Sunday, January 24, 2016

Home Alternatives To Elizabethan Collar To Keep Any Pet Comfortable After Surgery

By Patricia Kennedy


As guardians of our feline and canine companions, it is our job to keep them healthy and comfortable. Sometimes for our pets surgery is a necessity and this may result in us needing to find creative alternatives to keep them comfortable and allow them to heal. Alternatives to Elizabethan collar and other tricks may help you manage your cat or dog's discomfort and get them on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.

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.

If a pet has had surgery it is a bad idea for them to lick the area where the incision is located. Licking can introduce bacteria into the incision and may allow infection to start. It can also quickly dissolve the sutures and allow an incision to open up. Either of these things can mean costly veterinary bills and can mean that your pet's recovery time will be greatly increased. Nobody wants their cat or dog to be uncomfortable or to have to undergo unnecessary surgery.

One alternative to the dreaded cone is to use a tee shirt or pair of shorts to cover the incision. This works very well when an incision was made on the pet's stomach, sides or back. It may work less well if the affected area was on a leg or tail since these can be easier for the dog to reach. If you do decide to try this method of covering the affected area you do need to monitor your pet.

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.

If you are not dealing with an incision you may be able to use something like bitter apple to make an area taste unappealing. Just make sure that the product you use is non-toxic and made for such a purpose. There are certain creams and lotions that you can apply which will help heal the skin and deter a pet from licking.

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.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment