Really distressed with cone on 😢

[Patterdale]

So tonight, 5 days after surgery puppy has finally realised that she has staples in. She’s chewed her dressing off and is now chewing the staples. I was prepared for this with an inflatable donut collar, a soft cone, and a plastic cone somewhere.

The donut is too small - she can get her nose round it.
The old plastic cone has no collar rings so she just scrapes it off.
The soft cone is effective but she is very traumatised wearing it. She was panicky at first, managed to calm her with lots of treats and love, but now she is just standing completely immobile in her cage terrified to move. It’s been 30 minutes.

What can I do for her?? I have a bigger donut arriving tomorrow but I can’t leave her with nothing overnight. I feel dreadful

 

[Red-1]

I would leave the cone on. Better than bursting the stitches.

 

[Chucho]

Poor thing :-( Can you set up a pen/have her on a short lead attached to you sitting down so she still can't move about but isn't in the crate all the time? One of ours couldn't tolerate a cone in a crate and so we had to put him in a pen. Not in a crate he didn't mind it. He was always crated at night, so it was the combination of the two that distressed him.

 

[ycbm]

"Cruel to be kind" time I'm afraid. She'll work out it won't kill her soon.
.

 

[Clodagh]

I’d leave it on, you have to sleep sometime and at least it’s safe.

 

[Patterdale]

She finally fell asleep on her feet and is lying down now. I won’t take it off, too important. I just feel so so sorry for her.

I’ve never had a dog react to a cone so badly before

 

[Clodagh]

She finally fell asleep on her feet and is lying down now. I won’t take it off, too important. I just feel so so sorry for her.

I’ve never had a dog react to a cone so badly before

Penny, my little lab, absolutely freaks with them on. Awful to see.

 

[druid]

She's a Manchester. Amateur dramatics are their forté.

Definitely keep it on, she will get used to it - surgical infections with implants are how implants fail - a few weeks of being "cruel" are worth it for her recovery even if it's hard to watch. . Hopefully the new doughnut works.

 

[poiuytrewq]

It’s so awful. Imo leave it on. I took Cecil’s off as he seemed distressed when he was castrated and he got an infection which took even longer to heal

 

[Patterdale]

She's a Manchester. Amateur dramatics are their forté.

Definitely keep it on, she will get used to it - surgical infections with implants are how implants fail - a few weeks of being "cruel" are worth it for her recovery even if it's hard to watch. . Hopefully the new doughnut works.

I am rapidly learning this! Honestly it was like she was trying to turn herself inside out complete with frantic crying. I will definitely have to harden my heart against it though as I know I really can’t risk an infection with orthopaedics.
She’s back to sitting staring at the floor, front legs buckling but trying not to sleep. Poor old pup!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Get her a little jumper or suit to cover it

 

[planete]

Sorry BB, dogs are quite able to chew through a suit if they are so minded. Not worth the risk.

 

[millikins]

Not sure where her staples are but I had one who completely freaked about a cone, she was throwing herself around and putting herself at risk. She had a nasty wound in stifle/thigh area which she wouldn't leave alone, vet nurse suggested a T shirt on backwards, tied to her collar, back legs through the arm holes and a belt to hold the middle up, this worked really well.

 

[Clodagh]

Vets have said cone, not bodysuit (not at OP), this is not your standard stitches or neuter, I think vets know best.

 

[twiggy2]

My last lurcher used to hate cones but they were at least a yearly event due to her being so accident prone.
I used to have to reverse her into her crate once I had put the cone on, lots of breaks but no opportunity to lick or chew.
Stick with it OP I never got on with the blow up collars as the lurcher long nose and long legs with injuries meant they didn't work for her hopefully it will work better for you.

 

[Goldenstar]

Get her a little jumper or suit to cover it

No it’s will get chewed it’s not worth the risk .

 

[Boulty]

She will get used to it but it may take a few days of tantrums first. Sadly it is so so important that she leaves it alone right now. Definitely a cruel to be kind type of thing.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Feeling your pain; I used to be a Fosterer for a national small animal charity and have seen animals literally go ballistic and throw themselves around wildly when they've had to wear the cone.

Sadly I don't think there is anything you can do right now........ I'd suggest that for today you just cuddle & reassure pup as much as possible - and see what tomorrow brings.

Wish could be of more help. It isn't easy I know.

 

[druid]

She's certainly putting you through the wringer. They do learn cones are fine - Lucy wore one for months on end with an ear thing and she's the queen of Manachester melodramatics.

 

[meleeka]

I always trimmed them so they only went past where the snout could reach. My little JRT had an extreme reaction too and kept us awake all night crying. I agree, it’s more important to heal than not be upset. She’ll get over it and hopefully won’t have to wear one ever again after this.

 

[maisie06]

I'd leave the cone on and ask the vets for some mild sedation, that;s what I did for a spicy springer. Hope she heals well.

 

[Sandstone1]

Can you get a clear plastic cone? Sometimes that helps. I think the fact they can see through them helps.

https://www.vetsend.co.uk/buster-transparent-classic-collar.

 

[Smitty]

Is there any distraction tricks you can use? Food fed a tiny bit at a time, Kong filled with something ...

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I hope that the bigger inflatable donut you had ordered arrived today, and have made both your lives a lot easier. But if it didn't, and if your old, no rings plastic cone is a see-through one, could you Silver/Duct tape it to a collar @Patterdale ?
I'm thinking a somewhat see-through cone with 3 strips with Silver tape going in more than one layer from the front, and down around a collar, could maybe be an alternative to the soft cone.