Alternative to buster collar

paultf

Just wondering has anyone got an alternative to a buster collar? i.e. the plastic cone you get from the vet to stop your dog getting at stiches, etc.

I came across the comfy collar http://www.comfycollars.co.uk/ but I was wondering if someone had a different one that I could get in Ireland?

Thanks.

Discodog

They are versions of the buster that are softer. I looked at lots of options but at the end of the day you have to be certain that it protects the wound especially if there are stitches. It depends on where the wound is located & the length of the dog's nose

paultf

The dog in question was in the vets last week and they shaved part of her front leg. She keeps licking it and its gone red.

I think the comfy collar will stop this but if she had stiches at the back it might not stop her?

Would this softer cone be better I wonder?
http://www.petbliss.ie/acatalog/Comfy_Cone_Alternative_Elizabethan_Dog_Collar.html

RubyGirl

Try putting some vicks vapor rub around the stiches, it can deter them from licking them.

RubyGirl

paultf wrote: »

The dog in question was in the vets last week and they shaved part of her front leg. She keeps licking it and its gone red.

I think the comfy collar will stop this but if she had stiches at the back it might not stop her?

Would this softer cone be better I wonder?
http://www.petbliss.ie/acatalog/Comfy_Cone_Alternative_Elizabethan_Dog_Collar.html

Could you cover it by putting a sock on her?

paultf

I tried a sock aswell but it nevered stayed on!

Also I have an older dog who was in the vets last week too. He got some stiches and he managed to get one out - the wound has healed though so that is OK. He is not bothering with the other stiches which is good.

Thought I could get a couple of these 'alternative' collars for the future - just in case.

Discodog

paultf wrote: »

I tried a sock aswell but it nevered stayed on!

Also I have an older dog who was in the vets last week too. He got some stiches and he managed to get one out - the wound has healed though so that is OK. He is not bothering with the other stiches which is good.

Thought I could get a couple of these 'alternative' collars for the future - just in case.

Maybe try some vapour rub on the sock

I was considering one of those Petbliss collars but I kept wondering that if it is soft enough to collapse & be comfy will it be too easy for the dog to compress the collar & get to the wound.

The problem is that it is very difficult to trial these products especially as many dogs will only try to get at a wound when you are not around. I discussed the other options with my vet & she said she couldn't use an alternative unless she was certain that it would work. I think this one of the reason why buster has remained the main choice.

I know someone who uses babygrows for spay wounds with it buttoned along the dog's back. I did wonder about making one out of tough rip stop nylon - almost like wearing a dog coat upside down.

bfocusd

RubyGirl wrote: »

Try putting some vicks vapor rub around the stiches, it can deter them from licking them.

I would only use a tiny dot, my dog hates that, she will purposely walk 4 feet away from me of I have it on, and even after a few days she's still cautious of it, it must be extremely strong to them

paultf

Thanks for the info - looks like next time I'll be getting the plastic cone from the vets.

I tried the sock again - this time with cable ties. There are not too tight as she doesn't mind them and is walking OK. Just need to get her stop licking her leg.

Discodog

paultf wrote: »

Thanks for the info - looks like next time I'll be getting the plastic cone from the vets.

I tried the sock again - this time with cable ties. There are not too tight as she doesn't mind them and is walking OK. Just need to get her stop licking her leg.

Just don't use staples :eek:

I have used good quality adhesive tape but wounds heal best with a good air circulation around them but you can use tape at each end. Also, if you are not around, a sock won't last long if the dog is determined to get to the wound.

In Wildlife recovery I have used a piece of plastic water pipe drilled with lots of air circulation holes & then placed over the wound & secured with tape at each end. We also tried flexible plastic mesh. The problems always arises from how you secure it. I think the next stage might of been to try surgical glue . You can secure a leg guard by having a strong sock or boot on the paw end & a strap on the top but it end up being even worse than the buster.

If you think a dog is bad try fitting a buster to a miffed badger :eek:

Just found some interesting alternatives here - looks like they copied my leg idea

http://petprojectblog.com/archives/general/alternative-to-elizabethan-collar/

Another interesting idea:

http://www.anti-lickstrip.co.uk/

DBB

I use the Comfy Collar (the inflatable one in your first link) on all rescue dogs for post-neutering, it is far, far better than the plastic buster collar in terms of comfort, safety, and dog's psychological wellbeing. I use them on dogs in kennels, I'm very happy that they're reliable for what they're meant to be used for. So much so that I don't intend ever using plastic buster collars again!
However, and I must stress this, these collars are only intended for abdominal surgery wounds, they WILL NOT work on leg injuries as the dog has almost full access to hind legs and lower front legs.
The soft buster collar I think is a good alternative in your case as they're rigid enough from collar to snout, but as you can see in the pic on your link, they allow the dog to rest more comfortably than those damn plastic ones!

Kali_Kalika

Awhile ago my girl had to get her 2 front dew claws (thumbs, if you will) removed for medical reasons - she had a row of 5 stitches on each front leg - bandages wrapped around the stitches then. But being an obsessive collie cross she just wouldn't leave them alone and even on the 20 minute drive home she'd begun to work one of them loose so I knew they'd both be off within hours.

I was in the tesco health section looking for a possible solution, of which I wasn't actually finding a solution! But as I was going down the next row of the health section I passed the childrens reduced clothing racks - and there lie my answer - 3 little girls long sleeved tee shirts - best. plan. ever! They worked perfectly! They were exactly the right length to cover her whole leg and a bit of her paw, and the sleeves were quite tight/narrow so she couldn't try and work her nose up the sleeve - they were a dream! Granted she looked like a chimpanzee running around the house and the LOOKS we'd get out on walks - but feck it - I hate those plastic cones - dogs hate them and any dog of mine who's gotten one has bashed my knees black & blue within 24 hours - so tee shirts all the way for me personally!

This would depend also on why the cone is needed as well though. Something like leg issues or something like that it will work perfectly but not sure about spaying/neutering type issues. Maybe a pair of tracksuit bottoms or something similar :eek: Haha!

paultf

I got a buster collar on Thursday. Understandably she was scared of the collar at the start (first time) and for the day she was banging into everything & couldn't figure out how it worked. I toke the collar off for meal times and afterwards she would start licking her leg again. So I had to put the collar back on.

Now after a few days she is flying! She doesn't mind the collar and she is running around with it on. After meal times she sits, waiting for the collar to go on! She is great.

I going to get some of that Vicks stuff tomorrow, try it and give her a break from the collar during the day. Maybe only put it on at night.

boomerang

I bought the comfy collar from the UK. It was a medium-sized one and I think it worked out around €18 including postage. Bit expensive but then the vets charge around €5 or €6 for a standard buster collar and I reckon the comfy collar is a good investment. I hate buster collars!