Desperately Need Alternative to Cone of Shame for Geriatric Dog

March 25, 2016 2:40 AM

Biopsy of a tumor has resulted in her being extremely sore AND having to wear a cone of shame. She is way miserable, and restless. Despite being given a pain killer and sedative, she just wanders around while panting heavily. I think the cone is causing her major anxiety. Has anyone had experience with any alternatives? I desperately want to make her more comfortable.
posted by LilithSilver to Pets & Animals (15 answers total)

My local "fancy" pet store carries quilted cones of shame. They are the same shape but made of a "quilt" with something inside that gives them a little support. The dog cannot see as well but it does seem to be more comfortable. Look for one online or check out a local pet supply place. I hope your fur baby feels better soon.
posted by pearlybob at 2:48 AM on March 25, 2016

Inflatable e-collar
posted by mymbleth at 3:01 AM on March 25, 2016 [7 favorites]

You can cut the cone of shame shorter to help with being comfortable.

Also make sure the cone is loose enough. Just like a collar you need to be able to fit two fingers between the dogs skin and collar.

Observe your dog to make sure he's getting enough water and food. Some dogs are smarter than others in this regard.
posted by AlexiaSky at 3:03 AM on March 25, 2016

Where is the wound? When my dog had stitches along his rib cage the vet recommended we put a t-shirt on him and tie the bottom so it wouldn't drag. He actually seemed to like putting the t-shirts on and it did stop him from messing with his stitches.
posted by a22lamia at 3:12 AM on March 25, 2016 [3 favorites]

There are also soft collars: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s?k=soft+e-collar

We have used the inflatable one mentioned above--it was tolerated well by one of our dogs but because he has a long neck and the depth is short, might not work well for your pup, depending on what you need to keep away from his mouth.
posted by stillmoving at 4:26 AM on March 25, 2016

My cat had a cyst removed and was supposed to wear the cone for 10 days. He was totally miserable from the minute I got him home, so I tried just removing the cone to see if he was going to scratch the boo-boo or not. He never did, and the cone stayed off. Might be worth a try.
posted by Right On Red at 4:28 AM on March 25, 2016

Seconding the inflatable collar. My dog freaks out from the noise amplification of wearing a cone so the inflatable one is the only way. Be sure to read the directions - I glossed over how it's meant to hang off the dog's usual collar for best fit and so I struggled with it at first. My dog ended up liking it and using it as a pillow.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 5:22 AM on March 25, 2016

I would strongly caution against removing the plastic e-collar without having an alternative in place. I work in veterinary medicine and I can't tell you how many horror shows I've seen resulting from non-compliance with the e-collar. I'd try the inflatable kind or call your vet and see if they have some kind of post-op stocking you can try out. Do you think her pain is adequately controlled? Not that being in an e-collar isn't miserable...I wore one for an hour once just to see, everything is so fucking loud.
posted by OsoMeaty at 5:54 AM on March 25, 2016

Response by poster: To clarify...
The wound is on her lower abdomen. I think the collar is way upsetting because she is mostly blind, and it is further disorienting her.
posted by LilithSilver at 6:19 AM on March 25, 2016

Another thing that might be going on is a reaction to the sedative. My sister's dog got to come to her wedding but they were a little worried the dog would be stressed so they gave the dog a sedative and it made the dog wander around panting. Generally the dog is unstressed by people or new places (she visits hospitals and senior citizen's group homes) and had been totally fine at the rehearsal.
posted by hydrobatidae at 6:23 AM on March 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

I knew a dog with a hip wound who was able to defeat the cone of shame and would not leave her stitches alone, so her owner wrapped her all the way around with cloth and then duct tape on top of that. Extreme, but it worked.
posted by JanetLand at 7:01 AM on March 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Someone I follow on Twitter was having a similar problem, and her followers suggested putting boxers on the dog instead of a cone. It worked like magic. It covered the abdominal wound so the dog couldn't chew it, but the dog wasn't freaking out from having something around its neck. Might be worth a try.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 7:38 AM on March 25, 2016

Best answer: Inflatable collar. Other option is, if the dog is big enough to put her whole body into an old sweater/jumper/tshirt of yours cut & tied to fit or an after surgery dog onesy. Think of it as a cone of shame that goes over the body not the head.
posted by wwax at 8:10 AM on March 25, 2016

Found it! Look how much happier that dog is without a cone.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 9:34 AM on March 25, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. We are trying a combination of equine medical tape and a long t-shirt. So far, she is just really relieved to have the cone off!!
posted by LilithSilver at 7:32 PM on March 25, 2016