Our 6 1/2 month old pup is being neutered in 2 days.

B

Bob R

Forums Regular
The clinic will send him home wearing an E-collar, and recommends he wear it for two weeks post op. I seriously do not remember ever having any of our neutered dogs having to wear this device, and certainly not for such a long period. So I'm wonder what all was the general post op routine owners have experienced with their Shelties. Please do comment on the overall experience...much appreciated folks.

Thank You

Bob
 
I think it was about 5 days that I kept Cubby in his raincoat. This prevented him from bending to get the site. I watched him A LOT and taught him "show me your pee pee" because I kept watching for any hematoma or infection. Unless you have the retained testicle, I just don't see it as that long of a recovery. Mine was back in dog school in just over a week (granted it was scent and not something like agility).
 
We waited until our guy was over a year, as per the breeders recommendations so that he had all his hormones to ensure that his growth plates closed. He did not need an e collar, we just watched him to make sure that he did not bother with the area.

Your pup will do fine, it is a routine surgery. It is hard on us, with all the worrying.
 
Oberon was neutered at about 6 months, due to the fact he was marking EVERYWHERE. We didn't use the collar at all, but I did rig up two T-shirts, kind of like a onesie, to keep him from licking the area. After a few days we took off the T-shirt from his front legs and just left the one on the back legs until he was healed. It was easy to take off when he needed to "go", and much less cumbersome than the dreaded collar.
 
Today I bought one of those inflatable collars to be used instead of the E collar the clinic was planning to use. We fit it to Lucky and it is definitely a lot better setup for his comfort and the protection of his surgical point. Glad we found out about such an item through this great forum...thanks everyone.

Bob
 
Bob R said:
Today I bought one of those inflatable collars to be used instead of the E collar the clinic was planning to use. We fit it to Lucky and it is definitely a lot better setup for his comfort and the protection of his surgical point. Glad we found out about such an item through this great forum...thanks everyone.

Bob
Click to expand...
That's what I used for Spirit when she was spayed, and it worked great.
 
Well lucky was home a few hours when we noticed him licking his surgery without any protection from that worthless Inflatable collar (yes it was the right size). So we called the vet and took him in this morning to check for any issues from his licking. Sure enough he had chewed off one of the sutures already, and the vet used some liquid bandage to make a repair. He explained that certain dogs will manage to bypass the inflatable and require the E cone. Lucky is apparently such a dog. So they fitted him for the E cone and we are now home watching just how annoying that contraption is for a dog. I feel so sorry for poor lucky facing 2 weeks wearing this and being so restricted in his usual activities. It bumps along the pavement which makes walking cumbersome. Doesn't seem to fit his access to his water bowl...we will use a smaller dish obviously. He just lays there doing nothing for the time being...hopefully he will manage to get accustomed to wearing it soon. I didn't know Neutering would bring about this commotion....might have elected not to neuter. Hopefully Lucky will adjust to this...he seems so sad.

Bob
 
Gavin, a larger 35 lbs sheltie, needed an XL e-collar. He was able to get around the medium the clinic gave him and the Large I got him. He has to wear it while unsupervised for over a month during radiation treatment. I did buy a padded one for sleeping, but it was heavier and not transparent. He was really pretty good when I was home about not licking, because he knew otherwise that damn collar was going back on!
 
I started with a cone for Jocu when he was neutered- he was apparently a good boy the whole day at the vet's and never licked it there but within 5 minutes of me being there, he started licking so I said I'd take the cone. Minutes after we got home when I let the other 3 out, he had gotten out of it. I used the girlie panties that I had gotten for Callie when she had pee problems. didn't use the absorbent pads with it, just put the panties on the big boy. the velcro made it adjustable enough that it fit Jocu fine and he never bothered it. so when Destin got neutered, I did the same thing for him- just skipped the collar completely. they both healed fine and didn't bother the stitches or the panties...
 
Well as with many thing we do for our pets this annoying E/cone thing and such has now evolved into a daily routine which suits our pet and suit us as well for the short term of two weeks this protecting his sutures is scheduled for.

At night he wears the E/cone and sleeps out of his crate on the kitchen floor because the confinement of his crate seemed to magnify his discomfort with wearing the cone... so being in the open kitchen is working although he literally doesn't move after he lays down...at least as far as we can tell.


When morning arrives we get the cone off him, and hustle him out the door and down the road for a relief walk...watching him closely so as to avoid a quick suture bite etc. Back in the house the cone comes off and that inflatable collar goes on along with a homemade baby onesee type unit my wife sowed up to fit on him...this allows Lucky some welcome mobility and apparent comfort and for now he is tolerant and mostly sleeping the days away. To go outside for business we take the onesee off, but leave the inflatable collar on....again monitoring his actions. Once bedtime returns, so does the E/cone for the night.

Now this may seem like and awful routine and admittedly Lucky is craving a return to his old lifestyle....but we are ok with it in the short term and his suture is healing up nicely which is the basic objective we are after.

Comments are welcome and appreciate...

Bob
 
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