How to help my dog sleep with an e-collar and ease nighttime anxiety?

It would help to know where your puppy had surgery. If it was on the abdomen you could put a t-shirt on your puppy to keep it from licking the wound. You can also get a soft fabric collar from the pet shop which is more comfortable. You can also put the present collar on and wait until your puppy calms down and gets used to the collar. Leave it on and do not remove it for feeding, etc. Your puppy needs to wear it at all times.

Please do not take Reddington's cone off at all. He likely will lick the stitches with it off when you are asleep, and that can cause serious post operative complications. It only has to be on for 10-14 days until he is fully healed, which is a relatively short amount of time. He will learn to live with it. I understand being concerned about him being in pain, but he will find his own position that is comfortable for him to sleep. I would leave it to him to decide which position feels the best since he can't tell you a specific position hurts or not.

The problem with the surgical suit is that it may not let the incision breathe as well as it should in order to quickly heal. You could try an inflatable collar - it looks like an airplane pillow and sold at the pet stores. Make sure you get a big enough size - if it is too small it won't work. This works well with most incisions on the body but doesn't work for anything on a leg/foot. I hope this helps!

Hello! In all likelihood, Bruce is annoyed by the cone and not actually hurting. Make sure that you can fit two fingers snugly between the cone and his neck- this will ensure that it is not on too tightly. Many cones fit into collars, and this may make it more comfortable for him. If the cone is not on too tightly and there are no sharp edges poking into his skin, it should be comfortable. However, it is a strange and new experience for Bruce to have "tunnel vision" and he may bump the side of the cone into walls, tables, your shins, etc. :) Some dogs are okay with the cone when they are relaxing, but do much better at eating and toileting with the cone off. My own dog refuses to urinate if he is wearing a cone, so I take it off to walk him when he needs to wear one. If he is truly distressed about wearing the cone, you can call your vet and ask them for a mild anti-anxiety drug for him to take while he wears the cone and heals. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi ! With my dog I used a medical pet vest, that it’s fabric, can be washed and it is well tolerated.There is a XXXs size for Chihuahuas. The alternative is to have your vet put the buster collar on Kobe, you could give the collar a last try once fitted properly. Hope this helps !

The point of the cone is to keep Tucker from licking. If you take it off, he will lick his wound over night. Do not take it off. He will get used to it and he will be able to sleep with it on. Tough Love does it here.

Poor Gizmo! Unfortunately, he truly does need to wear his E-collar at all times to prevent damaging his cornea further. If he scratches his eye, he can tear the cornea completely, causing permanent vision loss and an even more painful ulcer. If his cone is not comfortably for him, you can get him a donut shaped pillow that would also go around his neck, but allow him to eat/drink.