My Review of Ruff Wear Grip Trex Boots

Originally submitted at REI

All-terrain, all-season and all fun, these Vibram®-soled boots let your best friend keep up no matter the adventure underway!

Ruff Wear Grip Trex Boots

Better than expected

By emmysue from Phoenix, AZ on 3/10/2010

4out of 5

Gift: No

Sizing: Feels true to size

Pros: Good Quality, Easy to Put On

Cons: Adjust often

Best Uses: Harsh Weather, Outdoors, Travel

Describe Yourself: Single Dog Owner

I got these for my dog for the hot summers in Phoenix. The first time she wore them, she chased a duck into a pond and lost one of them (think it got stuck in the mud). Since we got her replacements, she hasn't lost a single one. They have saved her paws when going on long rocky hikes and on the hot pavement in town. People think she looks ridiculous, but we don't have to deal with ripped or burned pads ever! They do need to be adjusted often — every water break I need to tighten them. We use the liners and I can't really tell if they help the fit, but I think they do reduce rubbing on her ankles.

(legalese)

My Review of Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack

Originally submitted at REI

Dogs love to carry their own weight—let them do it with confidence and comfort in this full-featured dog pack from Ruff Wear.

Ruff Wear Palisades Dog Pack

Excellent Harness & Pack!

By emmysue from Phoenix, AZ on 3/8/2010

5out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Easy To Load, Large Capacity, Highly Adjustable, Comfortable

Best Uses: Extended Hikes, Day Hikes, Special Needs, Heavy Loads, Light Loads, School, Travel

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

What Is Your Gear Style: Minimalist

We were recommended the Web Master Harness when our dog Dixie had amputation surgery on her front left leg. When I found the Palisades Dog Pack had detachable saddle bags on a Web Master Harness, I knew that was the product for us. Slowly but surely, we're working up weight in the saddle bags by filling the water bladders. Eventually we hope Dixie can once again carry her own water and food on a hike.

About the harness:
Dixie wears just the harness when out and about in town, or camping and hiking. The harness gives her overall support while navigating out in the world. We love the handle — it helps us get her in and out of taller cars and up and down rocks when hiking. It has withstood plenty of wear and washes in the washing machine.

About the saddle bags:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that they detach from the harness. It makes giving her a rest a lot easier than taking the whole thing off her. I like that the bags have water bladders, although I wish the valves were more like flexible Camelbak valves. I like all the adjustment options and everything seems to be withstanding normal wear and tear.

Thank you Ruff Wear for making such a wonderful product!

(legalese)

My Review of Ruff Wear Mt. Bachelor Pad Dog Bed - Medium

Originally submitted at REI

Now made with recycled materials, the Ruff Wear Mt. Bachelor Pad dog bed is the perfect place for your precious pup to call home.

Ruff Wear Mt. Bachelor Pad Dog Bed - Medium

Great Camping Bed

By emmysue from Phoenix, AZ on 3/8/2010

5out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Comfortable For Pet, Easy To Clean, Attractive Design, Long Lasting

Best Uses: Camping, Indoors, Small Pets, Travel, Large Pets, Medium Pet

Describe Yourself: Long-time Pet Owner

Our dog Dixie is a tripawd so she needs a little extra padding when we camp. It's not a super plush bed by any means, but it gives Dixie a warm, dry spot to lay her head. We love that it rolls up relatively small and doesn't take up more room than, say, our tent in the car. We also bring it along when we go to friends' houses. It gives her a familiar place to "go lay down."

Tags: Picture of Product, Using Product

(legalese)

Preparation #2

So I'm a planner, an organizer if you will (although you wouldn't know it looking in our house!). When I get really excited or anxious about something, I start planning and shopping. I did all this research. I bought things (see Preparation). I worried about things. In hindsight, the research was helpful, but maybe I didn't need to buy so much.

For example, it's Dixie's first day home and all she really needs or wants is sleep. We have her old dog bed covered in an old blanket. Zero dollars. It's too hot in the house (A/C still out). She is just laying on the tile anyway. She got her bandage off so we put an old t-shirt on to catch any fluid. Zero dollars. I was going to buy or ikea-hack an elevated dog dish contraption. Turns out, a box I already had turned upside-down with it's lid upside-down on the top works just as well. Zero dollars.


