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What Are ToeGrips? How Do They Work?

Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips are natural rubber latex nail grips that help your senior or disabled dog walk around smooth surfaces without slipping. As dogs get older, they may have trouble walking on smooth floors and may slip a bit when standing or walking. This can happen for a few reasons like their joints being weak, their pads being very dry and not providing as much natural traction, or they have long fur on the bottom of their feet. For these reasons, ToeGrips were made to help your dog walk confidently across smooth surfaces.

The ToeGrips are put on each nail of your dog’s foot (minus the dewclaw), so the rubber provides traction when your dog walks or jumps onto smooth floors. Once your dog understands that the ToeGrips are allowing them to stay more upright, they will be less scared to move around.

I was interested in getting ToeGrips for my senior dog because, occasionally, she would slip when she jumped off the bed. One time, she slipped and ended up limping for a few hours afterward. If my other dogs are roughhousing and bump into her, she might slip a bit. Thankfully, my dog has never severely injured herself when she slips, but I wanted to use ToeGrips to prevent that from happening in the future.

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ToeGrips – A Quick Look

ToeGrips Pricing

A one-time purchase of a pack of ToeGrips costs $39.99, regardless of the size you order. If you subscribe, each order costs $33.99 (saving you about 15%).

Each packet contains 20 ToeGrips. The company says that 20 grips will last 1–3 months. If your dog goes outside frequently, the ToeGrips might get worn out. However, the packet comes with extras if a few get scuffed up or lost.

What to Expect From ToeGrips

To get started, go onto the ToeGrips website and select the size you need. However, if you really do not know what size your dog’s nails are, you can type in the weight and breed and the website will suggest a size.

After you have put in all that information, you can place the order and wait a few days for your ToeGrips to be delivered!

Inventive Idea for Seniors and Dogs With Special Needs

I love the idea of making a product marketed for senior dogs! Some people think that senior dogs become sedentary simply because they are old; however, it might be because they are a bit wary of falling.

This is also a wonderful option for people who want to avoid using carpets. Having bare wood floors or vinyl floorings is more modern in people’s homes. And while carpets would help solve the issue of your dog slipping, recarpeting your entire home may not be financially viable.

Slightly Challenging Application

When you get your ToeGrips package, you are given specific instructions on how to put them on. There are two graphics that showed incorrect positioning of the ToeGrips and one graphic that showed how the ToeGrips should fit.

However, despite the clear instructions, I still found it difficult to position the ToeGrips just right. Part of the ToeGrip should make contact with the floor to give your dog traction. However, it took me a few tries to get the ToeGrips in close to the right position. If your dog is a bit fussy, this might make putting them on a bit more difficult.

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Are Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips a Good Value?

Overall, these ToeGrips are a good value. The package comes with four extra grips in case you drop one under the couch and cannot retrieve it or if one accidentally comes off your dog’s toenail. Having a ToeGrip slip-off is highly unlikely if you measured your dog’s toenails properly.

These ToeGrips should last about 1 to 3 months without needing to be replaced. This will depend on whether your dog ventures outside, thus causing more wear-and-tear to the ToeGrips as opposed to a dog that primarily stays indoors.

FAQ

Can I use ToeGrips only on the front paws of my dog?

No, it is not recommended. If the dog only has the ToeGrips on half of their toes, it will not have the full support that these grips should offer. Use the ToeGrips on all 16 claws (except the dewclaws).

Will ToeGrips permanently correct any walking issues my dog has?

Unfortunately, no. ToeGrips are not meant to correct any physical problems that your dog has, whether from a disability or just old age.

Can I use ToeGrips temporarily?

It depends on the situation! Perhaps your dog might be recovering from surgery and is learning how to move about freely again. In that case, ToeGrips can help your dog get back on their feet and can be taken off when your dog is stronger.

How long or short do my dog’s nails have to be for the ToeGrips to work?

According to the website, there is no clear indication of how long or short the toenails need to be. Even short nails should work with the ToeGrips. The main thing is the circumference of the nail. If the ToeGrips are too small, they will not fit. If they are too big, they will slide off the nail.

Our Experience With ToeGrips

My dog Jelly is a 12-year-old female. She is in good health, does not suffer from any weight problems, nor has she had leg or joint injuries in the past. While she can usually walk with ease on my vinyl floor, if she jumps from our bed or the ottoman, she sometimes slips. Most of the time, the slips are minor, and she can stand up again. However, she has slipped a few times resulting in her limping for a few hours. Plus, Jelly is not getting any younger. I want her to move around with confidence and prevent any injuries. The older the dog gets, the longer it will take to recover.

Jelly is about 37 pounds, and after measuring her toenails, I ordered her the medium size. Before putting them on, the instructions said to soak them in isopropyl rubbing alcohol, making them easier to slip on. Jelly was not too pleased when I put them on her because I needed to take them off as I did not think I put them on correctly. Trying to adjust the ToeGrips, so they make contact with the floor was a bit difficult. When I first put them on, they were up too high on the nail, avoiding contact with the floor entirely. When I tried to slide them down a bit, they were too low, risking them falling off.

However, I tried again, and when I thought I got them to the right spot, I worked on the rest of the toes. Once finished, I let Jelly walk around to get used to them. Thankfully, she did not seem bothered that there were ToeGrips on her feet. Good!

Now comes the big test! I called her onto the bed and then watched her jump off. This is where Jelly would sometimes hesitate because she has slipped in the past—especially when she is excited and leaps without thinking. She jumped with ease and did not slip. Granted, she jumped cautiously, but there was no slipping!

The next morning, I saw Jelly licking her paws and noticed that she had only ONE ToeGrip on her front left paw. Did they fall off? I checked the blanket she sleeps on. And sure enough, there were seven wet ToeGrips in a pile. Jelly had pulled them off with her teeth. Judging by the moistness of her blanket, it must have taken her some time to pull them off. Thankfully, they were all accounted for. What would have happened if she had swallowed one? The ToeGrips are not made of dangerous material, and they are small enough that they would have just passed through her system and ended up in her stool. I was a bit surprised that Jelly pulled them off because the website stated that “97% of dogs do not bother with or chew at their ToeGrips”. I guess my dog falls in the 3%.

I put the ToeGrips back in a small bowl with the rubbing alcohol and went to put them back on. Jelly was not too pleased. Again, I struggled with putting them on correctly, but I managed to do it. I think!

However, a few minutes later, I saw Jelly pulling at the ToeGrips again. She managed to get two more off. While the website said that there was no danger if she swallowed them, I did not want to risk it. If she was bothered by them, I would prefer her not to have them on.

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Final Thoughts

Based on the reviews from other customers who have used Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips for their senior or disabled dogs, this is a useful product. People have stated that the ToeGrips have given their dogs more freedom and confidence. I have no doubt that many dogs have benefited from them. However, for my stubborn Jelly, the ToeGrips were just not for her. Maybe her nails were too long, hence having an issue with getting them on properly. This also might be the reason why she pulled them off.

While ToeGrips did not work for Jelly, I will keep a hold of them to see if she can benefit from them as she gets older. Perhaps if her ability to walk upright starts to weaken a bit, I can try the ToeGrips again.