Big Fuzzy Dog has been ordered to wear the Cone of Shame since he took the bandage off his paw and ripped out the stitches in his foot. :no: I know about the soft collars and the “Bite Not” ones, but I can’t tell if they would be effective in keeping him from chewing on his bandage. It is on his right front paw and he CANNOT take it off - it’s going to be at least another three weeks of bandaging.
Has anyone had any experience with something other than the rigid plastic cones?
Soft collars are not likely to help in your situation. The Bite Not is a great alternative, but if the bandage is on a front paw, your dog will likely be able to reach it. The Bite Not collars are best for protecting wounds on the hind end or those on the sides of the dog as they prevent the dog from turning his/her head.
I’m afraid the Cone 'o Shame might be your best bet…
ETA: Can you fit a dog bootie over the bandage? And then spray something like Bitter Apple on it?
I tried the Bite Not collar when Koa had a mast cell tumor taken off of her hip, and it rubbed her terribly. I used the cone of shame for her, and it was the better option.
Would he do better with a bootie on the foot? Multiple booties? Duct tape? 
I’ve been prohibited from using a boot because they don’t allow any air flow. I can try bitter apple for the times when I’m around the house and he’s in sight, but at night and during weekdays, he’s unsupervised. (He got the first bandage off Thursday night while I was sleeping.)
sigh I figured the bite-not wouldn’t work for the front paw.
Hey! I wonder if a layer of duct tape around just the top would help? I can’t put anything on his foot area at all, but I could try double-taping it at the top. Good suggestion!
Mesh would be interesting but it wouldn’t work either because the sole is impervious. Do you have a link to them? I got the last pair of regular boots that Smartpak had in the store leftover from winter.
The issue is really that the bottom of the booties is solid rubber, and it’s the bottom of his foot that needs to breathe. Really, I’ve been to the vet three times now, and each time they yell “KEEP THE FOOT DRY!! THE SWEAT WON’T EVAPORATE IF YOU USE A BOOT!”
Basket muzzle?
Keeping dog tethered to you when possible, so you can keep him from licking/chewing?
He’s fine when I’m around. It’s when I’m NOT around that he has to be prevented from chewing. I would never do a muzzle, he wouldn’t be able to drink.
Dogs can drink in a basket muzzle, though…
http://www.dogmuzzle.com/wirbasdogmuz1.html
That might be a great option. I always forget about muzzles!
I thought I posted about the inflatable plastic ring cone.
I saw a dog wearing one, their vet had provided it to the owner and the dog could not chew her front legs with it.
You may want your vet to check with VIN internet vet website, someone ought to know where they make those.
Depends on how persistent he is but a thick athlete sock secured up at the elbow with vet wrap is sufficient for our wheaten when he chews his paw pad raw (chronic environmental allergies).
Your dog does NOT need to drink 24/7. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for free access to clean fresh water, but they will not die if they don’t have water in front of them all the time. When my dogs travel in the van, we only water when we stop.
So I would say a basket muzzle with time out of it at least 4x a day when he’s allowed to drink. Remember it’s not forever, just until the foot’s healed.
Considering that it is one hundred degrees and the interior temperature of my house is close to 90, I have to disagree with your opinion that dogs should not have full access to water at all times.
A dog can drink just fine in a basket muzzle, just like horses can drink and even get a bit of food with a grazing muzzle. The bowl just needs to be deep enough. If you don’t like the cone of shame, a basket muzzle is probably your best option when the dog is unsupervised.
Thanks for everyone’s suggestions. I am going to try the duct tape suggestion first, and possibly a “Comfy Cone.”
I’ve tried a few alternatives, but none seem to really work as well, and ending up prolonging recovery time when our dog got around them. Now we just use the cone
Guin-you’re overlooking the advantages of the cone of shame. The great pictures of humiliated doggie, the joy in seeing the dog adapt and triumph over the cone to snack goodies off the floor at record speed like some kind of huge doggie vacuum cleaner. And the fun of watching them try to go out doggie doors and miss. Plus the dog does have fun when he nails your ankles and feet with the cone and watches you dance like a chicken.
If you have to do a cone, get a transparent one that gives them the ability to see through the side, so that they don’t bump themselves against walls, doors etc.
I don’t think it would be effective in your specific situation, but when I had my dog (a lab) neutered, I threaded his collar thru a pool noodle and then buckled it around his neck like normal. I had to use a longer collar, but it worked perfectly and was cheap and comfortable for him. I of course had to cut the pool noodle to length.
My old lab had a nasty lick granuloma on his one front paw, and the only way to heal it was to put a cotton pad on it, wrap it with vetrap, pull an old sock over it, duct tape the top and roll the sock down over the duct tape. We’d change the sock every few days. I’m sure there wasn’t much airflow to it, but it sure prevented him from licking it!
Good luck!
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