This will be news for a lot of you, but Gizmo is in the early stages of DM (degenerative myelopathy) and we have been watching his strength in his back leg deteriorate over the last few months. The final diagnosis hit both of us hard, but Gizmo for the most part is still going strong despite the foot dragging and knuckling.
His leg is weak enough now that he is occasionally unsure of his footing at times on smooth surfaces so this morning he got fitted for toe grips. These are basically little rubber pieces that fit over his toenails to help give him more traction. So far he’s moving around with more confidence on the hardwoods. It doesn’t help with the dragging but when he does successfully plant his foot correctly it seems to make walking easier for him. It might be a small step in keeping him comfortable and active but any step is a good one :)
I’m going to see how well they hold up. They aren’t glued on so I can remove them when it’s time for a walk or yard play. But if you have a dog who is having issues with smooth flooring so far I’m giving them a big thumbs up!
