Had to take Sugar to the vet today, I was playing with the chuckit over the fields with her and the Pointers Thursday night, and Kaiser who cannot be arsed with such excessive activity, has an MO where he waits for her to rocket off then ambushes her, usually broadside, they do the whole shoulder barging raahhh thing and so it goes.

But he either punctured her flank with a dew claw or incisor, because what was a titchy hole on Thursday night, and virtually invisible, was this morning a gaping wound that she had clearly licked all night.

So now she is conked out on a big fat bed with her faux fur throw, with one of my pillows under her head, sleeping it off!

I felt sick the whole time she was in there, I am such a bloody wussy when it comes to the dogs!

Stitches out in 12 days, and I will take this week off to nurse her.

By coincidence, I was reading the thread earlier in the week about the slow healing neck Scrape Julie posted, and was interested in the donut neck thingy instead of the Buster collar, but couldn't get one here locally today, so ended up with a Buster from the vet about the size of a church bell, she looked ridiculous, and I swear I heard the other 3 snickering at her when we came home, my regal Boerboel looking like a fool!

Definitely getting a Donut to keep in the cupboard, just in case we have the need in the future, the Busters are just too cumbersome!

Wondered about this too??

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Comfy-Collar-Veterinary-Size/dp/B003XLGX8G/ref=pd_rhf_sc_shvl2

Just an FYI, my dogs can get by both the doughnut collar, and the soft cone collar. If the wound is in the abdomen or back legs, it's too easy for the dogs to get to using both of those collars.

The doughnut was virtually useless in those instances, and the soft cone just a little less useless- it took the dog a couple days to figure out how to crinkle up the cone so they can lick.

Unfortunately, the only thing that works for me without fail is the elizabethan cone. My dogs can even work wounds or sores when they are muzzled....

This is just my experience... I've been through just about everything out there when Drift was chewing on herself.

For me, in line with what Kelly said, it all depends on where the injury is. A back foot, for example, can be manipulated past almost anything.

But I've had more than one dog pretty traumatized by the regular celluloid Elizabethan cone collar. I posted here a long time ago about one who was so anxious about it that she stumbled around, ended up in a corner, and while she was hyperventilating, she suctioned the collar (and her head inside it) onto the wall .... briefly, of course, but boy, that did not help. (It sounds funny, I know, but the poor dog was pathetic.)

I now have a donut, a soft cone, t-shirts, and yes, a regular cone-head collar. The regular one is pretty much my last resort, but it is necessary sometimes.

The stitches/wound are in her flank in the soft skin between the bottom of the rib cage and the groin, I am going to have to use the Elizabethan tonight because thats all I have to go with, when Bonnie was stitched in the summer after the bite, I used all my skinny tee's, but because she is as narrow as Sugar is wide, we can't find a tee to fit her! I can't even get old shorts or jimjam bottoms on her!

I have read some customer reviews on the donut and comfy collar, and it seems the bigger dogs can get them off relatively easily, but the Elizabethan drives her crazy, I am going to sleep on the sofa with her tonight to try and keep her settled, also to stop her and Kaiser buggering about, someone said about spray on plasters, but I can't think it would be wise for all sorts of reasons.

Connie, is your Elizabethan cone white or clear? Drift was pretty freaky with the white ones, but then I found a clear one, and it was much easier for her to get around without being too anxious. It's kind of flexible and soft, but not to the point where they can actually crinkle it up and lick around it.

I also put duct tape around the outside edge to help her understand where the end of the collar was so that she wouldn't run into things so much. It's frustrating and traumatic for them to be constantly running into things when they don't understand what's going on.

Kelly the one they sent her home in is ribbed opaque, also they threaded some vet wrap through the loops for me because she doesn't have a flat webbing collar that fits any more, she has a check to wear in the house and the prong for walks.

The Elizabethan has a 30cm circumference, but her neck is 55cm; it was the largest they had, but I am worried it may bug her enough for her to get stressed with it.

Tracey, when Drift first wore the collar and was freaky, I calmed her down, had her lay with me on the bed quietly, and fed her tons of treats. Once she was OK with that, then we walked around some- she followed me and the treats. I made sure there wasn't anything in her path to trip on or run into. The other dogs were crated so they couldn't run up behind her and startle her.

It took a while, but she got more and more comfortable with it. She only HAD to wear the collar when we couldn't watch her to make sure she didn't lick or chew on herself...

I think this is something that would be a good thing for people to marker train their dog to accept as a pup or young dog. Unfortunately, few dogs go through life without needing to use an Elizabethan collar... putting an Elizabethan collar on a dog that is already stressed with an injury or post-surgery can be even more traumatic for the dog and fighting the collar may worsen or re-injure the dog. If the dog already knows to accept the collar and is somewhat comfortable with it would be much less stressful for the dog.

All of my dogs will now wear an Elizabethan collar without problems. Unfortunately, it took a pretty stressed and freaked out Drift to teach me this lesson...

--Kel

Yes when we are with her we can distract her easily with 'no' or a hand clap, and I plan on sleeping with her tonight so I should be able to keep a check on it.

I see your point about marker training with the collar, I have called my boss today to tell him I won't be in next week, which with the Easter hols means I will be with her until the stitches come out, so have plenty of time to work with that.

She is still really sleepy, so peaceful; they managed to suture with just a sedative, so the fact she didn't have a general is a bonus - when Bonnie came home after the bite stitches she was put under general, and bless her heart, she kept peeing in her sleep, Sugar is aware enough to tell me when she needs to go out, always a bonus lol!

 Quote: Kelly

Connie, is your Elizabethan cone white or clear? Drift was pretty freaky with the white ones, but then I found a clear one, and it was much easier for her to get around without being too anxious. It's kind of flexible and soft, but not to the point where they can actually crinkle it up and lick around it.

Ohhhhhhhh. It's solid white, not see-through, and very stiff!

I must find and buy what you are describing!