Abstract:
A protective boot for an animal including a generally cylindrical leg portion having a top end and a bottom end and a top closure affixed to and circumscribing the top end of the leg portion that is drawn inward against the leg of the animal to protect against the infiltration of extraneous material into and against the self-removal of the protective boot by the animal. The base portion of the protective boot is sealed to the bottom end of the leg portion and is enhanced with a non-slip material to provide substitute traction for the animal. At least one strap is fixedly connected to the leg portion and is operable to reduce the diameter of the leg portion in the vicinity of the strap. The protective boot is sealed at each seam or point of attachment between elements so that the boot is waterproof.

Description:
RELATED PATENT APPLICATION DATA 
     The present application is a Continuation-in-Part that claims priority from U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 11/175,827, filed on Jul. 6, 2005, now abandoned which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/586,908, filed on 9 Jul. 2004. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a protective boot that can be placed over an animal&#39;s paw and leg, such as after surgery, in order to protect the surgical area, bandages, casts or splints from dirt and possibly reduce infections. Additionally, the boot can dissuade the animal from pawing or gnawing at the surgical site and opening the wound. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Animals, such as dogs and cats occasionally suffer injuries to their legs and paws that require orthopedic or other corrective surgery. Additionally, these animals may also suffer cuts and scrapes to their legs and paws as they walk through brush or in uneven paved areas. Veterinary assistance for these injuries can cost in the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. 
     Typically, after the animal&#39;s wound is attended to, the wound is bandaged and/or splinted to aid in recovery and/or to prevent dirt and debris from getting into the wound and possibly causing an infection. The bandages, casts, splints, or other devices utilized to treat the injured leg of the animal ought to be protected from water, dirt, or other debris that the animal can come in contact with. This is often done by placing the wound or injured leg in a plastic bag when the animal enters a potentially contaminating environment, such as the outdoors. However, the bag may rip or the animal may gnaw at the bag or attempt to physically remove it by clawing at the bag, thus exposing the injured leg to the adverse elements. This may create an additional problem associated with the ingestion of the gnawed portions of the bag. Additionally, retention of the plastic bag on the leg of the animal is usually accomplished by tying the bag to the leg with string or by using rubber bands over the bag. Such methods limit the tolerability and comfort of the animal, thus increasing the probability of the animal gnawing and/or clawing and removing the bag from its injured leg. Also, a medical issue associated with decreased blood circulation may arise if the band or string is tied too tightly around the leg. To date, there is an unmet medical need to provide a covering, for an injured leg of an animal, that is resilient against adverse elements, and fosters tolerance and comfort for the animal. 
     There have been several attempts made to provide a boot to protect an animal&#39;s extremities. None of these describes a boot that extends beyond the intermediate flexible joint of the animal. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,431 [Sinclair], U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,657 [Stafford, et al.], U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,828 [Solomon, et al.], U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,920 [Griffin], U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,704 [Fisher], U.S. Design Patent 379,251 [Mezey], U.S. Design Patent 382,378 [Stark], and U.S. Design Patent 417,530 [Darek] disclose a myriad of designs, styles, and types of dog boots, primarily for the paw and lower extremity that extend upward to only a point well below the intermediate flexible joint of the leg. Moreover, the majority of the aforementioned boots do not adequately protect the leg of the animal against the wide range of adverse elements, including water and debris. 
     For example, the boot disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,431 [Sinclair] includes a seam along the top of the boot. This seam may allow water penetration inside the boot, thereby affecting the wound, if the boot is immersed in water, such as walking through a puddle or stream. U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,657 [Stafford] discloses an animal boot with a tongue, a design that may also allow water to penetrate the affected area. Some boots disclosed are waterproof, however, they may be expensive to manufacture, and they do not provide protection near or above the intermediate flexible joint of the animal. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,828 [Solomon, et al.] discloses an animal boot that is manufactured through a complex and potentially costly polymer dipping process. Further, none of the described boots provides an upper closure mechanism to prevent the downward infiltration of water, dirt, or debris and/or prevent physical access by the animal to the upper portion of the protective boot. 
     It would be beneficial to provide a protective animal boot that is water proof, relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and extends to the upper region of the extremity (above the second flexible joint) to increase the range of protection. Additionally, as dogs and cats, or other domesticated animals such as goats and sheep, or small exotic animals such as ferrets, have a tendency to remove any type of clothing or footwear, positioning a boot in the upper part of the leg prevents access by the animal to remove the boot. 
     It is, therefore, an object of the invention to protect the injured leg of the animal by use of an oversized protective sheath or boot that prevents the animal from physically undoing of the bandages or other medical treatment devices intended the protect the wound, or from directly opening the wound. It is a further object of the invention to provide an area of protection that extends along the entire length of the animal&#39;s leg, rather than just the area around and including the paw. Moreover, it is another object of the invention to provide a closure mechanism to secure the open top end of the protective boot against the infiltration of the various adverse elements, including the animal itself from physical entry. 
     Other objects will appear hereinafter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the aforementioned unmet medical needs, the present invention provides a protective boot for an animal that addresses the various shortcomings of the referenced devices. The boot comprises a generally cylindrical leg portion having a top end and a bottom end, a base portion fixedly connected to the bottom end and sealing the bottom end, and at least one strap fixedly connected to the leg portion. The at least one strap is operable to reduce the diameter of the leg portion in the vicinity of the strap. 
     Further, the present invention provides an oversized protective boot for an animal. The boot includes a generally cylindrical leg portion having a top end and a bottom end and a first seam extending between the bottom end and the top end, a base portion fixedly connected to the bottom end and sealing the bottom end via a second seam, and at least one strap fixedly connected to the leg portion. The cylindrical leg portion of the boot extends upward along the leg of the animal having a length sufficient to cover the lower flexible joint and intermediate flexible joint of the animal. The lower flexible joint would be the equivalent of a human ankle and the intermediate flexible joint would be the equivalent of a human knee. The boot may also extend above the intermediate flexible joint. The at least one strap is operable to reduce the diameter of the leg portion in the vicinity of the strap. The first and second seams are sealed so that the first and second seams are waterproof. 
     The protective boot for an animal is comprised of the following described elements. A generally cylindrical leg portion made from a flexible material having a top end and a bottom end and of a length such that the leg portion extends upwardly a length along the leg of the animal to a location along the leg above the intermediate flexible joint; a base portion fixedly connected to the bottom end and sealed to the bottom end of the leg portion; at least one strap fixedly connected to the leg portion and being operable to reduce the diameter of the leg portion in the vicinity of the strap; and a top closure affixed to and circumscribing the leg portion protecting against infiltration into the protective boot of extraneous material and against the self-removal of the protective boot by the animal. The flexible material is intended to be waterproof either as manufactured, or as treated. The top closure is formed by a circumscribing channel through which a drawstring is passed for tightening and loosening said top closure including a locking mechanism on the drawstring to retain the top end of the protective boot drawn inward against the leg of the animal. Alternatively, the top closure can be formed by an expandable elastic material circumscribing the top end of the leg portion to reduce the diameter of the protective boot around the leg of the animal which is fixedly connected along the interior of the top end of the leg portion sealing the top closure to the top end of the leg portion. The material used for the top closure expandable elastic material may be water resistant. Any location of the protective boot that is joined together at a seam is additionally protected for water resistance at the seam by a waterproof tape placed across and over the seam along the entire length of any of the described seams. 
     The leg portion of the protective boot may also include an exterior constructed from a coarse material to dissuade chewing or gnawing by the animal on the protective boot. The base portion of the protective boot includes an exterior constructed from a slip-resistant material to provide the animal with substitute traction for proper footing on underlying surfaces. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an animal paw protective boot according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the boot shown in  FIG. 1  omitting the top closure 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the boot shown in  FIG. 1 , in an inverted condition, also omitting the top closure. 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the boot shown in  FIG. 1 , with a coarse material affixed to the exterior of the boot. 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the boot shown in  FIG. 1 , with an alternative expandable closure affixed to the top end of the boot. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the drawings, like numerals indicate like elements throughout. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. The embodiments illustrated below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. These embodiments are chosen and described to best explain the principle of the invention and its application and practical use and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention. 