I know we will get some use of her Ruff Wear harness after her pain is gone. But, I'm not sure about the Comfy Cone though. With her elbow, there were few ways to cover it up, so she was always getting at it, licking. Her chest on the other hand, we can easily cover up with a t-shirt. Also, we didn't need any anti-skid stuff on the floors either. So far she's sticking to walking on the tile and hasn't fallen too hard yet. Guess we don't need that $5 giant rug from the resale shop after-all. Goin' in the next garage sale.

If you know my mom, you know that it's in my nature to shop. It's just something we do, and I'm pretty good at it. I know how to find the deals and am proud of it. But instead of shopping, maybe I should have been meditating…

My advice: don't go overboard too early. Cross bridges as they come and you might save yourself a buck.

We all made it through the night.

Off to the emergency vet to see what they say about Dixie's condition. Unless she had a big turn for the better, I hope they decide to keep her. I don't want to have to transport her back to Horizon, especially since I'm sure she's become comfortable where she is now. Can't wait to see her. I hope her whining is minimal…

The diagnosis that changed our lives

July brought the most expensive and tragic trip to the vet. Over the course of about 6 mos, Dixie had developed a larger tumor on her front left leg. The doctor advised us to remove it sooner than later. She was afraid the longer we waited, the more difficult it would be remove.

July 9, 2009
Dixie went in for surgery to remove the leg tumor and a small growth under her tail. We opted to not have a biopsy of either tumor, since we knew we couldn't afford chemo or radiation if they were cancer. Halfway through the surgery, I received a call from the vet's office. Dixie was doing well, but they wanted to let me know the surgery was taking longer than expected. I knew this was not good.

After the surgery was over, I received a call from the doctor herself. She said the tumor was embedded among the tendons and veins more than expected. She did her best, but could not remove all of it. She highly recommended we biopsy the tumor. I agreed.

Finally at 5pm, I was allowed to take Dixie home. She was not well. Confused and crying. Pretty much until bedtime, she was whiny and wouldn't let me leave her side. This was unusual since Dixie had always recovered easily and quickly from surgeries.

The next few weeks were interesting. Thankfully, Dixie was her normal self the next day. I counted about 34 stitches on her leg. The leg had a lot of fluid and drainage. (see below) After many visits to the vet for draining, cut up socks to cover the wound/catch the fluid and lots of touch up cleaning on the carpet, she was finally cleared to get her stitches out.


We found out about 3 days after the surgery that the big leg tumor was indeed cancer—a grade I soft-tissue sarcoma (only 5-10% chance of metastisizing). I don't know why, but from the moment I dropped her off for surgery, I had amputation in mind. Of course I didn't even know she had cancer. I guess it was like a premonition of what was to come.

The vet recommended we amputate the leg to “increase her chances of a disease-free life;” and the sooner the better. Either that, or let it be. It would grow back, and no-one knows how fast. I expect it would quickly, since it grew fast the first time. When she starts having pain, we would maintain it with meds. I just couldn't imagine that. She's an active dog. Dixie LOVES running, hiking, camping—being in the wilderness. I would hate to cut that short by having her all doped up on drugs.

hiking in Fossil Spring Wilderness Area

But I also wondered, If we amputate, are we being too aggressive? Besides a barely noticeable limp, Dixie was getting around great, running and jumping. I never noticed a change her in behavior. The cancer has such a low chance of spreading. Since Dixie uses her left leg with no problem, I'm concerned she'll have a harder time recovering.

After some debate, Adam and I have decided to amputate. Through all this, I'm proud of myself and Adam for not being super emotional or worrying about her being "handicapped." My biggest fear, personally though, is her recovery. I know she's strong, both in will and physically. I just don't want her to get frustrated. I want her to be happy.

Dixie is expensive.

So pretty much from day 1, Dixie has been an expensive dog when it comes to medical issues. She had an ear infection when I adopted her, one of many to come. Why she's prone to them, I do not know.

Next came surgery to remove a tumor on her shoulder (I think? hard to remember…). Then surgery to remove a tumor inside her mouth by her molars.

On her first camping trip, she punctured her chest on a stick or something. We didn't even notice it until we were giving her a bath and I felt something fleshy on her chest. Turns out she had a hole there! We whisked her off to the VCA Animal Hospital because our vet, Horizon Animal Hospital, wasn't open—curse of a holiday weekend.

Her trips to the vet after that were few and far between. Except that one day her left eye was draining and just did not look good. She had punctured her eyeball with what we guess is a thorn from our lemon tree. (see below)


Come March, I knew we had to make another trip to the vet soon, regarding the large tumor she was growing on her front left leg. What I didn't know was that tumor was going to change Dixie's and our lives forever.