Da Gorilla Boot

The pet industry has grown leaps and bounds in the last decade or more.  There are dozens of mail order catalogs, upscale pampered pet stores, and a Petsmart and Petco in every major city across the country.  There seems to be an endless variety of products in all flavors, colors, shapes and sizes, to address virtually anything a dog may need.  That is, unless it pertains to medically focused products.

As my boy continues to be consumed by Osteosarcoma, the tumor grows larger, weighing on his deteriorating shoulder bone, causing pain, and he is beginning to drag his left front paw.  Apparently this type of cancer is common with dogs, especially as they age.  Still, outside of amputation, nothing really exists except drugs to help cope with the condition as it slowly worsens.  It breaks my heart, watching him limp around, trying to carry on as though nothing is wrong.  I’ve tried to keep him off tar, cement, and gravel surfaces, but it’s not always possible. He has started wearing the fur on the top of his foot and toenails down, causing “rug burn” sores.  So, I went searching for some affordable, protective footwear for dogs.

Surprisingly, there is not much available in terms of protective footwear for a dog in my dogs condition.  Sure, there are some sporty looking hiking boots that run about $50 for a good set. They are designed to protect the bottom of the dogs feet from rough terrain, but when it comes to the prospect of dragging a foot across the ground, there just doesn’t seem to be anything out there that is going to survive more than a few walks before it’s worn through.  And for that price point, it puts them out of range for us.

So we had an arts and craft day, and I came up with a low cost, effective solution.

Introducing “Da Gorilla Boot” for Buddy. 

I have to start off by saying, Gorilla Tape is a girl’s best friend.  Goodness knows how many times I’ve used it for one project or another around the house! Of course it would be my first choice in materials for my boy’s special needs. After much thought and analysis, I carefully formed a sleek, heavy duty boot the size of his foot with Black Gorilla Tape, adding extra layers of tape on the side that drags.  It slips on snugly, ties at the top, and stays on fairly well for our mediocre short walks.  It’s smooth enough to not catch on anything, and I even created a small ventilation hole on the side that does not hit the ground.  As he drags his foot, it will remain protected from the elements.  No more wearing down of his toenails, fur or skin around the top of the foot.  We take those small blessings where we can.

This hand crafted, rugged stylish boot made with tender loving care serves his needs perfectly.  One roll of tape is only $6.00 and it will provide enough boot repair fixings to last longer than he will need.

It is a fairly strong piece of footwear.  He seems to use it for a little support when standing, and when he get’s up to a faster pace, will throw his bad foot forward, using that added support to almost appear as though he is not limping.

When I go to get his leash and “Da Gorilla Boot”, he instantly perks up, knowing it means we are going for a walk.  Hopefully we will still share a good many more little walks, he and I. 

Many, many thanks to the makers of Gorilla Tape.  Once again, they have rocked my world, and now Buddy’s!