     A front perspective view of a boot  100  of the present invention is shown in use on the paw  20  and leg  22  of an animal, such as a dog, in  FIG. 1 . A rear perspective view of the boot  100 , without the paw  20  and the leg  22 , is shown in  FIG. 2 . The boot  100  is preferably used for veterinary purposes to aid in healing the paw  20  and/or leg  22  of the animal, such as after injury or after surgery. The boot  100  is placed over the paw  20  and leg  22  of the animal that are intended to be protected. 
     The boot  100  includes a leg portion  110  and a base portion  120  that is connected to the bottom of the leg portion  110 . The leg portion  110  is preferably generally cylindrical in shape and includes an inner diameter that is large enough to encompass the paw  20  and leg  22  of the animal on which the boot  100  is to be used. The cylindrical leg portion  110  of the boot  100  is oversized to accommodate added girth from bandages, cast, splints, etc. applied to the animal&#39;s leg and extends upwardly along the leg of the animal for a length that covers the lower flexible joint  150  and the intermediate flexible joint  151  of the animal. The lower flexible joint  150  would be the equivalent of a human ankle and the intermediate flexible joint  151  would be the equivalent of a human knee. The boot  100  may also extend above the intermediate flexible joint  151 . The leg portion  110  includes a top end  112  and a bottom end  114 . The leg portion  110  may also include at least a slight taper from the top end  112  toward the bottom end  114 . 
     Preferably, the leg portion  110  is constructed of a waterproof material, such as polyurethane coated nylon, pack cloth, or other suitable material. Alternatively, the boot  100  may be impregnated with a water resisting chemical, such as Scotch Guard®, by spraying, dipping, or other available means. The leg portion  110  is preferably manufactured from one-piece construction, with a seam  116  running longitudinally along the back of the leg portion  110 . The base portion  120  is connected to the lower end  114  of the leg portion  110 , such as by sewing, to form a closed lower end of the boot  100 . A connecting seam  118  connects the leg portion  110  with the base portion  120 . The top end  112  of the boot  100  is open to allow the paw  20  and leg  22  to be inserted therein. The fabric of the top end  112  is sewn back on itself, meeting at a seam  160 , and creating a ‘channel’ or passageway  140  for drawstring  142  to pass through. Drawstring  142  can be utilized to decrease the diameter of the top end  112 , thus creating a closure with a ‘snug’ fit around the top of the animal&#39;s leg  22 . The end of the drawstring may have a moveable locking mechanism, an example locking mechanism  144  is shown in  FIG. 1 , to ensure the retention of the snug fit around the leg  22  of the animal. 
     The base portion  120  is fixedly connected to the bottom end  114  of the leg portion  110  and seals the bottom end  114  of the leg portion  110  to form a paw receiving section. The base portion  120  is intended to engage the ground or a floor surface when the boot  100  is worn. The base portion  120  is intended to cover the pad of the animal&#39;s paw  20  on which the boot  100  is used, with the base portion  120  acting like a loose “shoe”. The base portion  120  may be the same diameter as the leg portion  110 , but may also have a diameter that is at least slightly larger than the diameter of the leg portion  110  in order to comfortably accommodate the paw  20  inserted therein. 
     The base portion  120  preferably includes an exterior portion  122  that is constructed from a non-slip material  124 , for example the non-slip material could be SLIPP-NOTT®. The non-slip material is fixedly connected to the polyurethane coated nylon, pack cloth, or other suitable material of the leg portion  110  and serves to provide the traction that the pad of the animal&#39;s paw would provide absent the protective boot. Further, a band of thicker and stiffer material may be utilized to protect the animal&#39;s paw along the lower end of the leg portion  110 . This band  126  protects against both injury to the animal&#39;s paw as well as guarding against the animal&#39;s claws being used to physically remove the protective boot  100 . 
