ideas to keep him from licking wound

[LaurenBay]

My Dog has recently had a cancerous tumour removed from his front leg, wound is just over 2 weeks old and healing really well. However my Dog is obsessed with the wound and won't leave it alone. He is still wearing a cone. I'd love to take the cone off but as soon as I do he is on that wound licking. I have tried to distract with toys and playing and he is not interested. The only thing to distract him is food. I have thought about vet wrapping the leg? or putting something on it to deter him. How much damage can he do if he constantly licks?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would just leave the cone on until its healed the licking can cause infection and if its stitched they can cause it to break open.

I know they look miserable with them on but it's for there own good.

 

[meleeka]

How big is he? Long sleeve baby grows with the bottom chopped off are my saviour when my dog starts licking. She’s a JRT and 18-24 months fits perfectly, just like a vest. If she gets a teeny scratch she just keeps licking until it’s a raw patch, so I always have them ready.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

We bought an inflatable 'donut' to use instead of the cone. That worked very well and was much more comfortable for all concerned.

 

[LaurenBay]

The stiches are now out, but there was a bit of the wound that had not closed up just yet so infection is still a possibility.

 

[Esmae]

I used an old Tee shirt of mine with my dog. Cobbled together the baggy bits with a stitch or 2 and it stopped any niggling of wounds.

 

[Nasicus]

Leave the cone on until it's fully healed. Feels mean, but it's for his own good, they can easily cause a lot of damage licking to even a recently fully closed wound, the skin is very thin still. As I found out when previous dog licked a nice new hole in his recently closed castration wound when I took the cone off!

 

[Cortez]

That’s precisely what the cone is FOR.

 

[meleeka]

My little dog was very distressed with a cone. It probably doesn’t help that my house is small, but every time she moved and hit something she cried. It was awful and probably would have been cruel to leave it on.

 

[planete]

Leave the cone on. Licking, even through cloth, can give rise to infection or at least delay healing.

 

[rabatsa]

I put the greyhounds walking muzzle on the GSD to prevent licking her wound.

 

[fiwen30]

Another vote for leaving the cone on. If the stitches are out, it should only be a few more days till the wound is properly closed over - you don’t want it getting infected at this point, for the sake of leaving the cone on for a few more days.

 

[Supertrooper]

I would just leave the cone on until its healed the licking can cause infection and if its stitched they can cause it to break open.

I know they look miserable with them on but it's for there own good.

This I’m afraid

 

[Clodagh]

I doubt an inflatable cone would stop front leg licking, I doubt it would be enough.
We have bitter apple spray that you can use on them, but not in an open wound. I cover any sore bits with my fingers and spray the visible fur. But I’d stick to the cone for now.

 

[Clodagh]

This is the spray. I also use these.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...&pd_rd_r=449f8cce-db52-4609-9438-d3b1ef50bd09