoulder/leg/paw and it is possible because you produced a durable protective cover that protected her paw!"

Can you spot Pepper?

Another couple of months later we received a further update

"Pepper recovered about 85%. She no longer requires booties and walks on the pads of her feet rather than her knuckles, but still limps. These photos are of her 1st trip to the mountains without booties.

She has learned to use her front left paw all over again from square one and it will take longer for all muscles in her legs and shoulders to be fully coordinated...she's still a little awkward some times, but she, of course does not know it, or care much. The booties are still functional and I will use them on her front paws this winter while I snowshoe. It was the durability and design of your booties combined with the foam rubber tube inserted for added support that did it...along with a lot of puppy heart."

Stacey writes:

We ordered dog boots from you previously and they are fabulous. They stay on our dogs foot and held up very well.Our dog was hit by a car and has nerve damage. The boots that we ordered from you before were to protect the top part of her paw that she would drag. Fortunately, she no longer drags her foot, as she has learned to put her paw down to walk. However, she does have a large sore on the bottom of her paw (on the pad) that we need to protect and one on where her dew claw would be.

She was only 9 months old when she was hit by a car. My vet said nerve damage takes a very long time to heal- if it even heals at all. But he did prepare me that we may have to amputate. It has been 9 months since her accident and the vet is amazed how well she has adjusted with the aid of your boots. Because usually the sores can not be kept under control-but with your special made boots it was no trouble!

Jane, Sasha's owner writes:

Sasha has not walked for seven weeks now following spinal surgery, her progress has been painfully slow.

Saturday morning the boots arrived, Sasha could not walk or stand herself up. We tried the boots on her and by Saturday evening she
could stand herself up. Today I put her out on the patio with the boots on and not only has she manged to stand herself up but she has also walked the 6-7 metres back into the house.

I know the boots haven't magically made her walk, but they have stopped her from slipping and they are also protecting her paws from the scrapping so they have given her the confidence to try to walk.

Our customer Adrian writes:

We had a pair of dog boots off you back in January and would like to order another pair for our dog Penny. The boot we were using before we bought yours used to last about two weeks, your boot has lasted nearly three months. We have been very pleased with the boot, it always stays in place.

Buster - Boxer, California, USA

Buster has a condition called Degenerative Myelopathy. This disease causes him to drag and knuckle (curl his
toes under) his left rear paw.

Abbey's owner writes:

Just letting you know that I received Abby's new boots and took some pictures the first time out in them and she did well.

John, Boscoe's owner writes:

We have been living with the boots for a couple of weeks now and we are delighted with them. They are very comfortable for Boscoe - he almost doesn't even notice he has them on and when I bring them out to put them on him, he lies down on his side putting his leg in the air for me to fit it. It is likely that he will not recover from his condition and will be subject to wearing them for the rest of his life, so it is a relief to find you. It has certainly made a diference to his quality of life.

Del, Sabbie's owner writes:

Sabbie has this summer been diagnosed with CDRM for which there is no cure and I was at my wit's end trying to protect his right hind paw which he was scuffing on the ground. He also has some arthritis in the same leg and is on medication. He was wearing his toe claws down so much his toes were bleeding and I was afraid to take him out. Then I discovered the Pro-Active dog boots on the Internet.

I ordered the special type boots for him and it was such a relief when they arrived. Sabbie allowed me to put his boot on with no trouble and it didn't bother him in the slightest. We set off for our first walk and he really enjoyed showing off his boot to various interested people we met. The boot is easy to put on and stays in place very well with the velcro straps.

It thas been great to see Sabbie enjoying life again with visits to the local park and enjoying running about with his boot on (although I am careful not to overdo it because of the CDRM). He chases his ball around and joins in gentle games with our other dog which I could not allow him to do before we had the boot. The boot has helped Sabbie tremendously and I am so glad I found your website.

Lorraine, Carla's owner writes:

This is Carla (age 12) with my daughter on our holiday in Wales this year.

Your boots enabled us to have the walks we used to have with Carla when she was younger and fitter (she now drags her back paws). She loves being outside, and now she can be.

