Tag Archives: elizabethan collars

Adjusting to Life with Murphy the Cone Head

Life without Murphy was miserable, but life with Murphy the cone head has been interesting. Wayne and I have had to make some adjustments to our lifestyle to accommodate Murph’s new one. Confining Murphy the Cone Head Because Murph is on super limited activity restrictions, the vet suggested we keep him confined in a bathroom or crate. The times I’ve had to lock him behind the laundry room door (like when we had tornado threats earlier this year), he’s gone bonkers jumping and scratching to be let out. That wasn’t going to work. And he’s not too fond of crates. … Continue reading →

Life with Murphy the Cone Head

Last Friday I was lamenting life without Murphy. He ended up getting the go ahead to come home that day. (Thankfully.) But coming home meant making some changes to our lifestyle. Caring for Murphy the Cone Head The surgeon sent us home with some strict instructions for caring for Murphy for the next eight weeks. 1. Because he has stitches, he has to keep his cone (a.k.a. Elizabethan collar) on at all times. (I’m sure he has stitches at the surgery site, but a cast’s covering those up. The stitches the vet’s trying to keep him away from are on … Continue reading →

Creative Alternatives to Elizabethan Collars

About six months ago, my brother’s pit bull/lab mix Kuma had to have a cyst removed from her shoulder. It was large enough that she needed five stitches and was sentenced to Conehead City for ten days. Let me tell you — Conehead City is not a fun place to live if you’re a dog or a cat. Part of Kuma’s problem was navigating stairs with her cone on. When she couldn’t see her feet, she couldn’t climb down the stairs to go into the yard to piddle! But as soon as the cone was off, she would start messing … Continue reading →

First Aid: Problems with Stitches

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Your pets will probably have to have stitches at some point in his or her life. Whether it is after an injury or after a surgery, nine times out of ten, your pet won’t have any problems. Occasionally, your pet’s body will have a reaction to the stitches. You may see the area around the stitches become red, swollen, and inflamed. A little reaction can be treated at home easily. Apply a hot compress. A certain amount of swelling is normal after a surgery and stitches. Using a hot, wet compress can help promote healing and help keep the area … Continue reading →

Instinct vs. Medicine

My brother’s dog Kuma, a pit bull/lab/boxer sort of mix, had surgery on Tuesday to remove what the vet believes is a skin tag from her shoulder. Apparently labs and lab mixes are prone to getting random fatty lumps on their bodies. The folks at the vet are going to biopsy the lump, which must have been pretty big — Kuma came home with five stitches in her shoulder. She also came with a hip new fashion accessory — the Elizabethan collar, or as I like to call it, the conehead. Kuma has been sentenced to wear the conehead for … Continue reading →