Leg Protectors

Roxy is an obsessive chewer. Once she fixates on something it's nearly impossible to get her to stop. She even ripped out her spay stitches resulting in the cone of shame and this funny picture.

She has a large scar on her back from where the rattlesnake bit her as a puppy. (That was well before she came to us.) Her undercoat doesn't grow over the scar, but at times the overcoat hides it pretty well -- unless she's feeling anxious, then she'll rip all the hair out. Some of the most frustrating things for us though are the sores on her legs. She will lick and chew them until they bleed. We've tried bitter apple, anti-licks sprays and ointments, but they're all temporary and often messy. If we can get her to leave them alone long enough to heal, she usually doesn't go back to the same spots.

A few weeks ago I received a catalog from In The Company of Dogs. Inside I found these leg protectors. They're basically sleeves that are attached to each other. The whole thing slides over the back of the dog. I had never seen anything like this before. I searched the internet and nobody sold anything similar either. Meanwhile, I was trying to scrub blood stains off the couch where Roxy likes to lay. In desperation I forked over the 40 bucks and ordered a pair.

The order came quickly. However, I was disappointed when I saw the product. It's cheaply made. I thought the material in the picture was neoprene. I was wrong. It's just a dark blue fabric. The orange in the picture is not a fabric binding like I thought either. Instead, it's an overcast sewing machine stitch to keep the raw edges from fraying (instead of folding the fabric over and hemming like my mother taught me). Also, the back piece is very long and not adjustable, so we had to tie a knot in it to keep it in place.

Three days after the package arrived I saw this on Facebook:

Apparently creative people can get the same thing with a pair of fun knee socks. Probably for a lot less money too. Argh. The worst part of all: I don't think the leg protectors are working. Roxy has learned how to pull up the sleeves and chew on her legs anyway. Anybody have ideas? -- K