Poor Doggie Toes!

We all know how awful this deep freeze is over so much of the country....

this is what it's like by us right now

take note of the "feels like" temp of 35 below!  

This kind of weather makes your jacket stiff as soon as you hit the cold, your rubber tennis shoes don't grip and become slippery ski feet, your nostrils freeze shut, and if you cough-- you can't see through the cloud of steam coming out of your mouth!

Of course people are all full of cautions and worries about their pets.  With ours being indoor pets, we think they have it pretty cushy to just rush out, go pee and rush back in!

Well....think again.  In our old elderly sheltie Duke's process of rushing today, he seems to have gotten his foot or toenail froze into the ice and pulled it (like a wet tongue on a flagpole!)  and tore his toe!

I didn't even notice as he came rushing in, as I opened the door for him. I was in the kitchen while he scooted into the livingroom to lay down.  I was putzing in the kitchen for a bit before I walked into the diningroom.

Imagine my HORROR to see a long row of 20+ bloody pawprints across the light tan carpeting through the diningroom and into the livingroom leading up to his favorite spot to lay!!!!

I lifted him up and carried him into the kitchen and swabbed up his paw and tenderly swaddled it in paper towels while I called the vet.  They said bring him right in, they had plenty of openings today and could take us right away.   I repadded the paw with some feminine hygiene products (great for emergency use for big cuts!) and some tape to hold it all in place.

Fortunately I was able to start up the car right away in the garage, I laid out a blanket and put Duke in the back seat.  At the same time, our little sheltie, Finney is due for his rabies shot and all over health check, so they said they would see him too.  Tossed Finney in the back seat, a couple leashes, my purse and off we went!

And THIS is the kind of weather I was driving in!

Blasting winds and blowing snow, whipping across the road.  Almost blowing me into the other lane. There were strong wind chills of 40-50 below... the car finally warmed up after 10 miles or so. Good thing I have heated leather seats!   Normally I wouldn't venture out on a day like this, but I had no idea how bad Duke's toe was...


We got in to the office, and they cleaned his foot up and bandaged him up and he will be just fine!  It was just cracked at the nail and was not the whole pad or the toe.   The vet suggested that a damp paw from stepping into someones boot melting in a hallway from the person coming IN is just the thing a dog will step into on his way OUT ....  and that wet paw and tender tissue going into the subzero frosty conditions can stick right to the icy hard snow. That is the possible scenario that cracked his toenail and made him bleed.  Combined with the fact he is on a baby aspirin each day causes him to bleed and bleed and not clot up as well.  The assistant and vet fawned over him and made him feel so pampered and special.  I think he was in love with both of them!

Finney got his other shot and a once over, and is all established now at this wonderful vet office.  They were both given lots of treats and attention because they were the ONLY dogs there!

Soon we were back home, and the patient was resting peacefully 

(notice the giraffe pattered wrap tape on his rear leg?) 

I got out the Nature's Miracle cleaner and scrubbed up all the spots on the carpeting, I think I got them all out... It is still drying, but I don't see any more bloody paw prints, so that is a good sign.


After Steve got home from work, we called three places nearby to see if they had doggie boots.  Nope... nobody.  By the time I could order them from the internet, the weather will be warmed back up and not needed.  So we decided to run to Walmart and get some thick padded baby socks!   Added a roll of sport tape that sticks to itself, and we made our own doggie booties!!!

Steve laughed at them and said they are like the 

poor little kittens who found their mittens! 

Little Finnegan was stomping around in them and trying to figure out what the heck we did to him and why???   He stiff-legged stomped around the house for a bit.  But old Duke took it all in stride, after all he was through today, a few little socks were nothing to fret about.

Soon little Finney figured out that if Duke says it's okay, it must be okay... and now he is konked out for a while on the sheepskin bed, dreaming his doggie dreams.  The front pair of Finney's socks even have doggie paws on them!

Later we will let them out one more time for potty break before bed, and then we will take the socks off till morning.

We sure don't want another trip to the vet again tomorrow!