Dog boots, or any other ideas?

[Horace's Mum]

Horus is struggling with the cold weather already. Last year it took until he refused to walk at all for me to realise that he was in pain, but this year I was looking out for it and he isn't happy. He wears a coat when he goes out, but I think the cold from the ground is travelling up into his joints. Earlier he suddenly started screaming and holding up one back foot. He screamed until I picked him up and carried him home, by which time he was almost ok, and there is absolutely nothing to see or feel, but he twitched a little when I press the top of his middle toes - I think he may have stubbed them and the cold made the pain much worse. He does drag his toes when his hips are bad. He is also starting to lie in front of the fire, something he never dreamed of doing until the end of last winter - he has always been a hot dog, likes to be cool.

I'm thinking about getting a pair of boots for him to try and shield him from the worst of it, but wondering how I could make a pair or get some cheaply to see if he will tolerate them? If they work, then I am happy to buy a good pair like ruffwear, but don't want to go down that route if I don't need to.

Alternatively, does anyone have any other ideas?

[Nettle]

Can't help with the boots but I am a great fan of homeopathic Rhus tox, Ruta graveolens and Arnica (called RRA mix) for joint pains. I use it myself.

Also oily fish - whack a tin of sardines in tomato sauce (must be tomato sauce) in him 3 times a week. Helps my old dog no end.

[Horace's Mum]

I'll look out for the RRA next time I'm in town. I do give him sardines but do you mean 3 tins a week? He usually gets 1/3 of a tin for a meal! I'd have to stop feeding him anything else!!

And why tomato sauce? I do already give him either that one or the one in oil (not the brine ones at all) but stopped because tomatoes aren't generally good for arthritis in humans.

[Nettle]

A third of a tin is fine - I forgot how small he is!

Tomato sauce is good nutritionally (can't recall the specific important ingredient as my brain has gone else where - send it back if you see it please) and my vet told me to give my old dog this, but if H prefers oil, and it doesn't make him squit, that's fine too.

[Horace's Mum]

He's not actually that small, about the size of an average collie, but he lives on thin air! Still probably smaller than your lurchers

I'll go back to getting sardines next time I go shopping - I'll do what I used to do which is alternate between tomato and oil, that way he should get the best of both worlds!