If your puppy has just been neutered you’re likely wondering how long he/she will need to wear their cone.
It’s recommended that your puppy wears his cone for 8-10 days after being neutered while his wound heals. Depending on how the wound heals and whether his stitches have come off, cone removal may be earlier or later than 8-10 days.
Importance of Wearing a Cone After Castration
Your dog’s cone stops them from biting and licking their surgical site. This is extremely important because, for your dog to fully heal, their wound must be left alone for anywhere from 7 to 14 days. Your vet will evaluate your dog’s progress when they call your pooch in for a check-up. So, do not remove your dog’s cone until your vet gives the all-clear! A week of healing may be undone by overdoing exercise or removing the cone too early!
How Long Should theCone Be Worn?
As mentioned, the cone is intended tokeep your dog from licking, chewing or scratching the affected area,so the cone will have to be on till the stitches are off completely.The cone has to be on during this entire period, generally 8-10 days;however, it is better to wait to remove the cone till you get thegreen signal from your vet, which is generally after the stitcheshave been removed or the wound has mostly healed.
Though the cone has to be on the wholetime, you can take the cone off during mealtime but monitor your dogcarefully to ensure that he doesn’t grab the opportunity to attackthe wound! Put the cone on immediately after your dog is done eating.
Some dogs may not lick or chew the areafor a few hours or even days after the surgery but may start doing soonce the healing starts and the hair begins to regrow. Remember, yourdog can undo hours’ worth of surgery in a mere 10 seconds; it’llcost you quite a bit to redo the whole process and also put your dogthrough the pain again.
The first few days of being in the conecan be overwhelming and confusing for your puppy, which is why it’sa good idea to stay around him; dogs feel comforted and safe in thepresence of their owners. Give it some time and see how your puppyresponds to the cone. Get the right-sized cone so that it fits welland there’s minimal discomfort; the wrong size will just amplifythe pain and discomfort that your pup has to go through.
If you see that your puppy is toouncomfortable in his current cone, you can trim it to a size that heis comfortable with, but don’t trim it to such an extent that he orshe can reach the stitches, whatever be the angle. Striking the rightbalance between your pup’s comfort and the function of the conelies in finding the right length.
As the healing progresses, the woundmay get extremely scratchy and itchy; even if you don’t use thecone at first, you may have to use it sometime later.
Getting the cone on maybe a hard toughbut keeping it there is a whole other ball game!
It can be overwhelming and difficultfor both you and your dog. Here are a few tips to make the journeyeasier:
Getting your dog a cone is going toseverely restrict his field of vision. Ensure you’re always aroundto guide him, at least in the initial days. Help him navigate aroundthe house so that he starts feeling as safe and secure as he used tobe before neutering or at least some extent of it.
Be patient; getting annoyed when yourdog bumps into the walls, doorways and stairs is unfair because thecone is bound to distract him and have him off balance till he getsused to it. But that doesn’t mean you just watch as he struggles,thinking he’ll learn the ropes; pick him and put him where he wantsto be or give him a slight nudge in the right direction.
Dogs have a tendency to walk with theirnoses to the ground, often sniffing out trails and scents. With acone, this becomes hard because the cone tends to bump into theground. In this case, retraining your dog to walk with the cone onand helping him walk till he’s used to the cone is a good idea.Gradually, he’ll be able to keep his head held high (literally!)and avoid the cone-ground clash!
Instead of Removing The Cone, Trim It Down
If your pup is really struggling with the cone, it could be that it’s actually too big for his size.
Instead of removing the cone altogether, start by trimming it down an inch all around and see how this improves his maneuverability.
But be careful! If you trim the cone down too much it will completely defeat the point of it in the first place, he must not be able to reach his wound! So start by trimming only a little amount of it off.
Plastic cones can usually be cut with a good pair of scissors.
FAQ
How long should a dog wear cone after neuter?
Can I take my dogs cone off after 7 days?