Maggie, Sophie's "nanny" writes:

As you can see, Sophie took to her new footwear straight away and is wearing her boot without any problems. Sorry I have only a still of her, she doesn't do very much running around due to the operations she has had (and I did ask her to stand still while she had her picture taken). But, the boot has given her a new lease of life.

Pam, Ben's owner writes:

Thanks for sending the order so promptly, which we received on Saturday. The new boots are now much easier to get over his hocks. These boots have made a great difference and have given him more confidence when out walking

Brandy's owner Bev writes:

Thank you for the boots Brandy is getting on great with them as soon as they arived in the post she was helping me unwrap them it was though she knew they were her new boots that were going to help her get out again, I put them on her and she got up straight away walked round in them sniffed them then sat down and looked at me to take her out.

We went for a walk the first one in 3 months because she was scuffing her paws so badly.She was like a puppy again running around ,as much as she can .Her boots now are her best friend if Isay are we going for a walk she goes and gets her boots for me to put on her.

They have helped her out so much she will never be right because she has CDRM but the boots mean I can still take her out without having to worry about her scuffing her paws.

Thank you ever so much and im sure from now on we will enjoy the rest of her life to the full, I've enclosed a photograph of her as she put her boots on for the first time , look how proud she is.

Buddy is a 10 year old Labrador Retriever and as best as we can tell would wear a size 4 boot. He has some neurological damage which causes him to drag his rear right foot and roll over onto his knuckles. He wore his toe nails down to the quick which resulted in bleeding everytime he goes outside. Last week, for some unknown reason, he chewed off two of his toes on that foot. He is now recovering from surgery to repair the damage.

Buddy has a special boot for his problem and Mary wrote later:

Buddy is wearing his boot. The vet put it on him when he took the bandage off and removed the stitches from the surgery. He thinks we should keep the boot on him and only remove it during the day when Buddy is well supervised so we can make sure he doesn't chew off anyomore of his foot. He seems to really like his boot. He went for his first walk today and was really happy and hopping around. He was pulling hard on the leash and wanted to run. He hasn't been able to go for a walk in a long time and consequently has lost a lot of muscle mass in his back hip. Since he seems to be doing well with his boot we hope that we can gradually restore some of his muscle tone. The boot seems to fit well.

and later

Buddy continues to improve. He really likes his boot and doesn't seem to like it when we take it off. I think he knows that his foot feels better when he wears his boot. He is definitely more active and playful.

Buck's owners write:

Buck suffered a spinal stroke 4 yrs. ago at the age of 9. His hind legs were paralyzed. He had to learn to walk again and now he drags his feet. I ordered him a custom pair and they are the best we have found. The double sided leather is a great idea. Very durable. Here is a photo of Buck in his Irish " Beatle" boots.

Amber has a lovely story about her dog:

When I adopted Jonas, he was living in a foster home for Boston Terriers. He was seven years old, and those years had not been pleasant ones. I was told that he had been kept in a closet and deprived of proper food and water so that he wouldn't need to go to the bathroom very often. He had also been given the woefully undignified name "Nubbins" The first day of our life together, as I was teaching him how to play with a toy (something that had never happened to him before) I promised him that I would do everything in my power to make the second half of his life so good that it would make up for the first.
Three years later, Jonas began showing signs of arthritis. His deterioration was rapid, and before I knew it, he had lost the use of his hind legs and begun dragging his back feet behind him. We tried several different brands of boots to protect his feet, but they were designed for active dogs who just needed a little extra protection navigating rough terrain. Boots like that would only last a week or so before they developed holes and could offer no protection. We were buying them five at a time, but Jonas was still getting awful sores from where his feet rubbed against the ground. The sores were so painful for him and my husband and I had such a terrible time keeping them from getting infected, it was starting to look like I could no longer provide him with the quality of life I had promised him.
When I found the Pro-Active Paws website, I could hardly believe my eyes. If I could have invented a company that would be everything Jonas and I needed it to be, I couldn't have done a better job. I ordered a pair immediately. That was in September of 2003. It was only after nine months of daily use that the boots finally developed a small hole. That\'s almost 825 walks! We've got our second pair on order, and I pray that Jonas will be around long enough to need a third. As amazing as the boots themselves are, the customer service from Pro-Active Paws was just as impressive. The boots got to us so fast, it seemed impossible that they had come all the way from Ireland, and they were custom made with extra padding where Jonas tended to get sores. During the ordering process, I came to feel that the owner, Elizabeth, was a friend who was just as concerned about Jonas' quality of life as I was.
Pro-Active Paws dog-boots have made it possible for Jonas to live almost a normal life. He may be thirteen and a half, toothless, starting to lose his eyesight, and unable to jump or take stairs, but he still chases bunnies and ducks with the fervor of a mercenary. He gets just as excited as "normal" dogs when we get ready for a walk, and he remains loyal to his campaign to eradicate all cats from our neighborhood. He couldn't do any of this if it weren't for his boots, and it's those things that reassure me that he still has a quality life. Plus, Jonas loves to brag about his "custom-made designer Irish boots." I only wish we\'d found them sooner.

