eCollar

Swanie just came back from surgery on his ear. He has already gotten his eCollar off.  I'm concerned that he could hurt  himself when I'm not watching him, and I don't know what to do. I know he can't be scratching his ear, but is there an alternative to that eCollar that he might be willing to keep on?  When we had Cindy she got her front leg caught in the collar in the night and it was just a good thing we heard her or it could have been bad.  What should I do?

Other than rigid plastic, there are soft elizabethan collars, made of thick flexible paper, tied at the neck. He can get around the soft one to scratch his ear, but perhaps he'll relax and leave that one on better.  Also, the sedating effect of some pain management helps keep cats calm enough to recover while tolerating the Ecollar. Buprenorphine has this side effect for many cats. Or target the stress alone with alprazolam or acepromazine, Rx from your vet, just while the Ecollar must be worn (10 days +). Ripping out the sutures would be worse than having to wear the collar.

You'll have to keep the e collar on him unless you watch him vigilantly until you get hold of another option. There are two basic types available. One is a fabric version of an e collar - the 'comfy cone' is the one I have experience of, but there a tons of variants on that theme. The other version that might work for an ear wound is a neck brace type. They're sometimes inflatable and sometimes not. I'm not sure if they'd offer enough protection for an ear wound though. I'm sorry I can't give suppliers etc, but I think I'm in the wrong country to be of more help in that area. I find Google or amazon a good starting point in general. Lots of healing that your boy is better soon.

Thanks for the advice. I know I need to keep it on him. Tore the thing trying to get it back on him. Vet tech says that was the last one they had, and I could use duct tape maybe. I just worry he's going to get himself caught in it like Cindy did when we're sleeping.  I can't see him docilely keeping it on for 10 days like the animals in that picture. He fussed and fretted all the way home, and had it off within 5 minutes of letting him out of the carrier.  And I know we can't watch him 24/7.  And I know he can't be tearing those stitches out..  He is 23 pounds and not the best of patients.

puck said:

 
Other than rigid plastic, there are soft elizabethan collars, made of thick flexible paper, tied at the neck. He can get around the soft one to scratch his ear, but perhaps he'll relax and leave that one on better.  Also, the sedating effect of some pain management helps keep cats calm enough to recover while tolerating the Ecollar. Buprenorphine has this side effect for many cats. Or target the stress alone with alprazolam or acepromazine, Rx from your vet, just while the Ecollar must be worn (10 days +). Ripping out the sutures would be worse than having to wear the collar.

Click to expand...

I forgot to mention, he has 3 doses of pain medicine. One tonight, and two tomorrow. If I can get the medicine into him.  Like I said, he is not the best of patients, and he's a big strong boy.  And the color is like the one pictured above.

Mikki is just coming off of leg surgery and fortunately her pain pills were pretty small and I could crush it in her wet food. At first she took a bite and walked away,but then came back and ate it all. Whew! I hate pilling...and she's even a mild kitty.

She got out of her bandage today while I was at work this morning... but thank GOODNESS she didn't bother her incision! Fortunately a vet in our neighborhood offered to come look at it and rebandage it... looks great...another relief...but Houdini was out of the vet's bandage within 10 minutes.

I put it back on..and have her barracaded in my tv room with me...to watch her til hubby gets home..then I too will probably go buy a soft cone...or... my neighborhood vet said she'd come back over and wrap the full leg, making it difficult to get off. Not sure which is most uncomfortable for Mikki...

Good Luck! Sorry you are going through this! Can be quite unnerving (I need to be a bit tougher in that area) ha