non slip paw pads

[oldcargirl]

Hello,
I have a 14 year old Belgian Malinois, who is quite large for the breed. He has slippped a couple times on our hardwood floors and has lost his confidence when going from rug to rug or into the kitchen. We have 3 other large dogs who are younger and have bumped him over which hasn't helped his nervousness. And, he is a nervous Nellie anyway! We have rugs down all over for him but there are certain places like going round corners that he wigs out on.

He is a bit gimpy but he's not incapable yet. I don't want to treat him as though he can't walk because he has already occasionally whines until someone comes and walk with him, then he runs ahead! He had horrible separation anxiety when he was young and still has a barking issue-the breed has certain 'quirks'. If we give in to his lack of confidence too much because I fear he won't get it back. I think we should give him the tools to do it on his own as long as he is able to.

I am hoping someone has experience with the stick on paw pads. Do they really work, do they stay stuck on? He spends the day outdoors and will get his paws wet, the descriptions all say they are water resitant but I'd sure like to hear from someone who has used them.

I doe xpect to change them out but if they won't stay on for more than a couple days that could become too costly and we'd look at other options. He'll probably chew off boots then the others will chew them up. Any input is greatly appreciated. Kelley

[critters]

Why not try Show Foot Spray? I don't know how long it lasts, but I think I'd skip stick-ons.

[puremutt]

Hm when I was looking for something similar at the time for my dog I heard negative stories about that spray.
It was full of chemicals and it prevented the dog to sweat tru his paws.
I used shoes from ruffwear.com
I also had area rugs everywhere he would walk.

[raiders mom]

I made my shih-tzu Raider some booties out of baby sox,I cut up a pair of human slippersox(the tread part) and hot glued it onto the baby sox,then I tied them on Raiders feet with yarn.This wouldn't be practical for outdoors but you could make them for in the house on the hard wood floors.I use them on Raider in the house for our hardwood floors and outside when the sidewalk is slippery. It's not expensive and if he chews them up not a lot is lost..Kids or baby slipper sox with the rubbery treads might work for a big dog if you can find them @ wal-mart or somewhere like that..

[Bobbie]

I actually am in the testing stage of Paw Pads for Merlin. They've been on for 24 hrs and he's not slipping. I only put the big pad on both feet as he wouldn't hold still for more, and they are doing the job so far.

I have heard they won't stay on some dogs, though. I found a source for $8 a package online somewhere so figured it was worth the trial (even though shipping was another $8 I think.) So far, so good, if they stay on in the rain tomorrow, so much the better. http://www.pupgearcorporation.com/Products/Paw-Pads

He also has Tammy and Teddy's boots, but they tend to come off as he goes through the dog door.

[critters]

I made my shih-tzu Raider some booties out of baby sox,I cut up a pair of human slippersox(the tread part) and hot glued it onto the baby sox,then I tied them on Raiders feet with yarn.This wouldn't be practical for outdoors but you could make them for in the house on the hard wood floors.I use them on Raider in the house for our hardwood floors and outside when the sidewalk is slippery. It's not expensive and if he chews them up not a lot is lost..Kids or baby slipper sox with the rubbery treads might work for a big dog if you can find them @ wal-mart or somewhere like that..

Why not put silicone caulk on the bottom of the baby socks & let dry? Silicone usually has a sticky quality even when dry.

[Christine]

If the paw pads work, would buying the XL and cutting them in half/quarters, depending on the size of your dog give you more bang for your buck?

[Bobbie]

I actually don't have to use all of them.. they come with one big one and four small, and one big one on each paw or a couple of small ones would work (all he has on now is the one big one.) They come with 40 pieces in the package or enough for about 24 changes if such a small amount keep working. I would also order a larger size if he's still walking when these are gone because the big pad is much smaller than his pad.

I think you could cut them so ordering a bigger size isn't a bad idea. Then the small pad dots would be larger.

I'll update you after it rains.

[oldcargirl]

Hi Folks,
I apologize for not having replied after my initial question. We did try the paw pads and although we felt we followed the instructions exactly, they didn't stick more than 15 minutes. I think the edges let dog hair in off the carpet and they just dropped off shortly after. HIs pads are nice, not too soft but not hard and cracked. We cleaned with the alcohol prep pad (I have tons so we used several to be fresh) and had him stand while sticking then put weight on one pad at a time. This took a long time too!
The idea of applying silicone to a pair of socks is fantastic! I think I'll try that for when he's inside or supervised. We have since laid out every rug and carpet we have and bought 75 feet of runner so he can motor around, there are just some places he can't go like in the galley part of the kitchen.
Since I inquired about the paw pads, our old pal has has a small brain bleed (minor stroke). The emergency vet first diagnosed as vestibular disease but my vet just isn't convinced and I agree. It looked very grim the night he took ill, however he has recovered a great deal. I will be posting another question regarding a sore on his rump from where he puts pressure on that area when he rises from lying down.
Thank-you!

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

I think the silicone spray on socks is brilliant as well! I love the greenlighting tha tgoes on here. We had also discussed a month or two ago, those bill rubberized tiles that fit together like puzzle pieces for your slickery floor surfaces. If you have children, you can get them to dress up the tiles. I found them at BigLots for a little cheaper than wallyworld.

[oldcargirl]

I used silicone to attach the foam the the bra Kaiser is wearing to preotect his pressure sore. I'm not so sure it will stick to socks as it is only partially sticking to the inside of the padded bra, a cotton-jersy like material. I would like to know the secret formula manufacturers use to apply the silicone dots and squiggles to cottn gloves to give them grip. There are also cotton-ish gloves dipped in some sort of rubber but the cuff isn't completely covered. Now that would make a great doggy sock!

[allison]

I know this hasn't been discussed on here for awhile, but I stumbled upon this site when looking for other solutions for our dog. And would like to help out anybody that has a senior dog like I do. Our dog is 15 years old and has a lot of trouble walking on the floor. She isn't very big, and I purchased baby socks, and put dobs of bathroom silicone caulking on the top and bottom of the sock. (I started with just the bottom, but learned the socks turn on her feet, and then don't grip anymore).
I then took a piece of sticky-back velcro, the fuzzy side, and a tiny piece of the grip side and glued them together, and made a velco latch for them to hold them on. Don't put the grippy side of the velcro on the whole thing, or it rips the sock into little pieces, or if you put the grippy side on the outside of her feet she'll latch onto anything she happens to walk by....in this case, it was my sons shoe she latched onto and was dragging it around the house for awhile before we realized and took it off for her.
Results: She has no problem walking on the floors now, and doesn't even seem to notice they are on. Her hip problems have improved considerably.
I just throw them in the wash with the rest of our laundry and they come out clean(as clean as any other socks at least) and the silicone seems to be sticking with no problems, and continues to grip the floors even after multiple washes. My biggest problem was finding socks small enough, she is a poodle/eskimo cross. So if you have a mini chihuahua, it might be quite tricky. And I definitely recommend dark colors so they don't show dirt so much.
I hope this helps somebody out there with a senior dog.

[Bendy Kitty]

wow. that is a great idea!!!!!!!

thanks for posting it! it coudl help anyone who is having stability issues, actually. sliding feet can be a big problem!

bendy