His Buster Collar after Neuturing

[LondonRee]

my vet said a baby grow wouldn't prevent damage? They said I could take it off if the daytime, but I'm worried he won't let me put it back on at night....

Dont think I can buy a soft cone anywhere near here....if I order from the states he wont need it by the time it arrives!

[rubymoon2072]

poor ellington!! i hope he gets better soon! they do depise those hard collars thankfully cedric was ok after a few times telling him no and monitoring him...he realized if he licked collar back on!!

[gracielove]

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.

[BiewerYorkie]

I have had many male dogs and none of them have ever worn a collar nor have my females. I would guess it is the collar causing him to be upset. It has to be very uncomfortable.

Even if he chewed out the stitches it would still heal up ok. My vet is old fashioned but I have complete trust in him.

Take off the collar and keep an eye one him. If he licks, just distract him and he will be just fine! b

Louise

[LondonRee]

Thanks that's all really interesting, and if he had to wear the collar again, I would perhaps think about it differently.

As it is, we are off to the vets today to get the collar off.

If dogs didn't use to use collars, I wonder why vets have started using them? Surely there must have been occasions when the dog damaged the wound?

I don't think Ellington has stitches (unless they are inside), it just seems to be that glue.

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by LondonRee

Thanks that's all really interesting, and if he had to wear the collar again, I would perhaps think about it differently.

As it is, we are off to the vets today to get the collar off.

If dogs didn't use to use collars, I wonder why vets have started using them? Surely there must have been occasions when the dog damaged the wound?

I don't think Ellington has stitches (unless they are inside), it just seems to be that glue.

I don't know who came up with the collar idea. I know they did start using them for dogs with allergies that were licking themselves raw. To me this should just be very short term until the cause is found for the skin condition. I can't imagine the agony of having an itch that I could not scratch! A collar that goes past the face is not fitted properly. I think they leave it to the tech to put the things on. I have seen various sized collars on dogs. Some better than others. The soft collars are just as effective and yet give the animals the ability to lay down properly and do not stress the neck. Of course they are more expensive so vet clinics find it more cost effective to just cut strips of plastic and put them around the neck. I think it is disgraceful to do such things without any thought to what the poor animals has to suffer.
As I said in my area the collar is not a mandatory thing. Most vets here have attended Cornell Veterinary College. I think it is more a regional thing.
So glad your guy is being set free now.

[LondonRee]

Sadly we went to the vet yesterday, and she said the collar had to stay on for the weekend.

She explained that she had seen wounds that looked happy, but then get infected after a dog licking it.

She said I shouldnt wash him either, and he's so stinky!

I'm so torn. She


scrap that, I just took it off.

[LondonRee]

I took it off, washed his face a bit, but then I saw him trying to lick his wound and I chickened out. Its back on.

I'm just too nervous he'll get it infected, and then he'll need to wear the collar for another two weeks or something.

Next time. I'd find a soft collar.

[gracielove]

Does he have an open wound? Do you see an opening in his skin? That would be very unusual. I would have to question her method of neutering if your baby has an open wound so many days after the procedure. Most vets these days use a method that closes the area and sutures are not even seen.

[LondonRee]

No, its not open, you can just see the line where it was cut.....

Its now day 6, and I may take it off as its going to be 32 degrees today, and I'd love to give him a bath.

Would any of you bath 6 days after or wait a little longer?

[LondonRee]

Hmm just googled it a bit, and seems I shouldnt rush the bath.....grrr

[gracielove]

If he is really good about his bath I would do it. He is healed up pretty well internally. If you are really fearful then wait until day 10. I would just watch that he doesn't do anything like drag his butt on the ground. He really can't do any real damage at this point. If he licks the area just let him lick it. He is not going to rip at the incision. It probably itches at this point and a little licking is not going to hurt him. Dogs mouths are quiet clean and they naturally lick their wounds anyway. Once he has licked just distract him with something he likes to do. He has suffered enough.

[1kumiko]

Originally Posted by gracielove

Oh, take that thing off of him! They did not fit it to him right! He is having an awful lot of stress on his neck with that collar on him. The soft collars work just as well and do not stress the neck or cause emotional harm that the hard plastic does. The onesy also works.

I agree with Gracielove: take that off ASAP. Besides the bad material, it looks way bigger than the right size for him. I would feel castrophobic too

My pup Maltese got spayed almost a week ago, & I devised to buy a small one from Lemos. It's same material, but smaller & has a fabric border around all edges. I still don't like to see her with that bc she seems to hate it. I know I could have gotten a better one looking at the comments above.

I was suggested to use that sour spray on her belly so she wouldn't lick, but she has no problem licking the sourness solution!

Hope your babe recovers soon & definetelly seek something better because that looks torturing

[Tswells]

I bathed Bailee on day 6 with my vets permission. He said to put neosporin ointment on it before and not to rub that spot. She was fine afterward I put a onsie on her again till day 7-8 and she didn't bother it after that.

[LondonRee]

Its now been 7 days, cone day finally came! Took the cone off, washed him (thank goodness!) and went for a walk. We came back, Ellington started biting the wound.....blood and stitches.

Rushed back to vets, with cone back on. Glued back together after a cleaning up.

Ellington is now on antibiotics, and needs the cone for perhaps 10-14 days.

So, it just goes to prove, damage could still be done, despite lots of people (and vet) believing not.

I have ordered a soft collar online, as vet and pet shop both dont stock any. the kiss-e collar will take too long to get here, so have got a uk equivilent.