I am a dog dummy

[scrappyhappymama]

Please help me with some, probably obvious to the rest of the world, questions.

 

We had our little dog spayed on Monday. The clinic recommended she wear a cone for a while until she heals. They actually said she should wear it for 7-10 days. Does that mean 7-10 days continuously or should I be taking it off sometimes? It just seems like it will chafe her neck if she wears it continuously all that time.

 

She is a chewer, and they recommended wearing the cone for the entire time especially for dogs that chew or lick a lot. But, she's having a hard time eating with it on. She's not a dog that eats her food all at once, so I've been dropping a few kibbles on the floor to make it easier for her to reach. Or should I be taking the cone off to let her eat?

 

We've also been keeping her in our room to keep her separate from our rambunctious boys who she normally is wrestling and jumping with. But she hates being separated from everyone! If I am careful to make sure the boys are calm around here, do you think it is safe for her to roam the house? The clinic was adamant that she needed a full 7-10 days of bed rest, but this is SO not her personality. Can she be trusted not to jump up on furniture or climb stairs if it hurts, or do I definitely need to keep her penned up in our room for her own safety?

 

Thanks for any advice!

[itsheresomewhere]

My vet said to me with our last doggy fixing," If you keep her calm for 4 days, I would be happy." Can you tell she is not a calm dog? He did give my extra anti-inflammatorys for her. As for the collar, after she ate two of them ( not including one at the vets:glare:), I took it off and wiped the area with tea tree oil. It kept her from licking and chewing it. I did reapply the oil daily.

 

 

The vet did know about the tea tree oil.

[ktgrok]

She should wear the cone while not supervised, so when you are out or sleeping. Otherwise you can take it off.

[astrid]

Yes, this. And if the cone is bothering her, you can take a towel (bath size or hand towel, depending on her size,) fold it in thirds or quarters lengthwise, wrap it around her neck and pin it in place. If she can't bend her neck around enough to reach her stitches, then it's the right size. Think human cervical collar.

This method is often more comfortable than the Cone of Shame.

 

astrid

[Hen]

yes, we survived the cone of shame...it made her afraid at first and she just stood there panting, afraid to move.

 

get extra pain meds if you can. Take it off when you can watch her, but put it on when you can't, at bedtime, etc. Our was afraid to wear it, but we spent an evening with some hot dog bits, lots of praise and she finally accepted the situation.

 

good luck, poor, poor doggy :grouphug:

[Denisemomof4]

I have always been amazed, and nervous, at the seeming lack of pain dogs experience after surgery. *I* am a wreck trying to keep them calm and quiet. They seem perfectly fine! Definitely keep an eye on her to try to keep her quiet. Block off the stairs and make sure the boys don't try to play with her.

 

I would only remove the collar for eating. I have not tried the tea tree oil, and Astrid's tip on the towel sounds great. I haven't tried that either.

 

A word of caution about wrestling with the dog. We bought a more powerful dog, a blackmouth cur, and we were told NOT to wrestle, play tug of war, etc because it could cause aggression.

[laundrycrisis]

Tea tree oil is very toxic for dogs to ingest.

 

http://sheltienation.com/2009/03/did-you-know-tea-tree-oil-is-toxic-to-dogs.html

 

I have seen a pet who had chewed open his surgical incision, very quickly. I would keep the cone on. I would keep the dog gated into a room where she can see and hear her people and get frequent attention, and handfed snacks if she is having trouble eating...but I would go with the confinement and the cone.