Got my Dog Spayed... Dont want to use the Cone/Collar Help...?

Question

She is great... only 6 months, and we watched her since she's been home on Fri... but its the week now and we can't stay home and watch her all the time... I don't want to use the cone... #1 because she hates it and walks disoriented, and #2 We have a doggy door and she wont be able to go in and out of the house... And ideas?

Also, the vet I used... used wires as the stitches so I know they pinch her... how long til they get the stitches off?...

No... when I say Wire... I mean Wire.... Like the Wire inside the "Bread Bag" twisty tie thingy... Not staples... Just a twisty tie and its like weaved and knotted... I'll never go back there for that again...

Answer 1

I've never used the E-collar for a spay or neuter. Of course I watch my dogs 24/7 when they've had surgery. If you can do that, she doesn't need the collar.

Answer 2

When you say 'wire' do you mean stitches? Any type of stitches or staples will come out after two weeks.

You need to use the collar when you're not with her. I know it won't be nice, but it would be a lot less nice if you came home and find she has split her incision open, or licked it until it became infected. Be brave, it won't be for long!

Since you've been with her up until now, has she seemed interested in bothering the spay wound at all? Have you had to stop her?

Chalice

Answer 3

Just use it. This past week my am bulldog/staffie mix was neutered and for the most part, left his sutures alone. I left the cone off when I could supervise him, but put it on when I was gone. Then I needed to go to the grocery store, so I crated him without the cone, thinking he wouldn't bother the sutures. He ripped them all out by the time I got home and I had to make an emergency trip to the vet. Luckily, he was pretty tight and so they just glued them together, and my puppy did not have to undergo another surgery. However, that was VERY irresponsible and negligent of me to not make my dog wear the cone for his own saftey. I would advise you to think about what your dog might hate more: wearing the cone for a few hours (or less) when you are gone, or having to undergo another surgery to repair the damage she does? Or getting an infection if she rips them out or licks too much? Puppies don't know what is best for them; YOU need to act on that, it's YOUR responsibility to keep them safe (that includes even making them do stuff they hate or are uncomfortable with). It's only for 10 days. She'll live.

PS. At six moths, your puppy should be able to control her need to urinate or defecate for several hours while you are away. If she cannot, you have a larger problem than what to do with the cone.

Answer 4

This should have been something you discussed with your vet. Especially when to get the stitches removed. It was about a week later that the stitches were removed for my dogs. One of my dogs didn't have any problems with licking his stitches, but my little girl did, she licked and gave herself a little infection which was treated quickly. I was told that you can put a little bit of neosporin on the wound to help with the healing and it would help prevent infection. The vet told me that it was normal for your dog to lick a little bit, but not excessively.
Also, I never heard of using wire for stitches.
To be safe though, I would use the cone. I know she hates it, but it's better than ripping out wire stitches. Also, since she can't get in and out of the doggy door and might have an accident on the floor, just let her do it. It will only be for a few days more, just make sure you take her out before you leave and as soon as you get home. I know doggy mess is not fun to clean up, but you have to think about her safety rather than your floor.

Answer 5

Protecting the incision should be your number one priority. If she is able to remove the sutures, the surgeons will have to put her back under anesthesia so they can remove the skin and tissue that is damaged and re-suture to clean healthy skin. That said, I don't think there is a dog out there that enjoys the E-collar. One other option is to improvise. You don't mention the size of your pet, but most times you can use a shirt or other piece of clothing cut to fit the animal that covers the incision (remember if you use "shorts" of any type you need to cut an opening so the pet can still go potty!). This piece of clothing should only be worn when you or your family is gone and she is alone. It is optimal to have the incision exposed to fresh air to help prevent infection as often as possible. We only recommend (and send home) an E-collar if we witness the pet licking while they are at our hospital. Males are by far more interested in licking then females. Try leaving her alone for a few minutes this evening without any barrier to the incision. When you come back, look to see if she has been licking. You might be able to forgo the use of the E-collar based on her temperament.

Answer 6

Hello,

There is a collar that fits like an inner tube around the dogs neck, kinda like a donut. I saw it in the "Drs. Foster and Smith" catalog for dogs. I was thinking about purchasing one just to have on hand, they are very reasonably priced. Click on the link below to see the picture. There is also a better looking collar that looks like a turtleneck collar. It's not big and bulky at all. On the Care-a-Lot pets website, look up BiteNot Collars. the address is carealotpets.com, I'll include the link for you. I like the BiteNot Collar much better than the donut collar. Let me know what you decide.

Good Luck and Take Care,
S.K. Alexander

Answer 7

Has she been licking? If not you have no need for a cone. At this point it would probably be okay if the staples got pulled out...they only stay in for 10 days before you take her back to remove them anyway.

Answer 8

I'm afraid that the collar is really your only option unless you want to put a muzzle on her to keep her from chewing or licking the surgical site.
A muzzle will allow her to go out the doggy door and drink, but she won't be able to eat, so you need to make sure you feed her plenty before you go.
Also, make sure it is on really well because I promise you that she will do ANYTHING to get it off!!!
It's for her own good, so use the collar or a muzzle.

Answer 9

If you really care about your dog, you shouldn't take the cone off at all. It may be terrible for you to feel the way you do but it's the best for the dog.

If you want blood all over the place or get it restitched then take it off. You'll only hurt her even more.

Answer 10

If you are right there with her, she doesn't need to wear it all the time. I would recommend using it at night though when you can't supervise her. Otherwise she could (and probably would) pull the sutures! Then it's back to the vet. Just use it at night.