Buster collars

[Hilts]

OK, I've just had my 6 month old female spayed, got her back from the vets with a buster collar which she likes so much it's off already. I've tried putting it on again three times and still it keeps coming off.

Am I doing it wrong or does the duck tape need to come out? As it came off maybe the vets didn't have it down either. I dunno.

Also her brother keeps hissing and growling at her which seems a little strange given that pre-spay they were the very best of friends.

Edit : cat!

[bexVN]

Completely normal for brother to be grumpy, she looks and smells strange, he'll be ok in a couple days and esp once collar off.

Was she licking her wound, are there external stitches?

How is the collar secured round her neck?

[Hilts]

bexVN said:

Completely normal for brother to be grumpy, she looks and smells strange, he'll be ok in a couple days and esp once collar off.

Ah that's good, never heard him hiss and growl before. They said to keep the collar on for two weeks though. Is that normal?

bexVN said:

Was she licking her wound, are there external stitches?

When the collar's off she licks the wound, stitches are the dissolvable type and buried.

bexVN said:

How is the collar secured round her neck?

There was some gauze tied in a bow on the collar but that's gone AWOL, I've cut up an old T-shirt for string and she's managed to get that off as well. I'll try again.

Thanks.

[bexVN]

The wound should be healed in 10 days so hopefully collar can come off by then at the latest. Usually cats don't bother at the wound if the stitches are under the skin not the outside so the need for collars are reduced. You may find you could try and take the collar off in 5 days and it'll be fine.

Re the tie, it should be tight enough around the neck to just fit two fingers (or one if you have big fingers!) between it and her neck

[Parsnip]

Our cat had one on for months (long period of operations, ending in her being a tripod) and she had the measure of it - the gauze worked, but in the end we had to have it pretty tight. Also had a bit of duct tape on the "clippy" bits of the collar to stop those coming undone.

Even after all that, she managed to get it off occasionally (she worked out that the door of her cat bed would help her get it off) As her stitches were external, there was a lot of biting at them given half a chance.

I would follow the vet's advice - we asked about it and she said it can be a big problem with people just taking the collar off and the cat coming back in having made a mess of the stitches.

Make sure it can get food and water - we resorted to using plates and lasagne dishes as her bowl wasn't working.

[moorx]

Would one of these be better?

http://www.comfycollars.co.uk/

Not used one myself, but heard good reviews of them for dogs.