Is there an alternative to this for your dog?

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it come to preventing Miffy from paying unwanted attention to a healing wound or stitches. For a long time it was the ‘cone of shame’ or nothing but in recent years some wonderful products have been developed for this purpose.

Although the standard style plastic Elizabethan style collar is in incredibly useful, sometimes a dog’s injury can be protected using an alternative product, which doesn’t send your shins into high alert every time your dog approaches.

We have used the ‘Comfy Cone’ many times and we love the flexibility of removable stays, and being able to fold back the entire collar for feeding etc without having to remove it completely.  It is also a little quieter than the plastic design.  You could also take a look at Kong offering the EZ Soft Collar which imitates the soft style cone.

Another personal favourite (for dogs recovering from upper body injuries) is the inflatable or cushion neck collar which looks much like a doughnut. Although it won’t stop a dog from reaching paws etc, this design is less obtrusive, affects the dog’s peripheral view less and he or she can easily take a drink or meal without it causing too much trouble. We used one when our dog had stitches in her shoulder and decided to thread our dog’s regular collar through the tabs on the inside of the inflatable collar to keep it more secure. Check out ‘ProCollar’ and you will find several other brands available. Some brands do not secure as well as others.

Though we have not used the BiteNot collar personally, this design appears more like a neck brace.  A harness keeps the collar in place.  Once again, this product is more use for an upper body injury.

For facial injuries you could also consider Novaguard or Optivisor which act pretty much like a clear mask leaving the dog a lot of freedom of movement and offers protection way less cumbersome than other products. This option is purchased according to size and length of snout.

One forum entry we read told of a dog owner who had success making a swimsuit style costume for her dog because the dog had destroyed it’s Elizabethan collar within a couple of days.

Remember to always purchase a product appropriate for your dog’s size and the application. Speak to your veterinarian about the pro’s and cons of varying products and investigate on-line forums for the low-down on what others have tried. 

Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)