Protective Cone on Five Month Old Puppy Advice needed.

[Liberalynn]

Okay my five month old puppy Marne got spayed yesterday. Poor baby also had a baby tooth pulled that was impacted with a permanent tooth.

She came through surgery great. The only problem is she has to be a cone head for 10 days while she is not being directly observed so she doesn't bother her stiches.

Over the weekend I have help. I hold her and my sister puts it on her. Plus yesterday she was still drugged and it was easy.

Tomorrow night I am going into six days of going it on my own. I have to sleep, and go to the doctor myself next week, so it has to get on her somehow.

The problem is we barely managed to get it on with both of us trying today. She fought it like a demon and kept breaking away from us. How the heck am I going to get it on and off her by myself? I don't want to just leave it on her constantly.


Vet is off today and trainer is in appts all day. Any tips?

[NV Whino]

1. The idea of the cone of shame is to leave it on.

Why are you taking it off?

[Liberalynn]

2. The receptionist at the vet said during discharge we could take it off her

if it was making her too upset just as long as we put it back on when we weren't going to be with her. We didn't get to talk to the vet or the vet tech then because they had an emergency case come in right as we were checking out.

But I guess just leaving it on all the time is a better option than to keep struggling to get it back on her.

[femmocrat]

3. Put a little dab of peanut butter in it where her mouth will be.

She will be too busy with the p.b. to fight you.

[Liberalynn]

6. Thanks

I will try that.

[shenmue]

4. Awww :)

Get well soon, little critter.

[Liberalynn]

7. Thank You!

[onehandle]

5. Leave it on. Only remove if absolutely neccessary.

The more they wear it, the more they get used to it.

We had a cat who had surgery and wore it for two weeks.

We took it off once to clean the cone and his face.

[Liberalynn]

9. I think I am going to have to leave it on her when it is just me.

For some reason it really is bothering my sister to see it on her.

[winter is coming]

20. Tell her the cone of shame is better than infected or chewed-off stitches. n/t

[abakan]

23. I had a sun conure who broke her leg...

She wore a cast and cone for six weeks...What a pitiful sight...Never fear she turned out just fine as she lets me know everyday.

[LiberalElite]

8. I haven't had to deal with the cone of shame but -

if he doesn't adjust to it there are now alternatives you may want to consider, e.g.: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=20208

[Liberalynn]

10. That does look like a much easier to deal with and more comfortable alternative.

[LiberalElite]

11. there are more here -

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1AFAB_enUS444&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=elizabethan%20collars%20for%20dogs%20alternatives

good luck!

[politicat]

12. I don't have dogs, but for cats, I used shirts.

The first crap shirt was originally made from a pair of tights that got a hole, so I cut off the leg, got a rough estimate on body length, cut four holes for legs and wrestled the cat inside. That lasted a few days. The second crap shirt was made from an old tee shirt -- a square roughly body length, four holes at about leg points, fastened with safety pins. It lasted about a week. It wasn't so much that he got litterbox leavings on it as it got dandered and it made more sense to toss the rag than try to clean it.

When he had to wear the shirt for several weeks, we got small dog clothes. Poor guy gave us a lot of WTF? looks, but we kept his stitches clean and his wound healing.

I don't know how big your dog is, but that worked well for us and he was much, much happier in clothes than in the cone.

[Liberalynn]

16. The clothes seem like a much more comfortable alternative.

The cone is some type of hard but bendable plastic with Velcro.

[politicat]

22. There's an instructable!

Not mine, and you'll have to size it for yours, but here ya go:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Superior-post-surgical-feline--canine-appliance.-/

[nilesobek]

13. Yes. I do have a tip.

My Jack Russell I rescued and have had for 14 years needed a cone because he kept biting a wound he had making it worse. We had no money so I made a cone out of a plastic milk jug that I cut about a third of it off. T then used duct tape around the ends and made sure it wasn't too loose or too tight.

It worked forever it seemed and I still have it in case I need it again.

[Liberalynn]

17. That's a great idea

[sammytko]

14. Just leave it on.

I had two females spayed a couple of months ago - 4 months old.

I kept those things on them for a week. They adapted to eating and drinking. The time will pass before you know it.

[Liberalynn]

18. She's getting better about eating and drinking

but is still having difficulty navigating. She's banging it on the side of her crate when we let her out, and on door jams.

[Laffy Kat]

15. OK. I'm going to get yelled at for this.

But I have found with my critters that nothing bad happens if you take the cone off. Not once have any of my dogs or cats ripped out their stitches sans cone. I saw a couple of them licking the site but they were on antibiotics anyway... just saying.

[Liberalynn]

19. During the times it's been off and we've been watching

She has only tried to lick the area once or twice and the minute I said no she stopped.
She is feeling better today that's for sure. She kept trying to "herd" me today.

[Laffy Kat]

21. Ha! But try to keep her quiet, I guess.

Some dogs like to lick themselves to self-calm before they go to sleep. Perhaps keep on eye on her before bedtime?

[Liberalynn]

24. Update

Had an unrelated to the cone problem. Noticed some drainage and a bit of blood even though I have not seen Marnie trying to bother the incision in anyway. Took her in, her vet said he thinks she is just so high energy that she's over using her muscles even though we were doing our best to follow the exercise restrictions. Now poor puppy has been put on crate rest until she has sutures out next Wednesday.

Know it is in her own best interests and I am going to follow vet's advice but I know this is going to make Marnie stir crazy. I feel so bad for her. She can have potty walks but that's it.

[Skittles]

25. the poor thang

and it's hard when you're sure your pet does not understand it is for their own good

she'll be fine though

[Liberalynn]

26. Thanks Skittles