Keeping the cone on

[Clodagh]

Pen ripped her ear yesterday and has stitches. It’s where the ear joins the head, at the top.
I cannot get the cone to stay on, she does this sort of stranded fish flop and gets out of it, even with a tight collar, and it is pulling off over the stitches every time.
Now she has a Lycra body suit from spay days. It has a couple of loops in the neck, do you think if she wore that and the collar and the cone it will stay on?
Or any better suggestions. ?

 

[Roxylola]

Might a comfy collar work? The inflatable type (or I've seen people get creative with draught excluders) if they're really determined to remove they end up doing more harm than good

 

[Clodagh]

Might a comfy collar work? The inflatable type (or I've seen people get creative with draught excluders) if they're really determined to remove they end up doing more harm than good

I think she could scratch round it, she is small and agile.

 

[Sandstone1]

A snood type thing over her ears? also you can put a comfy collar on as well as a cone. Its a bit of over kill but will stop her getting the cone off.

 

[Roxylola]

I have had similar issues with my spaniel recently so you have my sympathy. Certainly worth trying the suit if you've got one anyway. Maybe a snood?

 

[Moobli]

I was going to suggest one of those inflatable ring type collars but sounds like that might not work. It’s a total pain trying to stop them getting at stitches.

 

[Sandstone1]

You can also put socks on her feet to stop her scratching.

 

[Sprout]

Mine had to be in a cone for 12 weeks!
I threaded a crepe bandage through the loops on the cone, and then tied it to her collar .... that worked for her.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I like the inflatable collars, even the Rottweiler can't get those off, she can get her normal collar off with no problem at all. We have had Labs wear a cone with crepe bandage to hold it onto their collar.

 

[Clodagh]

the crepe bandage lasts seconds. The collar no longer.
The one time I tried an inflatable collar ( not on Pen) it was wrecked in seconds.
I don’t think I’d trust a snood to be left all night.
I am interested in the comfy collar keeping the cone on though. Can you attach one to the other?

 

[Roxylola]

Id guess if you put the comfy collar inside the cone it's going to hold the cone in place by virtue of being bigger than the dogs head/neck

 

[Sandstone1]

the crepe bandage lasts seconds. The collar no longer.
The one time I tried an inflatable collar ( not on Pen) it was wrecked in seconds.
I don’t think I’d trust a snood to be left all night.
I am interested in the comfy collar keeping the cone on though. Can you attach one to the other?

You can just put the comfy collar behind the cone. Ive done it for dogs that bend the cone and reach round. you probably could attach them if nec.

 

[Clodagh]

Well she wore her bodysuit with the cone tied to it, all survived the night. She is genuinely absolutely terrified though. It’s really awful. I’ve been racking my brains to try to think of an alternative.
I think I will be able to find something else for when one of us is around but she is going to have to wear the cone when left.
she is shaking, panting and dribbling with it on, and standing frozen with her legs braced.

 

[Clodagh]

Well I have ordered a soft cone and an inflatable one. Something must work!
Right now she looks like the Queen in a silk headscarf.

 

[EnduroRider]

Does she really need it? Given the location she cannot lick the wound so the cone is only stopping her scratching at it with her feet. Is she actually bothered enough that she will scratch at the stitches? If yes, would a large self adhesive dressing be enough to protect them instead?

 

[Clodagh]

Does she really need it? Given the location she cannot lick the wound so the cone is only stopping her scratching at it with her feet. Is she actually bothered enough that she will scratch at the stitches? If yes, would a large self adhesive dressing be enough to protect them instead?

She started to scratch last night, so yes. I think think about a dressing but it would need metres of vet wrap to hold it.

 

[EnduroRider]

She started to scratch last night, so yes. I think think about a dressing but it would need metres of vet wrap to hold it.

What a pain! I am super lucky, we've just had ours spayed and she didn't once touch the wound so was able to go without a cone or suit.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

standing frozen with her legs braced

This was what ours was like with a cone after spaying. Thankfully she coped with an inflatable collar but they aren't really designed to cope with a dog determinedly scratching at them. Hope you find a solution for her.

 

[Clodagh]

Tawny modelling the adapted cone ( I don’t want to put it on Pen until later, and can’t photograph a scared dog).
It covers the top of her ears but should be less of a blinker.

 

[TheresaW]

I was going to suggest could you cut it down a bit. Hope it works.

 

[Clodagh]

I was going to suggest could you cut it down a bit. Hope it works.

she wore it while we dived to the pub, much better, could even walk. Still tense but hopefully over the worst panic.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

The more see through ones we're better for us, particularly when all 3 wore cones, it helped stopping them bashing into me. Might make her less scared of it too?

 

[Clodagh]

The more see through ones we're better for us, particularly when all 3 wore cones, it helped stopping them bashing into me. Might make her less scared of it too?

She hates it, and it is see through.
She’s fine with the inflatable, and hasn’t trashed it, so that is our go to for now.

 

[SOS]

Not much to add that hasn’t already been suggested - tying to a well fitted collar, socks on feet. Sounds like she will get at it without a collar on. I would not dress it yourselves, if an ear bandage slips and tightens it can be really dangerous as you can imagine.

Only thing to add is to occupy her mind? Kongs, scent games etc. Help tire her mentally!

 

[rara007]

Figure 8- through the cone loops and then cross over at the withers, round behind the elbows and tie up at the sternum with a bandage.