Slippery floors are a Tripawd dog’s worst enemy. So here’s our Tripawd Traction Tip for the day: consider using Dr. Buzby’s Toe Grips to keep your pup from getting hurt.
Slick Floors and Three-Legged Dogs are a Dangerous Combo
Nobody wants to cover up pretty hardwood or tile floors. But for your dog’s sake, it’s critical that you come up with a practical way to help your pup move around inside the house. Slick surfaces increase the risk of a fall, and over time can do damage to joints and ligaments. Even four-legged dogs will age and need help on slippery floors.
Even if you think your dog is handling slick floors alright, rehabilitation therapists tell us that when dogs walk on slippery floors they are tensing up their muscles to stay balanced. You may not even know they’re doing it. But imagine trying to walk stiff-legged across slippery floors all your life. Eventually, those tense muscles will cause big problems.
Traction products for dogs have improved over the years. But they all require us to religiously apply them to our dog’s feet. Some are more high maintenance than others. One of the easiest to maintain is Dr. Buzby’s Toe Grips.
Tripawd Traction Tip 101 Get Dr. Buzby’s Toe Grips
We have tried almost every no-slip product for dogs. None are as practical and inexpensive to use as Dr. Buzby’s Toe Grips. They provide traction for a dog, without interfering with their ability to feel the ground.
To be clear, we aren’t getting paid for this review, nor will the community earn sales commissions.
We learned about Toe Grips when Dr. Buzby was our guest on Tripawd Talk Radio. Then last fall, she sent us a complimentary set of Toe Grips to try out on Tripawd Spokesdog Wyatt Ray. His grandparent’s home was the perfect place to get started. He wore the Toe Grips throughout the holiday season, and never looked more confident on slick floors. Here’s what we learned.
The Pros of Toe Grips
First: we think they’re pawesome! We haven’t found a single Tripawd traction product that allows a dog’s paws to directly touch the ground, yet still give enough traction to keep them from sliding. We wish we had tried them years ago. Every Tripawd parent should have these in their traction tool kit.
Sizing and application is fail-safe. Dr. Buzby provides so much direction on her website for choosing the right Toe Grips size and applying them, that it’s hard to mess up after a few tries.
Wyatt didn’t mind them one bit. We really thought Wyatt would eat them. Because when it comes to wearing boots, our Wyatt is a big baby. And he hates nail trims. Yet once the application process was over, he never paid any more attention to the Toe Grips. He didn’t chew or lick, and it was clear that they remained unobtrusive for the four weeks they remained on his nails.
Of course, as with every product, there are some caveats. Here are some to consider.
A few considerations about Toe Grips
Not all dogs will be OK with the application process. Applying them to your dog’s feet can be more challenging than a nail trim if your dog doesn’t like to have his feet handled. Wyatt’s feet become a moving target whenever we touch them, so our first try was long and stressful for all of us. But once we re-watched Dr. Buzby’s video and blog tips on her website, the second application was a bit easier. Wyatt still wasn’t thrilled, but he got over it.
Applying the Toe Grips takes practice. Toe Grips just slide onto a four-legged dog’s nails, but since three-legged dogs have an odd gait that causes paws to twist and turn at odd angles, Toe Grips can pop off if they’re not glued down. To fix this, Dr. Buzby provides a free tube of super glue with every purchase.
You just need to squeeze a drop of glue into every Toe Grip before applying it to the nail. Just a small dab will work, but if your dog is squirmy, you will get it on your fingers. You’ll need to work fast too.
They can hide your dog’s nail growth. The Toe Grips stay on indefinitely once glued down. In the meantime, nails keep growing. When we finally decided to remove Wyatt’s Toe Grips, his nails were longer than they should have been. You’ll need to stay on top of nail maintenance and trimming fur between your dog’s toes for these to be successful.
But you still need them in your Tripawd toolbox.
To sum it up, our number one Tripawd Traction Tip is to get started with Dr. Buzby’s Toe Grips. They’re one of the best dog traction solutions available, for any dog, regardless of how many legs they have.
And remember, accept no imitations: Dr. Buzby is the authority on helping dogs stay upright on slick surfaces. If you don’t have this in your Tripawd toolbox, you need to.
LOVE THEM! We use them for Kodi…he also hates his toes touched, but he’s gotten so used to them that application is quick and easy. We don’t glue them on, so its easy-peasy when time for a nail trim. He still manages to dislodge some, but for the most part they stay on great.
Paula
That’s pawesome, Paula! I’m so glad they work for your sweet little guy. I think we’ll get better with more practice and maybe Wyatt won’t be so nervous after a while. That’s our goal, to Be More Kodi!
We want to get some for Saki! Her first holiday as a tripawd left her with muscle or tendon strain from slipping on hard wood floor at her auntie’s house. She bounced back quickly, but it was quite a scare when she refused to move or lie down for about 3 hours.
If they’re applied with superglue, do you trim the nail as they protrude past, or do you have to cut the toe grips off? That sounds daunting.
Ohhh I’m glad Saki is healed. That’s exactly what we were afraid of when Wyatt went to visit the grands. It is scary!
So once the nails grow, you do need to remove the glued-on Grips. If you don’t put a ton of glue on, they come off relatively easily by peeling away, AND you can re-use them if they’re not worn down. Wyatt has re-used most of his original set 2x now.
Hope this helps! Let us know if you decide to give them a try.