How long to keep an Elizabethan collar on after castration? - Page 1

Hello, my LC GSD was castrated Friday and is wearing, very unhappily an Elizabethan collar. He is demolishing it (we keep repairing it) and can still get to lick his 'bits and pieces'.  How long after castration would you leave one of these on?  The vet nurse says that it should be on for at least a week, with no long walks for 10 days.  Jasper being 17 months old has got his energy back so its dodgem cars around the house! We are back to the vet for a check up tomorrow and it is out of curiosity I am asking for your valued opinions.

Many thanks

Ann.

 Ann, 

IF you can supervise him, and IF you can keep him from bothering the wound site, I would take it off. In fact, I have never had a male whom I used such a collar on for such a surgery. The dog will be much happier and the sooner he feels normal, the better off he will be. Unless there is some reason to do so, like an infection, drainage, serious swelling and he is bothering the site, taking the collar off is a reasonable idea.

Thanks for the reply, does seem over the top to keep the collar on for a long period, the area looks as though it is healing well.  Our cat didn't have to wear one when he was 'done' so assuming all male bits are in proportion to their body size I couldn't understand Jasper having to wear one. Will give him some freedom from it and see how he goes! Under supervision too!! Will put it back on when he is on his own.

Ann.

My male had a similar reaction to the collar when he was castrated last February. I tried puting a bitch panty on him, and he even managed to get that off, after licking it until it was very wet. The vet gave him a steroid shot to reduce the pain and swelling (his scrotum was so swollen, it looked like he hadn't been castrated!) and he was fine after that. He would lick his parts now and then, but not often enough to cause harm.

Mind you, if the dog has external sutures, and is chewing on them, that's a different story. My dog had no visible sutures, and once he was comfortable, left the site pretty much alone.

I had a male done a few years ago, he was 7 months or so and had no problems what so ever. No collar, no problems. Had 2 in the house at the same time and after the first day, he didn't even act like anything had happened.

Ann, you need to use the new kind of collars - not the lampshade ones. 

BITE NOT PRODUCTS its called, they dont get your dog frustrated.  works like a charm www.bitenot.com/

take a look at the picture and you'll all understand what i mean.

I failed to use a collar and had a male neutered and it cost me another $190 to 'repair' the damage he'd done licking himself to the size of a basebal.    so forgot the other well intended folk and leave it on.  

I took the collar off during walks and when he was not supervised. 

www.lbah.com/canine/dog_neuter.html  and ck this out too while you're getting informed

There are other types of collars and I have used them when necessary. However, if your dog does NOT bother the wound site, and you supervise him carefully, you can leave any collar off. Dogs who are not supervised and especially ones neutered late sometimes will bother the site and anyone can figure out that is not a good thing. In such a case, a collar applied is the right thing to do.

You sound like you have good common sense. Do what you think works best for you and the dog. He will probably lick a bit, but if not excessive, I would not worry about it.

Anyone know WHY there is so much of a difference between getting a dog neutered and gelding a horse?  With the dogs, they get stitched and aren't supposed to exercise much for a while post surgery.  Yet with a horse, there are NO stitches and after the first day, they can resume FULL activity.   Just seems strange since the surgery is EXACTLY the same.

I'm always one to not use a collar unless I absolutely positively have to!

So, if he's being supervised and is leaving the site alone.  You can take the collar off. 

The vets that I work for are split right down the middle.  E collar and anti E collar.  The ones who like the e collar have had a dog or two open the incision, so now they are paranoid.  Use common sense if the dog is really bothering at the incision use the collar.  There's also other collar called a buster collar which is a little less restrictive.

 Rezkat says it....USE common sense in all things.