     A plurality of straps  130 ,  130 ′ are intended to be wrapped around the leg portion  110  of the boot  100  to secure the boot  100  to the animal. Preferably, each strap  130 ,  130 ′ includes a single elongated piece of fabric material with a connected end  132  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) fixedly connected to the leg portion  110 . The connected end  132  is preferably connected to the leg portion  110  via sewing, producing a seam  133  where the connected end  132  is sewn to the leg portion  110 . A free end  134  of each strap  130 ,  130 ′ can be wrapped around the exterior of the boot  100  until each strap  130 ,  130 ′ wraps around on itself. A hook and loop type securing device is preferably used to releasably secure the free end  134  of the strap to a portion of each strap  130 ,  130 ′ between its connected end  132  and its free end  134 . However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other types of securing devices, such as a buckle (not shown) on the strap between the free end and the connected end that is engageable with the free end of the strap may also be used. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , two straps  130 ,  130 ′ are preferred, with one strap  130  being proximate to the bottom end  114  of the leg portion  110  and the other strap  130 ′ being proximate to the top end  112  of the leg portion  110 . However, those skilled in the art will recognize that only one strap, or more than two straps may also be used. The straps  130 , 130 ′ are used to reduce the outer (oversized) diameter of the boot  100  in the vicinity of each respective strap  130 ,  130 ′ to provide a snug fit of the boot  100  against the leg  22  of the animal when the leg  22  is inserted into the boot  100 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the boot  100  that has been inverted so that the interior of the boot  100  is depicted as the outside of boot  100 . In order to maintain the waterproof integrity of the boot  100 , the seams  116 ,  118 ,  133  are seam-sealed with a fiber-reinforced tape  135 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The boot  100  is placed on a seam sealer machine, such as a Queen Light seam sealer, to apply the seam sealing to the seams  116 ,  118 ,  133 . The tape  135  that seals the seams  116 ,  118 ,  133  is applied with heat to activate adhesive on a side of the tape  135  that engages and seals the seams  116 ,  118 ,  133 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Occasionally, an animal may object to the boot  100  being affixed to its leg and may attempt to chew or gnaw the boot  100 , or at least part of the boot  100 , in order to remove the boot  100  from its leg. As shown in  FIG. 4 , it is envisioned that the exterior of the boot  100  may be constructed from a coarser material, akin to the material used for scouring pads, to form a roughened surface  119  that is unpleasant for the animal to chew or gnaw. Alternatively, the exterior of the boot  100  may be impregnated with an agent that is distasteful to the animal to discourage the animal from gnawing on the boot. An example of such an agent is hot pepper spray, which, although distasteful, is not harmful to the animal. 
     As well as for other uses, the boot  100  is envisioned to be used on an animal that has injured its leg  22 . It may be desired to provide some type of protection to ensure that the animal does not re-injure the leg  22 , at least until the leg  22  is healed. It is also envisioned that the boot  100  may be used during hydrotherapy treatments, during which time the animal&#39;s body, as well as the entire boot  100 , is immersed in water. However, it is often desired that any type of bandage around the animal&#39;s leg and/or paw remains dry at all times. 
     To solve this problem an alternative top closure for the boot  100 ′, as shown in  FIG. 5 , may include an elastic expandable band  142 ′ sewn to an expandable/contractible fabric  140 ′, such as Lycra® or a combination of Lycra® material with a Spandex® material, circumscribing the top end  112  of the leg portion  110  and connected thereto at seam  160 . Preferably, an elastic band  142 ′ is sized so that its length generally approximates the diameter of the animal&#39;s leg. Further, the elastic band should have a minimal width and be formed in an annular or circular shape. The elastic band  142 ′ is affixed to the inner open annular ring of the expandable/contractible fabric, which may be made from Spandex  6 , such that the elastic band  142 ′ will draw the fabric  140 ′ inward conforming to the exterior of the animal&#39;s leg  22  to keep water out of the boot  100 ′, yet not be so tight against the leg  22  as to cut off circulation. 
     Preferably, the boot  100  may be manufactured in a plurality of sizes, so that different sized dog breeds, from miniature poodles to St. Bernards, may be able to use the different sizes of the boot  100 . Further, the boot  100  is not limited to dogs only, but may also be used for other animals, such as cats, or domesticated barnyard animals such as sheep or goats, or small exotic animals such as ferrets. In addition, each differently sized boot  100 , having a variety of sizes such as extra-small, small, medium, large, and extra-large, is manufactured with a different color material on the top end  112  forming the channel  140  so that a veterinarian may quickly be able to determine what size of the boot  100  to use for a particular size animal. Additionally, the exterior of each boot  100  may be labeled with the name of the veterinarian&#39;s office in a different color to indicate the treating veterinarian&#39;s office. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.