My dog's neuter cone hurts his neck. How to stop licking stitches?

Hi there. I suggest you try this product. Apply a thin layer 2-3 times per day. Keep the E-collar on. If after a 4-5 days you are seeing minimal to no improvement then I suggest you take him back to your vet. https://www.animates.co.nz/aniwell-active-manuka-honey-ointment-100g.html As a side note, are you sure the E-collar is long enough go past the end of his nose? If not, he can still lick the incision so you need to make sure he is wearing the correct size. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It is just red from him licking it. It looks fine. Just be sure to get the cone on him so that he cannot remove it. Typically lacing it through the collar and putting the collar on tight enough that you can only get two fingers between it and the neck will prevent them from removing it. I suggest you get this wound spray gel to put on it until healed. This should keep it from getting infected. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-wound-and-skin-hydrogel-for-pets I would not be worry about him getting it wet, that will not dissolve the sutures.

I am afraid the itch is the wound trying to heal. Anything that would stop the itching would likely also hinder healing. I actually think the woulnd is irritating him and a natural reaction to that is to lick the wound. Of course we need to keep him from licking the wound and contaminating it with nasty mouth bacteria as well as opening the wound. So, Priat will need to be brave and plow through having a e-collar or wearing the doggy jacket. It will keep him from licking and so facilitates healing. The pain and itching should be gone in a few days (DO NOT take off the jacket until your vet says so). He will get used to it and be a good boy.

Get an elizabethan collar that is firm, plastic and extends past his nose. It must extend past his nose! Make sure it is tight enough (but you should be able to fit two fingers between the collar and his skin so not too tight) so it doesn't slide down: https://www.amazon.com/Total-Pet-Health-Elizabethan-Collars/dp/B00FXKSWUC/ref=sr_1_9?crid=355YAQ65NHWAK&keywords=elizabethan+collar+for+dogs&qid=1580920059&s=pet-supplies&sprefix=elizabethan%2Cpets%2C253&sr=1-9 Then get one of the donut elizabethan collars to wear behind the plastic elizabethan collar to limit Shavy's movement: https://www.amazon.com/Protective-Inflatable-Collar-Dogs-Collar/dp/B0725C3RJX The links above are just to show you what I'm talking about. This method should stop him from reaching the incision. It is very important to keep him from licking the incision because he could open it up or cause an infection. Have him examined by the veterinarian if needed. I hope this helps.

I would recommend that you have Vicky evaluated by the vet. If he is so painful that he is becoming aggressive, then it is unlikely that ointment will heal it effectively. He probably needs pain medications and oral antibiotics. He should also have the hair clipped away from the wound to prevent additional infection. If he is scratching the wound, then he may need to wear an e-collar/cone to prevent further damage. If the wound is located in an area where the e-collar will rub, you may have to get a little more creative in how you prevent him from scratching, such as using a soft, donut-style cone or bandaging the feet.

Hi and thank you for your question! A cone would be best but a belly band could also work. Spray would not be recommended. That could irritate the incision. A baby onesie put on him will help. Not only is it cute, but it will keep him him licking his incision area. I hope this helps!

I would recommend getting a larger ecollar and let your veterinarian know that this has occurred. He probably is trying to get to the sutures and this is the only area he can reach. This will get worse if he keeps licking. Your vet may just extend his antibiotics or just tell you to keep it clean. His incision looks great! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.