Healers Medical Dog Booties: Pet Parent Case Study 

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When our pups get injured or are recovering from surgery, the most difficult part for pet parents is keeping the affected area clean and dry. A dog’s first instinct is to lick their wounds, but this can make the problem even worse.

A common area for injury in dogs is their paws. Paws are one of the most difficult areas to protect from further injury, and this can cause a lot of frustration for pet parents.

That’s where a dog medical boot such as Healers Medical Dog Booties come in. An innovative wrap-around protective paw covering, these booties are a vet-recommended healing solution for injured or irritated paws. This Healers Medical Dog Booties review takes a closer look at the design, features, usability, comfort level, and healing potential of this medical dog boot, and explains whether it’s worth the investment. 

Why Try a Dog Medical Boot?

Whether it's from an injury, compulsive licking, surgery, or chronic conditions, dogs are likely to suffer from some type of paw wound in their lifetime. Paws are easily accessible for our dogs, is designed to keep paw wounds clean and dry while also allowing mobility during healing. They are more comfortable and less cumbersome than a cone, and are more durable than traditional wraps.

Healers Booties: A Closer Look

There are a variety of paw wound solutions on the market, but not all are created equal. Most are made of flimsy material, adhesive bandages, or have a bulky design that makes movement difficult. Healers prides itself on the innovative and durable design of its dog medical boots. Let’s take a closer look at what sets them apart.

Design & Materials:

• Made in the USA with medical-grade, breathable fabric that wicks moisture and promotes airflow
• Antibacterial properties that reduce the opportunity for infection
• Wrap-around design with adjustable Velcro
• High tensile strength Velcro hook for a snug fit
• Washable and reusable
• Available in XS, S, M, L, XL, with a sizing chart on the website and box

Comfort & Traction:

• Soft, slipper-like comfort, ideal for indoor use
• Synthetic rubber sole provides a non-slip grip on floors

Gauze Inserts:

• Includes triple-layer, non-adherent gauze pads with adhesive backing
• Fit inside the bootie to absorb moisture, allow medication application, and prevent sticking to wounds
• Provides additional cushion for sensitive paws

Dog Medical Boot Real-World Use 

I have a compulsive paw-licker dog named Simon. What started as a response to seasonal allergies turned into a non-stop lick-fest that often leads to sore paws. A very hyper, reactive, and anxiety-ridden dog, Simon now licks his paws whenever he tries to calm himself, regardless of allergy season. At first, I would take Simon to the vet for ointments and medicine, but that became very expensive and wasn’t always very effective. While I can sometimes slow down the licking, other times it gets so bad that I have to soak his paws with Epsom salts and try to wrap them with bandages while they try to heal. I decided to try Healers Medical Dog Booties to see if this could help us solve the problem. 

The Healers Medical Dog Booties arrived in a very nice, high-quality box that has a QR code for the instructional video. Inside the box, there were two booties and two thick gauze pads. These dog medical boots are made with a thick, high-quality fabric and have a Velcro hook that I found very tricky to remove from the fabric. Even though it was tough to remove, I took that as a good sign that my dogs wouldn’t be able to remove them very easily!

Partly as an experiment, and partly because I didn’t want Simon to think he was being punished, I decided to have Simon’s brother Teddy (they are American Eskimo mixes) and my basset hound, Gunnar, also wear the booties. The first time I put them on, I did not put them on tight enough. All three were able to shake them off pretty easily! When I tried again, I wrapped them much tighter, and that seemed to do the trick.

Once the booties were snugly in place, I kept them on for 30 minutes to let the pups adjust. The smaller dogs kept holding up their paws with the booties like they had an injury, and were very dramatic when walking with them on. The basset hound was clumsy at first, but quickly got used to it. He wasn’t letting this get in the way of having a good time.

Here are some of the things I noticed while they were wearing the Healers Medical Dog Booties:

• The bootie seemed to subdue them a bit. They would lie down quietly while wearing it.
• At first, they tried to pull it off with their other paw.
• Paws that are the same width/girth as their legs (Simon and Teddy) need to have it secured extra tightly.
• It takes a while to adjust to walking around with it on (a lot of dramatic hobbling for the first hour or so).
• They did not try to chew or lick the booties, though Simon did lick the area above the bootie out of habit.

I decided to see how they would do with wearing them overnight, especially because that is where Simon does some of his most intense paw licking. They all slept well with it on and were not restless at all. However, the next morning, I found Simon’s bootie in the living room. It had been gnawed off his foot. It looked like he chewed the fabric just above the Velcro to finally free himself. Teddy had his slip off sometime during the night in his bed (he has very dainty legs and feet!). The basset hound still had his on, and he didn’t seem to care that it was still there.

Given their personalities, the results of the medical dog boot experiment were both surprising and not surprising. Gunnar, a typical basset hound, is incredibly stubborn and strong-willed. His acceptance of the bootie and lack of effort in removing it was very surprising, in a good way! Teddy’s compliance was typical of Teddy’s calm nature. I’m sure it was more his anatomy than his attempt to take it off that led to it being found in his bed in the morning. With his high level of anxiety, and given that he will chew blankets and pillows when he’s anxious, it’s not surprising that Simon found a way to chew off his bootie. In the future, I would only have him wear the bootie when he was supervised. It was a great solution for Simon while it lasted, so I’m not willing to give up on it so easily!

Safety & Considerations

• These booties are soft, breathable, have antibacterial properties, and can safely help with wound healing.
• For most dogs, they are a much better alternative to using a cone because wearing a cone makes daily life very difficult for dogs.
• Since they are reusable and machine-washable, they are something you can keep for future use without worrying about waste.
• While dogs can wear them outside, they are not ideal for heavy-duty outdoor use. However, Healer's does offer a tennis shoe solution for the outdoors!
• The Velcro has a very strong hold, so some users may struggle with pulling it off the fabric.
• While a good value as a reusable product, they can be expensive for one-time use

Where to Buy Healers Medical Dog Booties & Pricing

Healers Medical Dog Booties are sold individually or by the pair. Each box contains two booties of the same size and two gauze pads that are specifically designed for that size bootie. They are widely available in many places, including the Healers website, Amazon, Target, Chewy, and Walmart. They are typically around $35 for a pair, which can vary depending on sales.