The big day for Alfie and me
- Thread starter Alfie'sMom
- Start date
Yes, you have to keep an eye on him when the collar is off. If he gets the stitches out, you have to have him anesthisized again to redo the stitches, and that's worse than wearing the collar for a few days. He probably is running into walls and furniture more because of the sedative than from not being able to see. Our boy wouldn't quit chewing on himself and had to have additional surgery and wear the collar for 2 months. I realized later it was because he had just come to live with us and was stressed out by having 3 homes in about a year. I'm sure Alphie will be fine in a week, anyway. Good Luck!!
Alfie'sMom
Forums Regular
Thank you Crystal for the warning - I wouldn't want Alfie to wear the collar for 2 months 
.
We tried to take it off in the morning and he started licking the incision right away. We let him lick it and the shaved area - it probably itches like crazy, but after couple of minutes the collar went back on.
Rather then that he seems happy and there are no signs of him being in pain, so I didn't give him the pain medication.
He slept through the night and was hungry in the morning. The long snout helps a lot - he can drink and eat with the collar on - thank God - taking it off and putting it back on is not easy
.
. We tried to take it off in the morning and he started licking the incision right away. We let him lick it and the shaved area - it probably itches like crazy, but after couple of minutes the collar went back on.
Rather then that he seems happy and there are no signs of him being in pain, so I didn't give him the pain medication.
He slept through the night and was hungry in the morning. The long snout helps a lot - he can drink and eat with the collar on - thank God - taking it off and putting it back on is not easy
.Alfie'sMom
Forums Regular
Poor Alfie is really itching badly because when we take the collar off he goes crazy and licks the incision and surrounded area aggressively.
So the collar goes back on right away.
The problem we have with him is that he can bend in a way that he can reach the incision even with his collar on and scratch it with the edge of the collar.
He can do that only when he is on the couch or carpet floor. When he is in the kitchen on a linoleum floor it is not easy for him to do that.
So from now on when we cannot supervise him he goes to the kitchen, but I'm afraid that he will find a way to tear his incision even in the kitchen - he is a smart guy
.
I wonder how long should I keep him from licking the incision - two weeks, really.
Tomorrow we go back to work and he will be alone for 4 hours before I come home for lunch and then 2 more hours after that. And this will go on for next three days.
I feel sorry for him but I know that there is not much I can do but be patient and hope that visit to the vet won't be necessary
Let's have a wonderful Sunday!
update
no happy Sunday for us.! Alfie found a way to lick his incision with the collar on even in the kitchen. The collar is to short for him. So we are watching him constantly and hoping that tomorrow he will not be as aggressive as he is today.........If he will not stop he will need a longer collar, I guess, if there are any.
So the collar goes back on right away.
The problem we have with him is that he can bend in a way that he can reach the incision even with his collar on and scratch it with the edge of the collar.
He can do that only when he is on the couch or carpet floor. When he is in the kitchen on a linoleum floor it is not easy for him to do that.
So from now on when we cannot supervise him he goes to the kitchen, but I'm afraid that he will find a way to tear his incision even in the kitchen - he is a smart guy
. I wonder how long should I keep him from licking the incision - two weeks, really
. Tomorrow we go back to work and he will be alone for 4 hours before I come home for lunch and then 2 more hours after that. And this will go on for next three days
. I feel sorry for him but I know that there is not much I can do but be patient and hope that visit to the vet won't be necessary
Let's have a wonderful Sunday!
update
no happy Sunday for us.! Alfie found a way to lick his incision with the collar on even in the kitchen. The collar is to short for him. So we are watching him constantly and hoping that tomorrow he will not be as aggressive as he is today.........If he will not stop he will need a longer collar, I guess, if there are any.
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BarbV
Forums Celebrity
Do you have a crate? It may not be so easy for him to do the acrobatics required to get at his incisions if he is crated.
But since this was a normal fixing, I think by tomorrow, his stiches shouldn't itch so bad.
Another suggestion.....if you can live him with a big bone (that won't splinter), he might focus on that rather than himself.
