Any Ideas How To Remove Duct Tape?

[Guest paulamariez]

Does anyone have any ideas how to remove duct tape from a hounds fur and skin??? Yesterday Bueller got his leg re-wrapped at the vet and of course it's all fallen down, except for the clear duct tape they put at the top. Now, all that duct tape is firmly attached to Bueller's fur. It's also right across his puncture wounds (shaved area) and they are supposed to be left open. All they said at the vet, was NOT to use anything harsh like, nail polish remover or Goo Gone. No advice there. I HAVE to get this tape off those puncture wounds quickly and gently! Please help with advice if you have any. I tried coconut oil (just a dumb thought, didn't work at all). Help quickly!! Thanks!

[Guest onefloppyear]

Peanut butter works well to remove sticky residue and is not harmful to the dog. I have used it to get tape residue off of fleece and my own skin. Weird, but it works. You should probably avoid the puncture wounds, though.

Edited May 6, 2008 by onefloppyear

[Guest taylorsmom]

Mineral oil should work, and is safe to use on wound areas I believe.

[SPDoggie]

I was thinking olive oil... but peanut butter sounds like much more fun for the dog!

 

PS what was the vet thinking using duct tape?!?

[Houndtime]

I use vegetable oil to remove a lot of things. Tape, ink, gummy stuff.

Edited May 7, 2008 by Houndtime

[Guest ArtysPeople]

Since the dummy vet put it on there, I'd call them and ask how they recommend removing it.

[Guest WYOwhy]

First, I'd use scissors to cut the tape into smaller bits - little chunks seem to come out easier than trying to peel one continuous tape strip. Then I'd try peanut butter or olive oil to loosen the adhesive. You could also try something more acidic like wine or vinegar if oil and peanut butter don't work. Good luck!

[Guest DeweytheGreyt]

You could always try shaving the area with a trimmer. If the gunk is on the top portion of the hair, the trimmer should be able to get under and just take the gunk and hair off together.

[Batmom]

Go back to the vet and get a pair of bandage scissors if you don't have any (blunt nose, to ease under the tape as it loosens). And then keep going with the oil -- olive oil, corn oil, any kind of oil. Glop some on, leave it soak in for a few minutes, then start peeling up at the edge. When it gets hard to peel, glop some more oil right at that edge. Etc.

[Guest paulamariez]

I've tried the peanut butter, but that wasn't doing much good. Now I'm using olive oil and it seems to be working but it's slow going. Bueller will only let me mess with it for a little while before he gets up and gets the heck away from his psycho mom, so I'm giving him a little break right now. He's just sitting there giving me his dirtiest look all the while I'm doing this. I tried the bandage scissors, but Bueller's fur is so short, I can't get the blunt edge underneath the tape. And it's REALLY stuck good, too. The edges of the tape are really plastered down good. Dummies at the vet should have used the wide paper tape, like we use at home. It sticks pretty good, but at least it comes off the fur relatively easily. I wish I had the trimmer to try. Anything that might be quicker. With all the tape Bueller's got on him, this is going to be an all day affair to get it off. Thanks a ton for the ideas! I really had none to begin with! I'm thinking the olive oil should be ok to use on the wound area. If someone out there thinks otherwise, let me know! Bueller's going to be an awful shiny black dog when I'm finished with him. I've got to keep Tiger away because he keeps coming trying to lick the olive oil! Dork. Thanks again.

Edited May 6, 2008 by paulamariez

[Burpdog]

Olive oil works.

[Xan]

Yikes. Good advice already, but I'll just add this:

Tell your vet not to EVER DO THAT AGAIN!

[Guest MZH]

The vet needs to take this tape off. After messing with the tape for a couple or more hours, perhaps the folks there will have learned their lesson to not use that stuff again. (B. might even need sedation -- but not on your dime!) If this process harms his wounds, they will be responsible, not you.

 

If for some reason the vet won't or you can't get him there, you might try one of my favorite glue removers: De-Solv-It (not Goo Gone or other petroleum-based solvents.) This stuff will soften paper labels and remove the glue nicely, but I dunno about softening actual packing tape!

 

Marcia

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest boondog]

The vet needs to take this tape off. After messing with the tape for a couple or more hours, perhaps the folks there will have learned their lesson to not use that stuff again. (B. might even need sedation -- but not on your dime!) If this process harms his wounds, they will be responsible, not you.

 

That's what I was thinking.

[Guest HeatherDemps]

When I had to remove a bandage from Dempsey's amputation site (well, I made my mom do that one!) and the pain patch, we used baby oil and it worked but it just seemed to take FOREVER. Good luck to you!

[Guest luvmygreys]

I'd be at the vets, and it would be their dime to eat, not mine!

[Guest paulamariez]

Got another call in to the vet for assistance with this nightmare. I know those wounds should not be covered with duct tape. One of the three holes was not covered with the tape overnight and that one is already scabbed over. I managed to get the middle hole uncovered, and boy did Bueller let out a yelp. Poor guy. But the one that was covered, is still a big open hole in comparison, so I know this is not a good healing situation. Plus, I'm worried about getting him an infection messing around in this area. I hope they have a good idea! Thanks again.

[Guest jurishound]

Hmmm. We use "magic wipes" to remove the tape over DD's IVs. They come in little packets like alcohol wipes, but are pink. Maybe the local drugstore sells them? They remove adhesive safely and quickly.

[Guest PreciousMom]

I've used Avon's Skin so Soft to get the tape off Precious. You just have to clean the area good when finished.

[gracegirl]

The vet did it, let the vet fix it! I'd be back in there in a heartbeat with my dog if I were you. When Grace was attacked and had to be wrapped, they did you adhesive tape at the very edges of the bandage as it was otherwise slipping. So sometimes it is necessary, but I always let my vet handle it.

[Guest nerak254]

I agree that the vet did this, let them deal with the problem now. I can't imagine anyone doing something like that. There is tape for this kind of stuff

[Guest Zookiesmom]

yes, definitely, if the vet put it on, they should take it off! Why would they ever use duct tape in the first place?

 

 

[Guest rubysdad]

I've used Avon's Skin so Soft to get the tape off Precious. You just have to clean the area good when finished.

 

We also use skin so soft.

[Guest GiJenn51]

Olive oil or vegetable oil works great.

[Guest paulamariez]

In case anyone ever has this dilemma, the olive oil worked the best and the trick was to get some underneath the edge of the tape, soak it with the oil and then let it sit for a couple hours. It worked it's way up underneath the duct tape and loosened up the glue. We were then able to hold down Bueller's fur and gently lift up the tape. Barely lost any fur, other than his loose shedding stuff! Thanks for all the advice! Bueller and I appreciate it!