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Pawtectors are booties that come in a pack of 4. They protect the dragging hind foot quite a bit. They stay on for a bit, but need adjusting. When we first got these, we thought they were terrible because of the extra material that has to be folded over and banded tight. However, after ordering about 4 other brands and trying them, the pawtectors were the only ones that we could use. The best things about them is that the inside is lined with a soft fleece like lining and most importantly, the exterior is all leather and very durable. These have lasted about 7-8 months, not an easy task for our Sims who has constant hind leg dragging.

Walkaboots with lids. These can be bought individually or in pairs. This is good because a lot of dogs that need front and rear boots usually have larger paws in front. We have mixed feelings about these. The positives are: they conform to the paw the best we've seen from others as the material is made of a scuba suit fabric that stretches. Also, having the lid option is nice for additional protection for dragging paws. I also think it helps place the dragging foot in a more turned up position. The negatives are: they are bit more cumbersome to put on as they are snug (which is a good thing once they are on). Another problem we foresee is durability. After his first walk we noticed some peeling of the rubber sole on the bottom. However there is another layer of sole after it peels off so maybe this is part of the design? We'll see. All in all, I like them best so far. I just wish they made some booties with the conformity of the walkaboots with the durability of the pawtectors. Maybe I'll finally have to work on my own prototype.

Supplements
After talking with several veterinarians whom I trust and my own research and trial, so far I haven't found the magic pills or combos. However, I do know that if your baby has liver issues also, Milk thistle ( I use super milk thistle X, made for humans) and Sam-E are excellent. Sam_E is also supposed to help arthritis and mood so that is a plus. I recently contacted Dr. Jean Dodd DVM, founder of HEMOPET, the non-profit animal blood bank, and a pioneer in safer vaccination protocols. She had a similar situation with her own dear dog who had spinal disease. She recommended Sam-E and milk thistle for liver issues and DLPA and tramadol for pain. DLPA is available at most health food/vitamin stores and tramadol is prescribed for your vet. I was actually calling her about a urine bile test. More on that below.

INCONTINENCE PADS

I have been using one by Priva, the Ultra-Plus sheet protector. This is thin but absorbent and washes well. You can place it over your dog's bed and your baby can sleep directly on it, as the top material is a cotton blend.

URINE BILE ACID TEST FOR LIVER FUNCTION

Here is more information on a urine bile test that requires no fasting and no dropping off or leaving your baby for hours. It is simple, inexpensive and, just as accurate, according Dr. Dodd. Here is more info:
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/urine_bile_acid_testing.htm

The reason I actually called Dr. Dodd was to ask about this test, as we were told that Simba's liver enzymes were elevated. I was going to order it. However, thankfully, after talking to Dr. Dodd, she assured me this test was unnecessary for Simba as his enzymes were not indicative of a liver problem.

UPDATE on DM diagnosis/Second opinion
Tomorrow we have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon just to see exactly what is going on with our baby's spine and if maybe an orthotic might help. We've already been told DM is the main cause of his issues; however, we really feel the disc disease is more to blame. Because Simba started having lameness only after 2 cross country driving trips and staying at hotels with very high beds (which he insisted on jumping on and off from), we think he may have sustained trauma to his spinal cord because of this. It is just a strong suspicion, but we will see what this doc thinks. I will post what we learn.