Mary originally contacted us with the following request:

I have a 15 year old female Standard Schnauzer (Schon) who really needs some of your boots badly. She has some issues with dragging paws and claws with 3 out of her 4 feet. I think we'd like to get her a full set of boots just to keep her balanced and in the event that the 4th paw becomes an issue as well. We don't have many grassy areas to walk her so my husband carrys her to and fro a lot. She's bright as a button and loves to walk but we have to restrict her for her own safety right now. We'd go to the ends of the earth to help her. She is getting accupuncture treatments which are helping her a great deal but now exercise is the real issue.

We made some special boots for Schon, and Mary wrote to us later

Our boots arrived today as you said they would. They're fabulous! We just got back from our first walk with Schon in her new boots. They fit great. I followed your instructions and they stayed put as we walked, needing very little adjustment. Your design with the Velcro strip running up both front and back of the boot allows for a fit like no other boot we have tried.

She's taken to them quite well, no fussing or trying to remove them. She was a bit hesitant at first, but I can tell that in another walk or two she'll be used to the new sensation. She seemed so happy to have her world opened up to her again. Cookie was also excited to be able to walk together again.

So now you can officially add us to your long list of satisfied customers. We'll take some pictures of her in action this weekend and send them on to you.

Carol originally contacted us with the following request:

We\'re looking for hind leg boots for a chihuahua who is a little under 7 lbs. and also has a very slender foot and ankle. She had back surgery and is doing scarf-walking with her hind feet slightly off the ground. Since she is not putting weight on her hind feet, they do not splay out and are only slightly wider than her ankle, like a rabbit\'s foot. I want something to protect her toenails so they don\'t scrape.

We made some special boots for Katie, and here are Carol's comments

Yes, the boots arrived on the 17th and I kept thinking I needed to let you know, then I didn't do it. I'm sorry. They fit her feet and legs nicely. We got them on with little trouble. Your instructions were quite helpful, especially the part about fastening them. We went for a nice long walk and they stayed on! She did not want to do her standing exercise with the booties on so I slipped them off, which posed no problem even on the street with her in my arm. (It's OK because she doesn't like to stand with vet wrap on her feet either.) Also, I can tell the sewing was done very well.

I posted a rave review on the petswithdisabilities.org website where I first learned about your company. I will certainly recommend your booties any time the subject comes up. Again, I'm sorry I didn't let you know right away, especially when you were so very prompt about writing back at Christmastime, then stitching up the booties while the check was still in transit, then sending them before the check had even cleared.

Thank you for the service you provide. It's obvious you understand what someone like Katie needs to make daily life easier. We both thank you.

Susan writes:

My dog Lewis is now 14 years old. He's had difficulty walking, dragging his hind legs enough to wear the nails down to the quick. We've been unable to walk because he nails would constantly bleed. I purchased boots from your company and received them in the beginning of June. They have been incredible! We are now able to go for walks again, something Lewis truly enjoys. In fact, he walks at such a brisk pace that I have trouble keeping up with him. We're hoping to continue with our daily walks for years to come. Thanks so much for the wonderful product that has made this all possible. I've attached a picture of Lewis in his boots.

