My dog has allergies. Can he wear an inflatable collar long-term?

Yes this is a reaction to the collar, likely allergic. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths twice daily for 4 days (make sure you dry it up after disinfection). If signs persist after a week time, a check up at your local veterinarian is required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor Riku sounds miserable at the moment, and I'm sure he hates having to wear a cone for six months. I'm not sure if he has seen a vet for his skin problems. If he has not, I recommend a visit to the vet first thing on Monday as he cannot spend his life in a cone. The vet can do a physical exam as well as blood tests to see if he is suffering from allergies. Should he have allergies, there are drugs that can be used to treat it such as Apoquel. It's an anti-allergy medication that works very well for dogs with bad allergies. Other causes of his itching include fleas, mites, and ringworm, and the vet can check for those as well. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is probably irritating the skin. I would try a collar of a different material. Some dogs are just sensitive to certain materials used to make these collars. My dog for example is very sensitive to collars made out of nylon and develops hair loss and dermatitis if used. I would encourage you to try one of a different material. Keep in mind that there is some getting used to on their end but it should not be itchy. Good luck!

It is up to you if you want to keep the collar on or off. I can tell you that usually after a few days they will get used to wearing the collar. I personally would give it a few days (3 to 4) and if he is still bothered by it I would remove it and look for a different solution. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. What you can do in the meantime is use an e-collar to prevent further self-injury. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Allergies can be frustrating to diagnose and treat, for the pet, the pet owner, and the veterinarian! It is the most common cause for itching in dogs. Medications like Apoquel can eliminate the itch due to allergies, though it won't work if there is a secondary bacterial or yeast infection. Food allergies won't be treated simply by a better diet, they need to be strictly on a prescription hypoallergenic diet without other dog or human treats, and even then it can take 3-6 weeks to see positive effects. Until then, anti-itch medications, steroids, or shampoos/topical mousses can be used to minimize the itch and treat any present infection. I would recommend continuing to work with your vet to find the best solution to Toes's itch issue.

Hello, sorry to hear about Freya. It looks like she has a local skin infection which could be secondary to a severe episode of allergies. You can wipe the area with skin sensitive baby wipes 2-3 times daily. If this isn't improving within 10 days or if it is getting worse, then Freya should be evaluated by her veterinarian as she may need oral antibiotics and allergy medications. Hope this helps and best of luck.