Another cone thread - wearing a cone for 2 weeks after spay?

[ladymcts]

saultgirl, I just had mine done on May 1 … the not drinking much and not peeing was my experience too. Funny how my memory is fading already, but I want to say that I was really worried for her the first 24 hours and I kind of wanted to call the vet (mine came home on a Friday too), but of course she was much better enough by Monday that I didn’t call.

(Well, I did call, but about something else … turned out mine also had a massive bladder stone, so I was calling because she was peeing blood, but that wasn’t a complication of the surgery.)

As to the cone, my vet said I didn’t need one at all, but could purchase a “soft cone” from them if I wanted. Since my pup had been a stray before me I just had a bad feeling and bought it. I ended up glad I had it. We tried to go without, and she was mostly pretty good if she were right with me and watching tv or something. She might try to lick, but I’d push her head away and we’d be good for a while. But putting her up in her cage, she would start going to town on the incision area. So I used the soft e-collar on her for about 4-5 days at times where either I was not closely supervising her or she was on the leash to go out and go potty.

[saultgirl]

Much perkier this morning, but still tired/sore. She didn’t go back outside at all last night, so I just let her rest. She did get up this morning and peed/pooped so it seems everything is ok.

I’m going to keep her mostly crated for today, with the cone on. She is interested in food so I;m rationing out the kibbles for the day and I have some frozen treats in the freezer for her – I might bring her out to let her chew w/o the cone on later.

Thanks to everyone who replied!

[LauraKY]

I’ve never used a cone for a spay. As a matter of fact, the first time I used a cone was for a hot spot on my lab this spring. I’ve owned animals forever.

[threedogpack]

I kept the cone on both the boys and the girls for the recommended time. Two weeks is a relatively short period in the big picture and you can come home to a dead dog if they pull those stitches out. Once they are used it wearing it, it is much harder on the people than it is the dog.

[Casey09]

[QUOTE=threedogpack;8180530]
I kept the cone on both the boys and the girls for the recommended time. Two weeks is a relatively short period in the big picture and you can come home to a dead dog if they pull those stitches out. Once they are used it wearing it, it is much harder on the people than it is the dog.[/QUOTE]

I’m so glad I didn’t read this a few months ago after my dog’s spay. I’ve never had a cone recommended to me at all. She came out without a cone and I tried to keep her as quiet as possible, which was a challenge. I was told no running or jumping for 10 to 14 days, and she was on pain pills for a few days, but that was it.
If the cone it a big deal, there are some Stop Bite collars in a lot of dog catalogues that seem to be an alternative. Like some people, Ive not had an occasion to use a cone at all yet, and I’ve had 3 dogs spayed and 3 dogs neutered.
ETA: I would definitely have used one if recommended, so I’d leave it on for two weeks. The hard part is keeping them from running and jumping when they feel better. Mine got to the point that she was so stir crazy she would try to run in circles when I took her out for bathroom breaks. I did only bathroom outings at first, then a short walk. Honestly I worried the short walk was too soon and would wait longer if I had it to do over.

[threedogpack]

[QUOTE=Casey09;8180542]
Like some people, Ive not had an occasion to use a cone at all yet, and I’ve had 3 dogs spayed and 3 dogs neutered.[/QUOTE]

I am glad you didn’t need it. I’m never willing to take a chance with a spay. My last spay had her cone on for 2 weeks, was only let out on lead for that two weeks because it’s easier to prevent, than it is to fix.

Wearing a cone fits neatly under…good things to learn to tolerate, for me.

[saultgirl]

Just to clarify, the post-op instructions I got from the vet tech were slightly different from what the receptionist had told me.

The official instructions are she might need a cone or shirt if she’s bothering with the stitches; recommend to put it on just in case if she’s not being supervised, for 7-10 days. Limit exercise for 7-10 days. There are 3 stitches that I can take out after 7-10 days.

I will definitely not let her off the leash for 10 days because she loves to RUN but I think I am going to start taking her for a few slow walks tomorrow because she will probably be unmanageable otherwise. I will need to keep her crated or on leash in the house, too, or she will be bouncing off the walls (and the couches, and the other dog, etc).

Edited to ad: She really doesn’t seem bothered by the cone at all. So that takes a lot of the stress away from me. It fits her just well enough that she can hold something in her paws to chew, but she cannot reach her stitches (just barely though!). She can also eat and drink with it on no problem.