Matt writes:

Ajax seems to be faster with the boot. He plants the foot more instead of just skipping along.

Bernice writes:

I received the boots for Zinny today thanks very much. They're a perfect fit and I took him out for a walk this
morning and he walked well, none of the hopping that was happening as he hit anything other then really smooth surface. Did have to put them on as tight as possible as you said in the instructions as they did slip down for a start but were fine after I did them up tighter.

Neil writes:

Here are the pictures of Cleo enjoying herself on the beach, with the aid of your boots.

Mike Stern, Newton's owner, writes:

Newton suffered an FCI, which is the technical term for a stroke which occurs in the spinal cord – some blockage of the blood supply to an area in the spine which leads to immediate paralysis.

He was running after a ball in the park near our home, when he yelped and collapsed, totally paralyzed in his hind legs.

We rushed him to the vet nary hospital nearby, where the neurologist diagnosed FCI. The only treatment is a massive dose of cortisones, which would reduce the swelling in the spinal cord, and enable renewal of the blood supply to the area.

Newton recovered remarkably quickly. After three days of lying on our sitting room floor, and us cleaning up his droppings around him, we rigged a series of straps round his hind legs, attached an old suitcase handle to the straps, and this enabled us to help him up, to carry his weight, and he was off running round the garden, looking for new experiences – with us running after him, helping him stay up with the suitcase handle. He recovered the ability to walk alone quite quickly, but it was obvious that one leg was more affected than the other

The first function to be lost, in such a case, and the last to return, is the reflex which enables the dog to put his foot down with the pad on the floor. The vet demonstrated – she would invert his paw, and press the top of the paw to the ground. In his unaffected leg, he would invert the paw immediately. In the leg which was more effected, it would take some time – if at all.

This led to a second problem. Newton would drag the damaged leg, paw inverted, until he had worn the skin off the top of his paw, or worn his paw nails down to the quick. We would go for a walk, and return with his paw dramatically soaked in blood. We tried all types of dog boots on the market; none would last more than a day or two, - until we found your web site.

After trial and error, we have settled on Size 4 , with enlarged tops. I want to thank you, both for your patience and your flexibility in tailor-fitting a solution for Newton, and for your quick response to our requests, which have enabled Newton to roam the parks, doing what dogs do.

Newton has become quite a celebrity in our little town. When I take him for walks, everyone asks what happened to his foot, and I explain. He has become known as “that dog with the imported boots from Ireland”

Philip and Joan, Sindy's owners write: Thought you might like to have a early picture of Sindy using her boots. She has her wheels as she is unable to support herself. Sunday she had her first long walk in the country to a picnic in the woods. Her right back leg is only dragged now and without the boots she would have had a sore foot within minutes. She managed quite a long walk with no damage to her feet. The idea with the electrical tape eliminated wear to the boots. We keep replacing the tape. We would not have been able to take her out of the garden at home without the boots .

Vicky writes:Just a note to let you know the dog boots are doing their job! The sore on the top of Brody's foot is just about healed and he is able to go for walks with us now. We are so grateful for your attention to dogs in need of these special products.

Allen, Captain's owner writes: I have been using a boot on my dog's injured leg for a couple of weeks now.
Both, my dog and I are very pleased with the boot. The fit is perfect and following your instructions makes for a very good boot.

Susan, Spanky's owner writes: I would like it if her picture was on your web site. I am just so happy she is able to get around better. The height of the boots prevents the tall St. Augustine grass from annoying her legs which always triggered spasms. When she goes out she is more able to move easily and do her "thing." I am using the boots when she goes for a walk or out in yard especially if it has rained or sprinklers have been on. They do help keep her paws nice & dry.

Susan, Klaus's owner writes: I got Klaus's boots yestered and they are wonderful. I am so excited and so is Klaus. I put the boot on him yesterday afternoon when the mailman delivered it, and he is still wearing it. I'm so very happy. I can't tell you what a God send you are!

Later Susan writes:

I am writing to tell you how wonderful your Pro-Active Paws Dog Boots are and how much they have helped our German Shepherd puppy, Klaus.

