Issues with the protective collar

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Hi everyone,

I had my dog neutered on Friday and he's been wearing a cone ever since. As time goes on, it's getting harder and harder for both of us.

Last night at bedtime, he was crying (which he never usually does) and quite loudly too. This morning he was biting his lead and growling. I managed to get him to sit and let go after a couple of minutes without pushing too hard, as I didn't want to upset him further... but I have to admit, it's quite distressing to see.

The vet told me he must be on a lead for every walk because he might try to rub against wood to rip off the dressings or pull them off by jumping on something. Too risky, according to him.

So, walks aren't any fun at all right now.

I'm using a 5-metre retractable lead to give him a bit of space, but it's not enough; he runs for two seconds and that's it.

Whenever he comes near me—not even charging at me, but simply because there's quite a bit of space between his nose and the edge of the cone that he can't quite judge—he doesn't realise. He keeps bashing into me with the cone, and I'm covered in bruises. I'm having to keep my distance most of the time...

Other people we pass seem more standoffish than usual too.

Other dogs are avoiding him... (not that there are many around; I think with the cold weather, people aren't taking their dogs out as much).

It's tough, and it's going to be like this until next Wednesday :/

I bumped into a nurse this morning who told me he'd end up going stir-crazy, that I didn't need to keep it on him that long and could take it off as soon as tomorrow. But then again, if he rips out the stitches and we have to start all over again...

I don't know anything about dog clothing, do you? Is there something suitable out there? The vet said no, so I haven't looked into it as I figured he'd find it easier to get off (by tearing the fabric), whereas the cone is definitely effective, even if it is a pain...

I also thought about a muzzle, but I'm worried I'll just be swapping one problem for another.

How did you manage to make things a bit more comfortable for your dog if you've been through this too?

Thanks

Translated from French
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    • Tania28
    Tania28 Icon representing the flag French
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    Personally, we knew our wolfdog wouldn't tolerate the cone, and since we were around, we kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't lick himself. He managed to get his dressing off of course, 5 days after the op, but everything looked fine—we probably got lucky. Mind you, those dressings they put on the wound are incredibly itchy for them, it definitely gets on their nerves.
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    Quiz
    Quiz Icon representing the flag French
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    I had a similar experience with my GSD girl who was spayed at 7 months. She spent 3 weeks in her cone at home and was strictly on-lead only for walks. The cone was already a nightmare for getting through the door frames in my flat, but 3 weeks of walks without being allowed off-lead for a young dog who’s a known livewire was quite a handful for me... But I stuck with it as I was far too worried about the risk of complications. I made sure to change our walking routes regularly and walked her and my Fox Terrier for over 2 hours a day just to try and tire her out.
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    ?
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    Thanks Gabin. You're right, in terms of hygiene at this time of year, the cone is a bit of a nightmare :/ I'm always having to clean it after every walk because I still let him pick up sticks from the muddy ground. I clean it while he’s still wearing it, and every time he seems to think it's a game, so it's quite funny, but honestly, I could’ve done without it! ^^ I’m going to have a look in the shops for a donut collar; I hope they have non-inflatable ones because he’d probably puncture it in no time. I’m also going to look at coats to add a protective layer over the dressing, so I won’t be as worried about using the long lead. I’ll take him to a football pitch to test it all out and see how he gets on... I hope it goes okay and he can let off some steam. I definitely agree about the issues with his vision and being wary of his surroundings. On top of him bumping into everything at the start, there are boundaries he’s not supposed to cross here (between the living room and the open-plan kitchen, the bedroom, etc.). With the cone on, he doesn’t respect them at all; he just barges through ^-^ I didn’t get it at first as the cone is clear, but I’m sure that’s what’s confusing him. Twelve days is a long time to be missing part of your field of vision, being restricted in your movements, and unable to scratch an itchy dressing... I wish I could throw him a massive party for when it all comes off. We were supposed to have the vet appointment at 6 pm next Wednesday, but I decided to move it yesterday so we could go for a long walk straight afterwards, before it gets dark. I just hope everything’s healed up properly.
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    Gabyn
    Gabyn Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, I had the exact same issue with my Jack Russell. I only made her wear a cone during the day and not at night, until the day I got a proper telling-off from the vet (I’d had to take her back in because her dressing was coming loose...). He told me: "The cone stays on 24/7! How do you know she isn't scratching or licking, or trying to get the stitches out while you're asleep?" So, I kept her on a lead for a fortnight and stopped the walks with her doggy friends completely, because all she wanted to do was run, jump and play. You could actually see the stitches loosening as they pulled on the skin and the wound started to open up... It was hard for her at first, but 15 days goes by quickly. It was early September, so the weather was dry and I didn't need to put a coat on her to keep the dirt out, and we also changed our walking route. I’d definitely suggest keeping a cone on 24/7, or even better, get an inflatable "donut" collar. It doesn't block their vision as much, they don't bump into things, it doesn't drag on the floor when they're eating or drinking, and it’s much softer. If you can, try changing your walking spot to a clear park or woods where there's less risk of him getting dirty or hurting himself. You could also try putting a snug cotton T-shirt on him (I know it doesn't look particularly "tough" for a Shepherd, but there we go...), or a raincoat if it's wet—just be careful about it rubbing the stitches. In that case, using a 10m long line will give him plenty of room to move around safely.
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