Havanese Forum banner

Post-op Devices

4K views 23 replies 10 participants last post by  PNWAlan 
#1 ·
Don't want to monopolize the forum with all my questions. Hopefully the last one for a while.

I have Skye scheduled for neutering the first part of October. Will entail abdominal surgery, not just a simple slit and snip. Have any of you had success with the neck donut type devices? I can't imagine him being happy in a cone of shame for an extended recovery.


.
 
#2 ·
Yes, we used the donut shaped soft blowup cone and it worked very, very well. Have used those awful plastic cones for other dogs in past and when I found the soft donut, I was very happy not to have to use the old fashion ones. In reading reviews, it appears that some dogs with long necks are able to reach the stitches with this type but with Havanese, that seems unlike and we did not see her getting around it to reach them. We also used it a couple of times since then to keep her from chewing herself when she had some periods of skin itchiness.
 
#4 ·
Also consider a onesie, meant for a human baby. Many of us have used those with great sucess to protect abdominal surgeries. They tend to be very comfy for the dog.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scarlett's mom
#8 ·
How do you use the onesie? Do you leave it open over the elimination ports or do you have to open it up for potty breaks?

Jackie, Willow doesn't look especially thrilled to be wearing it. But at least it's better than a cone.

.
You put it on backwards, so the snaps snap around the dog's tail. Then when it's time to take the dog out to potty, you unsnap it, roll it forward of all "appropriate parts" the dog potties, you roll it back down and snap it up.
 
#9 ·
My 13 pound little guy was neutered 2 weeks ago at 8.5 months old. The Suitical Recovery Suit for Dogs (size small) on amazon and donut size M worked out great using them together. I tried the cone but he shook it off in a few minutes. He was on some meds for 6 days to keep him from doing his zoomies. The donut, suit and meds were enough to deter him from "exploring" and allowed us to sleep at night. I was able to leave him for an hour or so after the 7th day with the suit and donut (with a little camera on him :). I am sure your pup will be fine as well. It helped for us to have two onesies- one in the wash while wearing the other. My pup had a little regression with his potty training but he got back on track when we went back to going out every 30-40 min. Wishing you and your pup the best!

Amazon.com : Suitical Recovery Suit Dog, Small, Blue Camouflage : Pet Supplies

Protective Inflatable Cone Collar for Dogs and Cats, Soft Pet Recovery E-Collar Cone Small Medium Large Dogs, Designed to Prevent Pets from Touching Stitches (Blue-M)
Sold by: RENZCHU
 

Attachments

#11 ·
I did order the soft donut and i’m so glad. The cone made him crazy. He got used to the donut much faster. It actually worked so well I didn’t even try the onesie until later in the week. My kids got a huge kick out of it, but he did pee on it a bit so it was easier to stick with the donut. However,
it was a very simple neuter, and where your recovery might be longer, I think you’d definitely make use of onesies - two in case you need to wash one is a great idea!
 
#13 ·
I used a onesie for Zoey's spay surgery and she was fine with it And yes you just unsnap and rollup for potty. The only issue I had was matting which my breeder warned me ahead so I removed it in the evening when she sits with me so I could comb her out and then put it back on for the night, I had 2 so we always had a clean one..... Susan
 
#15 · (Edited)
How good is he at getting out of stuff?

I bought the basic blue soft donut from amazon and it was great for us. I think the onesies would have been better if we used those from day 1. I would DEFINITELY do them for a spay. The nice thing about onesies is a lot of people have a couple tucked away in the attic and they're really inexpensive both from big box stores or thrift stores.

I think the trick with the donut is it can't replace close monitoring until he accepts it and it's used to it. After a couple of hours of trying to get it off every so often mine started using it as a pillow.
 
#16 ·
Only experience I have of Kojo getting out of stuff is a mesh harness. Maybe I didn't put it on correctly. He just walked out of it. Kojo's hair is so long and silky, I have trouble getting a quick click dog collar on him without getting hair in the clip. I don't leave it on after walk outside. Maybe I should get a puppy cut but I so love his long silky hair. He hasn't "blown coat" yet so may totally change things.

How do you select correct human baby size for onesie?
 
#18 ·
That looks like what I ordered, actually. I can’t seem to find it in my order history, but it looks just like that with the soft blue cover. I might have ordered it from my husband’s amazon account.

I measured my puppy’s length to estimate size because infant onesies usually have a size chart on the tag. Onesies are a little stretchy, but if the length is way off you won’t be able to button it. I’m pretty sure it was newborn. I had newborn and preemie onesies packed away, but they were in those vacuum storage bags in the basement and I didn’t get around to going through them.
 
#19 ·
I got 2 onesies ,they were both for dogs or cats. I got one from the Vet that I got her to try on. It had a high neck she didn't like so I trimmed it off at the seam with no issues. The other on Amazon and they give you a measurement chart. I also found Bully sticks good for keeping her quiet...good luck, Susan
 
#21 ·
Havanese differ so much, I don’t know. But I did double check mine, and it is a Target brand onesie, size newborn. I wish I could remember for sure, but I want to say mine was around 11-12 pounds when he was neutered. I don’t think weight is as relevant as length because the distribution of the body weight of an infant is going to be different than that of a puppy. Maybe a few people will also post the size of their puppy and the size they used.

I didn’t even know there was such a thing as actually pet onesies!
 
#23 ·
For neutering I'd probably go with the onesie. I like the donuts - but if your pup is agile he'll twist around it - when my sister had her cavapoo neutered we weren't even out of the vet's office before he had twisted himself around the donut to lick at his stitches.

Perry recently had knee surgery and I was hoping for the donut but the vet and I agreed that the small dogs were much too flexible and that he'd be on the knee immediately so we had to use the cone (even in his crate!). He did get some relief from it because I took it off while he was lying with me on the couch (and I could make sure he didn't lick), when he was eating, and when he had to go out to pee (the boy needs to sniff deeply everywhere and the cone was just in the way). It was a very long 2 weeks. We had to borrow Mom's scotty Duncan's crate for night time and found a large dog crate in the barn (from a previous dog) to use if I had to go out during the day (when both boys had to go in their crates).
 
#24 ·
So much good input here. Unfortunately we had to postpone Skye's neuter surgery. The past month or so have been so hectic as we are in the throes of clearing out and selling our house to move. We didn't think we could properly supervise his recovery in the midst of all the commotion. Hopefully we will get this move done soon and can return to some normal living again.

.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top