My husband and I adopted Klaus when he was 3 months old. Shortly before we adopted him, he was hit by a car and nerve damage he sustained caused him to lose feeling and use of his right back leg. We took him to be examined by an orthopedic surgeon who informed us that, if the nerves ever healed to the point he would be able to walk on his leg, it would take many months.

Because Klaus was unable to use his leg, when he walked he would drag his foot, which resulted in terrible sores that had to frequently be medicated and bandaged. I made booties for protection, but they were continually falling off.

I was concerned he might start dragging his foot in such a way that may also cause sores on his hock, so I began searching for a boot that would cover, not only his foot, but also his hock. I was unable to locate the type of boot I felt he needed and was at my wits end when a friend discovered your Pro-Active Paws Dog Boots web site and told me about it. I was so excited to find exactly what I had been looking for – boots that would not only cover his foot, but also protect his hock. When I received these wonderful boots I was thrilled to find, not only were they exactly what I had been looking for, they were made of very high quality and would actually stay on his foot. It is such a relief to know Klaus can finally go out to walk and play and I don't have to worry about his boot coming off and his foot continually being injured.

The boots have been a true God send for our wonderful puppy. Klaus is now able to run and play outside, go on long walks with our other German Shepherd, Sasha, and both his foot and hock are completely protected.

I am happy to tell you that Klaus is slowly regaining feeling in his leg, which is allowing him some degree of ability to use it when he walks. We are very optimistic that in time the nerves will be completely healed and he will be able to walk on it 100%.

Thank you again Pro-Active Paws for a product that enabled our wonderful puppy to live a happy, active life without injury to his paw.

Sammy - American Eskimo Mix - USA

Sammy is a 14 year old American Eskimo mix. He weighs about 15-16 pounds.
He was mauled to the point of coma by a bull mastiff. His right hip was dislocated and his left hip eaten. He has little or no feeling in his left hind paw and it knuckles over. He drags it when he's walking. He has completely lost the adbuctor muscle on his left leg. He has also had a femoral head osteotemy on the opposite side.

Jana, Samys owner says:

We are very happy with Sammy's boots. He is recovering from his Femoral Head Osteotomy on the leg that wasn't "eaten". He still drags that badly damaged left leg, but the boots are wonderful. They are easy to put on and adjust. He gets around quite well with one on.

Later Jana sent us pictures of Sammy and comments:

With his boot, we have to keep him on a leash or we cannot catch him if he decides to run off.

We received Smokes boots yesterday morning and he wore them all of yesterday. They haven't slipped, rotated or given him any discomfort at all so I would think that it would be fair to say that they are the bst boots that he has ever had (and he has had a lot from various other manufacturers). Already his sores on his rear paws have dried and will soon heal.

I wouldn't hestitate to recommend your product to anyone with a similar problem

Teresa Gibbs, Bess's owner writes:

A week after I received the boots Bess died. She was 17 and had a good life but this is the first time since September 25th I can talk about it. The boots were absolutely brilliant although we only used them for a week. We went months and months making make-shifts and the vets were no help at all.

I think Bess was part border collie and we got her from a rescue centre when she was five months old.She always had the most beautiful shiny coat I have seen on a dog.Bess was my best friend and companion but I know that when the grief is past I will be able to get another dog.I would be really pleased if you put the pictures of Bess on your website and look forward to seeing it.The more people that know about your brilliant boots the better.

Tucker's front paw is damaged and permanently bent

Tucker's owner, Colette, wirtes: "I just wanted to let you know how Tucker is doing with his new boot. His endurance has increased considerably. Before the boot arrived, we were unable to walk very far - maybe a 1/4 mile. Now we can go at least 1 mile (we are increasing slowly). He seems rejuvenated. Before the boot he would walk on the grass near the sidewalk because of the rubbed spots on his paw. Now he walks on the sidewalks, through puddles (which he seems to love) and wherever his nose wants to go! I also noted that he held his head up high and seems to really love the walks. He is full of energy when we get back home and runs in the yard instead of lying down by the gate. What a blessing this boot is - he acts like his youthful age for the first time since we rescued him!.

