e-collar on a dog-- any tips to help?

[KalamazooMom]

I posted a couple weeks ago about our dog excessively licking himself http://www.mothering.com/discussions...hlight=licking

I was doing the tee tree oil and we were distracting him as much as possible. But when I got home from work on Monday the one spot on the left side looked awful, red and raw and weepy. So I got him into the vet yesterday and she said it was infected. She cleaned up the wound and gave us 21 days of antibiotics. She also put him in an e-collar and says he needs to wear it 24-7 to avoid doing any more damage to the wound.

The e-collar looks huge to me but it has to be that big because he has such a long snout (he's half greyhound). He seems really miserable with the thing on. He can eat and drink fine, and he can lay down fine. But he keeps bashing into stuff with it since he doesn't have the hang of navigating around the house with it yet. I tried to take him for a walk last night and I think because he has no peripheral vision with it he kept kind of going in circles on the leash.

Anyone have experience with this? Will he just get used to it? It's only been 24 hours. Or is there anything we can do to make this easier? The kids and I just feel so sorry for him. But I know the point is for the wounds to heal.

[Ola_]

Yeah, he'll get used to it. It sucks to watch though, I know. I would take it off for walks and anytime you can supervise 100% to give him a break. If you're watching him he can't do any more damage.

Have you tried anything that might ease his anxiety, if that's what's causing it? Did the vet have any thoughts on the root cause?

[rhiOrion]

There are other e-collars out there, but they may not work as well for a really determined doggy. Don't know how they'd work with his really long snout.

There are inflatable ones, like this

And soft ones, like this

[KalamazooMom]

Originally Posted by Ola_

Have you tried anything that might ease his anxiety, if that's what's causing it? Did the vet have any thoughts on the root cause?

Actually I was rather annoyed that the vet didn't have much to say about the root cause. She said it was either an allergy or anxiety and it was hard to say which. Helpful, huh? I thought I would go ahead and switch his food for a while just in case it is that.

I do think the more likely cause is anxiety. We're taking a training class and I talked to the trainer about it. She said it's odd that he's starting to get anxious now. You would have thought if he displayed anxiety it would have been when he was first surrendered or when he was in the rescue. But she said she'd consult with a behaviorist and see if they can come up with anything.

My other thoughts are to increase his exercise which will be a lot easier now that the weather's nicer. I thought I might look into doggy day care maybe one day a week. He gets good and tired when he gets the chance to play with other dogs. Would love to hear other suggestions.

[KalamazooMom]

Originally Posted by rhiOrion

There are other e-collars out there, but they may not work as well for a really determined doggy. Don't know how they'd work with his really long snout.

There are inflatable ones, like this

And soft ones, like this

Oh thanks. The one he has is pretty hard plastic. These others look like they might be better, but yes the concern is that it would be long enough. Maybe I'll stop by the pet store and see what they have.

[Ola_]

I don't know that either of those would work, but I think it likely depends on the location of the wound. I have two long-nosed dogs that need the largest e-collar that will fit their neck. Especially if they are determined!

I think more exercise is a good idea. Also how about something like Rescue Remedy or one of those doggie phermone diffuser things?

[SophieAnn]

Take the e-collar off for walks!

The e-collar is to prevent him from licking the wound while it heals, but he can't lick it when you're taking him for a walk, right?

You can also try some tight-fitting clothing, like a child's tshirt or something - if it will cover the area. You could give him a break from the e-collar that way by covering the wound - but only do this when he's supervised so he doesn't lick through the clothing or push it aside to lick.

We almost never used the e-collar after neuter surgery - we used an old pair of boxer briefs when we were home to supervise, and only used the e-collar when our guy was left home alone.

Edited to add: I agree, it's very disappointing that the vet didn't offer any help on getting to the route cause.

[somegirl99]

I agree, take it off for walks and supervised times so he'll get a break.

Otherwise, he will get used to it. One of my whippets always has to have a big one on after any procedure as he is always determined to get stitches out. It takes time and he looks sad but he learns how to get around.

Oh, you do have a transparent one, right?

[SquishyKitty]

I would take the collar off when you can supervise him, too.

With our rottie, we put a big t-shirt on her and tied it in a knot when were home, to keep her from messing with her stitches after she got spayed.

When we weren't home, we put the collar on. They look sad, but it's better than the alternative and they will get used to it.

I wouldn't change his food yet, unless you just switch him to plain rice and boiled chicken. If he's got an allergy, you might make the situation worse until you know what the problem is.

When my dogs are sick or whatever, I just throw a bunch of chicken breasts and rice in the crockpot and use that to feed them. A little plain yogurt on top also helps the tummy, too. They go crazy for yogurt, we give it to them with their breakfast and they freaking love it lol.

But don't switch to a new brand of food with a bunch of unknown ingredients until you've pinpointed what the problem is.

[KalamazooMom]

Originally Posted by somegirl99

Oh, you do have a transparent one, right?

Actually no it's not transparent. Does it make it easier if it's transparent?

[somegirl99]

Originally Posted by KalamazooMom

Actually no it's not transparent. Does it make it easier if it's transparent?

Yes, if he can see through it, it will make it easier for him to walk around without bumping into as much. He'll still get the edge of the collar stuck on things but he'll have a better sense of where he's going.

[2xand2y]

I've seen people improvise there own collar with a cotton rope and a pool noodle. It looks a bit like the link to the inflatable collars. It's great because you can go around the neck twice with the noodle if you need it bigger. Lots cheaper than buying a special one too.