[transformed]

We got our dog today!!!!

:

He has some skin irritation from his collar on his neck - the foster mom said she tried 2 different collars and it persisted.

Anyone have any advice? what kind of collar could we get? (This one is nylon I think)

 

[oneKnight]

Um well, like wearing down the fur? or actual red on the skin?

The nylon ones I tried had rough spots where they were stitched, like where the buckle was stitched on and the fabric was folded and stitched down, plus the end of that fabric had been melted to keep it from fraying. It was itchy on my dog and she has lots of fur to protect her, plus she wears her collars loose so it didn't really even touch her.

Solution? We have a "fake leather" nylon collar made for hunting dogs. It's made of a poly plastic, in hunter orange, and it's rivited down with smooth flat rivits instead of sewn. It also has one of those safety rings in the middle, and I find that's actually more handy for attaching leashes than the usual D rings. I got it from TSC. and the brand is Remington.

Some people like rolled leather collars, supposedly they do less damage to the hair. There are also "fur saver" chain collars, but they function like choke collars. If I were to get one of those I would lock the ends together so it couldn't tighten. I just perfer the 1" hunter orange collar because it's high visibility, even though it does smoosh down the hair.

 

[transformed]

well he doesnt really havr fur there so its irritation to the skin. I am actually wondering if its the metal tags - do dogs get metal allergys? (It goes way down below the collar about 5 inches. where the tags hang.) But its worst right where the collar is.

I will check those other options out, thanks!

The foster mom said that she took the collar off for like a week and it completley cleared up but I have to leave it on 24-7 because I have 3 little kids who will just open the door and oops! the dog gets out. LOL.

 

[Ola_]

You could use a martingale collar which is essentially a limited slip collar. Most of the time it stays really loose around the neck unless you pull on the loop and then it tightens (how much depends on how you adjust it). You could also try a rolled leather collar, which would have less surface area where it contacts the neck and also be a smoother material than nylon.

For the tags, how about replacing them with one of the flat tags from Boomerang tags? I have some of their tags and they are excellent quality. I was very pleased with how quickly they arrived too (even though I'm in Canada). http://www.boomerangtags.com/

Is it possible to put a baby gate near your entry way or some safety features on the door knob? I definitely wouldn't want to risk the dog escaping out the door, collar or no collar.

 

[hillymum]

No advice but just wanted to say my cat reacted the same way and we concluded it wasn't the metal but the collar itself she was reacting to. Luckily for her she is ok not wearing one.

 

[oneKnight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by transformed well he doesnt really havr fur there so its irritation to the skin. I am actually wondering if its the metal tags - do dogs get metal allergys? (It goes way down below the collar about 5 inches. where the tags hang.) But its worst right where the collar is. I will check those other options out, thanks! The foster mom said that she took the collar off for like a week and it completley cleared up but I have to leave it on 24-7 because I have 3 little kids who will just open the door and oops! the dog gets out. LOL.

Oh yeah that does make me suspect metal allergy. I always kinda wondered if dogs could have that, I figured they could. It gets all around the neck because the buckle does go around the neck as the dog moves, I know Dusti's does.

I would get some of those flat tags that rivet to the collar, if you get a slightly large adjustable collar you can rivet the tags to the outside layer so the rivets don't touch the skin. You can get nylon collars with plastic buckles too so I would look for one of those in an adjustable style.

Here's a pic of how mine is, this is the collar we used before I got the TSC hunting one.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ensday7001.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ensday7002.jpg

ETA: Check this out, it works like a zip tie and might be a lot less metal for your doggy's skin!!
Cinch it collar I bet you could even take the D ring off if you wanted to.

 

[transformed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oneKnight ETA: Check this out, it works like a zip tie and might be a lot less metal for your doggy's skin!! Cinch it collar I bet you could even take the D ring off if you wanted to.

oooh, thats cool looking.

Dh wants to get a harnass...??? We'll have to talk about it.

 

[Ola_]

The problem with a harness is that it has a lot more surface area where it can rub off fur. The most problematic spot is often under the armpits.

I forgot to mention, the Boomerang tags I have are plastic (I don't like all that metal clinking). They are very good quality and might be a good solution if it's the metal that is bothering him.