Tuesday, March 1, 2016

How To Pick Alternatives To Elizabethan Collar That Are Right For Your Dog

By Patricia Kennedy


Taking care of our canine companions can be both fun and rewarding. Unfortunately it is only a matter of time until they need surgery or a medical condition comes up that requires them to leave a portion of their body alone for an extended period of time. Since it is impossible to explain to dogs why they need to leave certain areas alone, it is important to have methods of preventing them from licking or chewing at their bodies. Here are some alternatives to Elizabethan collar that you can use.

These devices can go by several different nick names. Sometimes they are referred to as a cone or as an e-collar. The device looks like an inverted lampshade that is attached around a dog's neck. This is either accomplished by slipping the collar through loops at the small end of the cone or by threading a piece of gauze through the loops and then tying it around a dog's regular collar. The idea behind them is that they prevent a canine from being able to get at their body or limbs.

Not all dogs do well wearing these items. Cones can catch on the ground or on furniture. It may be difficult for canines to eat or drink while wearing their e-collar. Some panic because they do not like how sounds change when they have their cone on.

There may be many different reasons why a dog should not lick a particular part of their body. They may be recovering from surgery and if an incision is licked they may either develop an infection or dissolve their sutures. If an incision opens up it can quickly become a serious medical emergency.

One alternative to an e-collar is to use a t-shirt or other piece of clothing to cover the incision. Some pets will leave an area alone if they cannot immediately get at a wound. A natural cloth garment will allow air to get at the incision and allow it to heal as quickly as possible. Some pets will work at getting a garment off so if you try this method make sure you are monitoring them until you know whether or not they leave the area alone.

There are inflatable rings that keep a dog from turning its head. This means that they may not be able to access different parts of their body and therefore be unable to lick. You may want to try and fit your dog with one of these devices before resorting to a cone. It is also a good idea to monitor your pet in the beginning to make sure that your dog cannot access the area that is trying to heal.

Some dogs may have licked their skin raw or have an infection that needs to heal without the dog aggravating it. If this is the case with your canine you might want to try a bitter-tasting spray that can be applied to the skin. The idea is that the dog will not like the flavor and leave the skin alone.

A veterinarian should be able to give you advice on how to prevent your dog from licking or chewing an area on their body. They may have ideas about products that will not interact with any medicine your dog takes and let you know how long the recovery period can be expected to last.




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