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Dog wearing compression sleeve

Dog Compression Sleeve Protects Cuts, Scrapes and Wounds

Home » Blog » Dog Compression Sleeve Protects Cuts, Scrapes and Wounds
March 16, 2021 by Sharon Seltzer
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Why disabled dogs are prone to wounds
  • How dog compression sleeves prevent scrapes
  • Rehab professionals
  • How to get the perfect fit
  • What about your dog's feet?
  • About Walkabout Harnesses
Dog wearing compression sleeve

One of the best reasons for writing about disabled dogs is when I get to share a new idea that will help you in the daily care of your pup. That’s what happened when I heard about the pretty pink legging pictured above. It’s called a dog compression sleeve and it’s making life safer for pets with mobility problems. 

Typically, a compression sleeve is used to ease leg pain, but a group of pet owners with paralyzed dogs, thought otherwise. They repurposed canine compression sleeves to keep their pups from getting scrapes and wounds on their legs.

That’s what I learned from Cathy Erwin, founder of Walkabout Harnesses. She said cuts and scrapes are a big problem for animals that can’t walk. They drag their limbs over every kind of surface and end up injuring themselves.

Cathy was happy about this unintentional use of her product.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read our policy.

Why disabled dogs are prone to wounds

Dogs with mobility problems have two ways of getting around. They can use a dog wheelchair or stay mobile by scooting their bodies across the ground. While lots of pets love their wheels, most don’t stay in them 24 hours a day. Instead, they like the freedom of dashing all over the house on their “bums.”

Some dogs can race around fast, dragging their unprotected legs over uneven indoor floors and rough outdoor terrain. It causes cuts, scrapes and open wounds all over their limbs and feet.

And because paralyzed dogs can’t feel any sensations in their legs, they don’t realize when they’ve gotten hurt. The likelihood of doing damage to their legs is high. It’s also one of the most common problems pet owners want to solve.

How dog compression sleeves prevent scrapes

Dog wearing a compression sleeve

While the intended use for a compression sleeve is to provide support and stability to a dog with joint, tendon and ligament problems, the design is ideal for protecting the limbs too.

Here’s how the sleeve helps:

It covers existing scratches and sores and allows them to heal.

They’re made to fit properly on a dog’s front or hind leg. (You don’t have to cut, wrap or sew to reshape them for a dog’s body.)

A dog compression sleeve doesn’t interfere with your pet’s natural movement.

They slip on easily and stay in place.

The sleeve adds stability while improving blood and oxygen flow to the muscles.

Compression sleeves are durable, washable and affordable.

Here’s a video from Walkabout Harnesses about how to put on a compression sleeve.

Rehab professionals

Veterinarians and canine rehab professionals routinely add compression sleeves to their treatment process.

Here are a few of the ailments they help:

Leg Pain

Arthritis

Recovery after an injury or surgery

Muscle sprains

Swelling and inflammation

Soreness

Heal wounds and bedsores

How to get the perfect fit

It’s important that a compression sleeve fits well. It won’t be comfortable if it’s too tight on your dog’s leg and it won’t provide protection if the fit is too loose.

Walkabout Harnesses offers detailed instructions and an easy to use graphic to help you choose the right size. Sleeves are available in extra-small to extra-large. They even make a long length for tall “leggy” dogs.

What about your dog’s feet?

Dog boot from Walkabout Harnesses
Walkaboot

The one thing a compression sleeve doesn’t do is cover a dog’s paw. If your dog drags or knuckles their feet or has sores in that area, I highly recommend adding a boot.

Walkaboots™ and JAWZ Traction Booties are two of my favorites. Walkaboots are sturdy paw protection for the outdoors and JAWZ are comfortable booties that prevent slipping on slick surfaces inside your home.

JAWZ indoor dog bootie
JAWZ Booties

“The compression sleeves work really well in conjunction with boots as they are like knee high socks,” said Cathy.

About Walkabout Harnesses

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I’m a huge fan of Walkabout Harnesses. Their original Back End Harness has helped millions of dogs worldwide and it was a lifesaver for my Sophie. We used for 5 years during her illness. Their rehab products are designed by Cathy Erwin, who is one of the first canine physical therapists in the U.S. and their products tested in a clinical setting.  

About Sharon Seltzer

I’m a blogger, professional writer and co-founder of the Heaven Can Wait Animal Society. I’m also a pet mom who’s raised 9 dogs, 6 cats and lots of other critters. When my dog Sophie became paralyzed in 2008, it was a lonely experience. It took months to find all of the resources to help her live a quality life. My mission is to share those services with other pet owners and to teach people how to care for a disabled dog.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hans Zylstra

    March 18, 2021 at 2:49 pm

    Thanks for an other excellent article about preventing cuts and scrapes.
    I would like to share my experiences about getting my dog Gretchen her medicine after her back surgery.We started with putting her pills in chicken.
    After that we tried peanut butter and pill pockets,She turned out to be an expert in getting the pills out.
    Getting her the pills was just a nightmare.
    What works the best is Philadelphia cream cheese, it is nice and sticky, sticks to the pills and all my dogs like it.
    Hans

    Reply
    • Sharon Seltzer

      March 21, 2021 at 4:41 pm

      Hi Hans, Thanks for sharing your experience. You make a point for another article. It’s tough getting dogs to take their pills, especially when you have to do it on a regular basis. They’re pretty smart at figuring out ways to get rid of the medicine. Like Gretchen, my dogs are totally in love with cream cheese. I don’t think they would turn down any medicine if it was covered in cream cheese.

      Reply
    • Heather

      August 10, 2021 at 11:57 pm

      Our dog won’t eat pill pockets either and we tried so many things including peanut butter. We even resorted to a pill shooter because we had to get the medicine down. But that was pretty ineffective too. A couple of things that we have been successful with is cooking a hot dog, cutting it into pieces and then taking a steak knife, cutting a slit in a piece and pushing a pill or two down into the slit. The hot dog closes right back up over it. The other thing that we have been successful with is still putting meds in a pill pocket (using half of a pill pocket) and then wrapping a piece of deli meat around the pill pocket and giving it to her with the deli meat facing her (as opposed to an opening that would allow her to smell the pill pocket). We also learned quickly to wash our hands after putting the pills in anything but before giving her the hot dog or deli meat encased pill pocket because if she gets a whiff of a pill having touched our skin, she will decline to accept a treat no matter how otherwise appealing it might be! Thanks for sharing the cream cheese trick. I had never heard of that one and will try that too!

      Reply
      • Sharon Seltzer

        August 12, 2021 at 7:21 pm

        I’m glad you didn’t give up. Sometimes you have to get tricky to get a dog to take a pill.

        Reply

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DogWheelchairLife.com is a blog that teaches pet families how to care for their paralyzed dog. As the owner, I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Amazon Influencer Program. These are affiliate programs designed for sites to earn advertising fees (commissions) by linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate and Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, visit the Affiliate Disclosure page

We Are A Resource for Pet Owners

Dog Wheelchair LIFE teaches pet families how to care for their paralyzed dog. This is not a medical site and I am not a veterinarian. I am a blogger and pet mom who was the caretaker for Sophie, a paraplegic dog. I’m also a co-founder of the Heaven Can Wait Animal Society in Las Vegas, NV and an animal writer who has contributed to websites and magazines.

The information shared on this site is based on my personal experience and the research I do for each story. Please do not use the content from this blog in place of professional veterinary care.

Articles from this site may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from me, Sharon Seltzer.

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