New Girl Molly- And A Question About An E-Collar/cone.

[Guest OurLacyandJax]

We got a new girl and her name is Molly. She is super nice, very young - just turned two. Very affectionate to all. Reminds us so much of Lacy.

 

Anyways, her spaying went well, but after about 5 days, when we were about to go pick her up from the foster, she managed to lick her staples off. So she went back to the vet, they stapled (what happened to suturing wounds???) her back together, back on antibiotics and four days after the re-stapling, now we have her.

 

She came home with this super cone fit for an elephant - the standard lampshade variety. She bumbles along with it, hits the sides of everything, and is generally not comfortable, but seems ok to sleep in it.

 

I am thinking something better exist out there. Noticed Comfy Cone. Looks nice - but I am so confused about the sizing - and worry if the Large size might be a good fit for her neck, but her long snout might still help her to lick the staples off. She's got a 15 inch neck, with a 32 cm collar to snout length - and that blows a fuse in their sizing chart.

 

What do you all suggest? Something better out there, or just learn to survive a few days (till 17th) with the elephant cone?

 

 

[Guest karilynn]

Hi there! I just went through a similar ordeal. My boy got hurt at the dog park and had to have stitches - only 4, but he licked and licked and licked. I ended up using his basket muzzle with a stool guard and it worked perfectly well. They sent me home with this ridiculous e-collar that he hated and he couldn't even fit in his crate with it on. I knew I had to find something else. I got this inner-tube type collar that goes around their neck and inflates, but it did not fit him well seeing as his head is so skinny (per typical greyhound fashion) and it slipped off - so I'd avoid those. My best advice wo0uld be the muzzle with a stool guard and if you don't have a stool guard, you can use duct tape on the end to prevent her from licking through the holes in the muzzle.

 

Also, according to my vet, staples work better than sutures, but in my case, sutures worked better. I guess it depends.

Good luck!

[OwnedBySummer]

I second the use of a muzzle. Hope she heals up soon!

[greg1229]

When I took in my latest foster girl, Flip, she had a splinted right leg due to a broken hock. She kept wanting to chew on the splint so instead of the "cone of shame" I borrowed what I call the "neckbrace of dammit"..

 

 

Here is a link to a place you can order them

 

http://www.jefferspet.com/bite-not-collars/p/0028630/

 

Or maybe someone in the adoption group may have one you can borrow for a while

[Guest OurLacyandJax]

Thanks Karilynn - I am leaning towards the same thing. I was thinking about the holes in her muzzle - but your duct tape idea should do the trick. Good call!

[Guest OurLacyandJax]

Oooh - BiteNot looks good. Does this mean she cannot bend towards her underbelly area and lick? Let me ask my local group about it.

[a_daerr]

Muzzle with stool guard. Had to do it for months because of Truman's happy tail. They can still drink/navigate around normally.

We weren't able to do any type of e-collar because he couldn't get through the dog door with it.

[Guest OurLacyandJax]

Stool guard - is that something you can buy for the muzzle, or as Karilynn said, just some homemade stuff?

[greg1229]

Oooh - BiteNot looks good. Does this mean she cannot bend towards her underbelly area and lick? Let me ask my local group about it.

Yep, it keeps her from bending her neck so she shouldn't be able to get to the stitches

[Guest OurLacyandJax]

Sorry, found the thing on google. So ignore my question a_daerr! Thanks all! I think there is enough options here I can work with, plus, it looks like muzzle with the guard is the best option.

[OwnedBySummer]

GEM Store muzzle page, including stool guard.

[Guest OurLacyandJax]

Also just came across an older post from Mango's Mom - the very cool folded towel and duct tape/velcro tape trick. Ingenious.

[Guest karilynn]

Also just came across an older post from Mango's Mom - the very cool folded towel and duct tape/velcro tape trick. Ingenious.

 

I used a folded towel with some tape, too. That worked really well but it depends on where the booboo is. (hehe, booboo)

 

Bullet's was on his side and somehow he was still able to get to it with the folded towel method, but seeing as your girl's is waaaay back below her belly, that might work well.

[ivon]

Ugh, I tried the comfy cone recently, but they are made for thicker necks, I think. It kept falling over Spuds eyes and he walked around blind, he was miserable. The muzzle with a stool guard (of duck tape) works really well. Did the same for Karma when she sliced her front paw, staples there too. Staples are used when the vet doesn't want to put them under, which they have to do for sutures, while staples, they can just hold them down and go for it. My vet said it's like getting your ears pierced, Karma put up more fuss when they cleaned her foot, the stapling didn't seem to bother her that much. (I had fed her a full breakfast just before she got injured.)

[MP_the4pack]

If it's her spay would a belly band work? (It may not go all the way down. But maybe a combination of a belly band and boys (human) undies would work.

[grey8greys]

How about putting a t-shirt on her. Put the shirt on her backwards, they seem to fit better this way and knot the hem to pull it up closer to her. I always use a white man's shirt.

[seattlegreygirl]

Hi there! I just went through a similar ordeal. My boy got hurt at the dog park and had to have stitches - only 4, but he licked and licked and licked. I ended up using his basket muzzle with a stool guard and it worked perfectly well. They sent me home with this ridiculous e-collar that he hated and he couldn't even fit in his crate with it on. I knew I had to find something else. I got this inner-tube type collar that goes around their neck and inflates, but it did not fit him well seeing as his head is so skinny (per typical greyhound fashion) and it slipped off - so I'd avoid those. My best advice wo0uld be the muzzle with a stool guard and if you don't have a stool guard, you can use duct tape on the end to prevent her from licking through the holes in the muzzle.

 

Also, according to my vet, staples work better than sutures, but in my case, sutures worked better. I guess it depends.

 

Good luck!

 

 

Sheldon just recovered from an injury and same thing, he kept licking and wouldn't leave it alone. A muzzle with stool guard did the trick.

[Guest OurLacyandJax]

How about putting a t-shirt on her. Put the shirt on her backwards, they seem to fit better this way and knot the hem to pull it up closer to her. I always use a white man's shirt.

Why a white man's shirt? :-) Ok, I couldn't resist.

 

Thanks for the suggestion - I think i will consider this as well, along with the towel, and the ducted muzzle. This will be a formidable offense against her tongue, it should just demoralize her!

[GeorgeofNE]

If she's fine with it, I'd just deal with it.

 

A muzzle will not keep her from TRYING to mess with the staples, and in fact will probably mess them up faster than her tongue did.