Good luck
Barb
But since this was a normal fixing, I think by tomorrow, his stiches shouldn't itch so bad.
Another suggestion.....if you can live him with a big bone (that won't splinter), he might focus on that rather than himself.
Good luck
Barb
Caro
Moderator
Is he okay at telling you when he needs to toilet? If he is then put on a pair of undies (human kind is fine - just safety pin at the back to hold it tight). You can also wrap a bandage around him. I did this for mine and it worked fine - didnt need a collar at all. You can also get some xylocaine from the pharmacist and rub it on the area to help stop the itching.
BarbV
Forums Celebrity
Alfie'sMom
Forums Regular
Thank you everybody for the input!
It's almost time to go to bed - hopefully he will sleep soundly. But today was not an easy day.
The collar is gone since he could manage to lick the incision anyway. I kept him on a leash with me all day long and he fought me every time I tried to stop him from licking. I put him in his crate, but it didn't work either
.
I hope, Barb, that what you said is true - tomorrow it'll be better.
Caro, I'm going to try undies for the night - that and the bandage sound like a good idea - thanks. Tomorrow, if he still itches I'll try the ointment.
It's almost time to go to bed - hopefully he will sleep soundly. But today was not an easy day.
The collar is gone since he could manage to lick the incision anyway. I kept him on a leash with me all day long and he fought me every time I tried to stop him from licking. I put him in his crate, but it didn't work either
. I hope, Barb, that what you said is true - tomorrow it'll be better.
Caro, I'm going to try undies for the night - that and the bandage sound like a good idea - thanks. Tomorrow, if he still itches I'll try the ointment.
Alfie'sMom
Forums Regular
An update on Alfie.......
On Monday I called my vet just to be safe, because he still tried to lick the incision and his belly.
I was told that I could put some hydrocortisone cream on the shaved area but not on the incision and I could try to put his e-collar backwards (here is the picture of Alfie with his e-collar that way http://s552.photobucket.com/albums/jj331/Aniasalfie/?action=view¤t=IMG_0138.jpg).
The cream worked really well - it gave him some relief from itching, but e-collar, even though it prevent him from bending and reaching the incision, also did prevent him from being able to walk.
When he was slow he didn't have any problems, but once he got playful he fell on his face couple of times and ended up falling down the stairs.
He didn't harm himself, but I took the collar off right away and for the rest of that day I watched him.
I put some of the cream at night before going to bed and the next morning he was much better - the licking stopped almost completely.
What also was interesting - the vet told me that if he would manage to open his incision she wouldn't restitch it - it would take longer time to heal and he would need an antybiotyc to prevent a possibility of an infection, but that's it.
Today is Thursday and the itching stopped totally, the incision is healing nicely and I have to be careful when we play because he is 100% back to normal and wants to play like nothing happened
.
Have a good night everybody!
On Monday I called my vet just to be safe, because he still tried to lick the incision and his belly.
I was told that I could put some hydrocortisone cream on the shaved area but not on the incision and I could try to put his e-collar backwards (here is the picture of Alfie with his e-collar that way http://s552.photobucket.com/albums/jj331/Aniasalfie/?action=view¤t=IMG_0138.jpg).
The cream worked really well - it gave him some relief from itching, but e-collar, even though it prevent him from bending and reaching the incision, also did prevent him from being able to walk.
When he was slow he didn't have any problems, but once he got playful he fell on his face couple of times and ended up falling down the stairs.
He didn't harm himself, but I took the collar off right away and for the rest of that day I watched him.
I put some of the cream at night before going to bed and the next morning he was much better - the licking stopped almost completely.
What also was interesting - the vet told me that if he would manage to open his incision she wouldn't restitch it - it would take longer time to heal and he would need an antybiotyc to prevent a possibility of an infection, but that's it.
Today is Thursday and the itching stopped totally, the incision is healing nicely and I have to be careful when we play because he is 100% back to normal and wants to play like nothing happened
.Have a good night everybody!
How cute (poor guy).