Now, this is not advise, just some information. I have had many dogs and cats spayed and neutered over the past 5 decades. In my particular area it has only been the past 8 to 10 years that these collars have been used. In all the years we have been spaying and neutering we only had one very eccentric cat that attacked her stitches and had to be taken back in because 1 stitch came out. The vet choose not to replace it as the internal part was healing fine. This happened many years ago when they were still using external stitches.
I was amazed to hear that in certain areas some doctors are still using stitch materials that have to be removed instead of the dissolving kind. I guess these vets have different methods according to where they went to school. When Gracie was spayed over a year ago they asked me if I wanted a cone and I said no. I was going to be home with her so I planned on watching her anyway. She would lick the incision occasionally and I let her. It is natural for an animals to lick any wound. I would distract her after she got a few licks in and she would forget about it for a while. It was never an issue.
I have been getting the stray and feral cats and dogs in my area spayed and neutered over the last 4 years. The feral cats have to be released soon after they return from surgery. They do stay the night at the clinic. I have never had one with damage to the sutures. With the more modern way of suturing under the skin it makes it very difficult for an animal to open an incision and truly most animals are smart enough not to rip themselves open anyway.
With all that said I certainly understand why someone who is leaving their pet home alone after surgery should be cautious. There are more humane ways to protect your pet then putting a hard over sized plastic collar on them. Many people here have used the onesy with great success. Even cutting that collar down by a couple of inches would certainly help that poor baby's neck. Since dogs have managed for many years to recover without these devices I think you can rest assured your little guy will be fine without it during the day while you are there. Just watch him and see how he does. A little licking is normal. You don't want him biting at the area though. I doubt that he will since it would hurt if he did. Most animals are smarter than we give them credit for. |