Blue's owner Michelle writes: The boots arrived and were quickly tried on by Blue. She seemed quite impressed by her custom made boots, we have been making our own 'custom' boots for her for the past 3 years and she has never seemed that impressed with our efforts!

As she is quite used to having 'something' strapped to her paw, she took to her new boot like a duck to water. In fact she was doing a very good impression of a greyhound in it.

Luke was rescued by Bea Urban in Ireland. He had a damaged front paw which he dragged.

Bea writes: 'Your boots helped him use his lame front left leg again and prevented injury from dragging. I started massaging his leg and he now using it by putting pressure on the pads, not the back of his 'hand' anymore."

Bryn drags his front paws and causes them to bleed.

His owner, John Harding, writes: "A note to let you know I got Bryn's boots in the post this morning. They're great! I've taken him for a quick run near to home this lunchtime to 'test drive' them. Once I believed the instruction that said 'you can't overtighten the straps' they stayed on and he quickly forgot he had them, although the strange contortions he went through at first were quite funny to watch.

He happily belted up and down a very steep, snowy, and muddy gully side playing fetch with his frisbee - great exercise if I can't get him on a long walk. Afterwards we went on a 3 mile road run and when we got home and got the boots off I found his paws to be unmarked - normally he would have been bleeding from the two most prominent toes on each of his front paws.

I'm so pleased with the boots and so in Bryn! We've done about 20 miles on tarmac in them now and he just looks so much happier - he has his Staffie grin on most of the time."

Roscoe was hit by a car when he was four months old. The accident left thim with both of his front legs broken. During the reconstructive surgery, the radial nerve of his left front leg was injured leaving partial radial paralysis in his front left leg. As a result, Roscoe drags his front left foot and has no feeling on the top part of his foot. The result of his dragging causes scrapes and cuts to the top of his toes.

His owners, David and Karin Angel write: "Karin and I have looked at other manufacturers of dog boots but the major problem with them was that they were more aesthetically pleasing to the eye and not necessarily for functionality. All the boots we looked at were not long enough to cover his paws and up the leg past his ankle and because of that, every time he dragged his foot, the boots we purchased slipped off. Your boots are the only ones we have found that extended up his leg past his ankle so that the boots did not slip off from excessive dragging. Although Roscoe wears through the boots quite quickly, the cuts and scrapes on his toes have disappeared and new fur is now growing back."

Note from Pro-Active Paws: We're pleased that the boots are helping Roscoe. It's a case here of wearing out the boot instead of the dog!

Luqa had Osteochondritis Dissecans in one of his shoulders. After surgery he was much improved, but his foot dragged slightly. Luqa has a special dog boot to protect his paw while he continues to recover.

Runway drags his left front foot at times. He has a special boot made to protect his claws and paw.

His owner, Jan, writes: 'I use the dog boot only on hard pavement, such as cement sidewalk or street ashpalt, but I tried the boot out at the dog run to take pictures. At first Runway was a little clumsy playing, then he started running and playing in the boot. Runway maneuvres very well in your boot"

It was Jan's idea to use electrical ducting tape to extend the life of boots for dogs with dragging paws. She sticks the ducting tape onto the area where most wear occurs, then replaces it as necessary, thus extending the life of the leather.

Bailey is a very active dog but had a car accident and has nerve damage to his front right leg. He drags it and it bleeds. He now has a specially designed dog boot to protect his paw.

He now has a pair of specially designed dog boots to protect the areas of abrasion. Later on we made Gregory some 'ankle' boots specially for indoor use.

Karen Brown, his owner writes: "Just wanted to drop you and your team a quick email to say how pleased both myself and Gregory are with the boots. Tremendous difference and not too heavy! He has been a real star and allows me to fix them to him with little stress. It's funny to watch him scamper for the first few moments as he gets used to them... his back legs bounce like a bunny rabbit as he readjusts his balance. it was such a relief to find you on the internet and I am so very grateful. You have made a difference to our lives."

A few months later Karen writes: "He is able to take short walks, wearing his boots outdoors and trots in and out of the patio doors with his slippers daily. They really have been a wonderful way of keeping him out of the obvious dangers. The shoes have turned his life around, and as you can see, don't bother him in the slightest."