Inka was spayed a week ago and finding the Buster Collar a pain.

Would it be safe to leave it off now . 

The stiches were all dissolvable none to come out.

The vet told me (back in March) that it takes normally 10-14 days for the skin to have securely knitted together and the stitches either are at the point where the dog shouldn't be able to re-open the wound by then or have dissolved - but that in general a collar can be left off after 4 days as long as there is someone supervising and preventing rough-play, off leash exercise and can interrupt and prevent any over licking of the wound by the dog or another dog.

My girl's incisions were completely knitted at 4 days and she was only on restricted exercise until the 10th day as by then the incision had already shrunk and returned to skin colour.

On the basis of all that as long as no infection has occurred or anything untoward in the recovery - I think now you are on day 7 you should be able to take it off.

Well she isn't touching it, and the wound looks good.  Might put it on when she goes to bed though.

I would too - just until day 10 then I think you should be all good :)

Feel my pain - my dog has to have the stupid cone on for 24 hrs a day for 4-6 weeks (cataracts op) - I swear its actually making her depressed now and we are only on day 13 or so.

This new cone has little white microfracture lines all over it (it's an opaque one) from bashing into everything.  She can't get into the kitchen crate, or rather she can't move around comfortably once in it, so she is not happy as she rather likes to lie there and watch everything without interruption.

Can't praise vets enough for only doing minimal shaving (I especially told them leave the sides alone so when she's standing you can't see it), so she can still go to Windsor with no problem, other than she's tufting and may not have much coat by then anyway.

I sympathise (with your girl).   We have never managed to cope with plastic collars on our hounds - they need a big size to fit their necks and because of lowness to the ground, it's almost impossible for them not to bang the ground.  So mine usually get to the car after surgery at which point the collars come off.   BUT I'm home with them, and sleep with them so as I sleep lightly, I have always managed to keep them off their incisions apart from one who had a third eyelid tacked across to help an ulcerated cornea heal.   He managed to paw at the eye during the night but as it was days after the stitching, thankfully there was a 90% heal in any case.

If the collar is causing her distress, I'd take it off PROVIDED you are there - so it may be necessary to put it on overnight.   You could look for one of the soft roll collars that should do the same thing.   Amazon has them - and your vet might too?

As normal stitches come out after 10 days, I'd be careful for 10 days with stitches that dissolve for that length of time too.

Feel my pain - my dog has to have the stupid cone on for 24 hrs a day for 4-6 weeks (cataracts op) - I swear its actually making her depressed now and we are only on day 13 or so.

After a double TPLO my dog had to wear this collar for 3 weeks, night and day. I looked at and bought a soft collar but it really didn't work with her, so back to the hard cone. Being crated also didn't help as she was bashing into the sides even though I had got a crate far larger than she needed.
The original cone I cut about 1 inch off the length so she could eat her food easier HOWEVER she twisted round trying to clean her wounds ( she couldn't reach) but the edges of the cone rubbed the wound so much she got an infection. SO back to another full length cone, no ifs and buts. This time the cone rubbed a raw patch lower down her leg ( not the wound again than goodness) but it took all the skin off and left a very nasty raw patch.

She has been without the cone for 1 week now - absolute bliss

I had to do it by the book this time as after a previous op I allowed her to be without the collar and in about 2 minutes flat she had ruined all her stitches and had to be re done. I think it depends on the dog, some will leave it alone and others will keep trying to find a way whatever obstacle is in their way. It only takes a matter of seconds for them to ruin the stitches and to prolong the recovery

When I had Isla spayed I fully intended that I would find the buster collar up in the loft and use it on her, as it happened, I couldn't find it, so she didn't wear anything.

For the first four days I was with her all the time and she slept in my room at night. Everytime she went to lick her stitches I told her to leave it and she did. I sleep very lightly so she only had to move a bit and I would be instantly awake. After a few days she forgot about it, the wound knitted very quickly and the dissolvable stitches seemed to pull less then the normal type and there was nothing to attract her to the area.
I know it's not so easy if you have other dogs to care for and can't keep an eye on you dog constantly, but I like these dissolvable stitches as they seem less irritating to the dog.
Previous dogs have had normal stitches and I have used the collar if for some reason I couldn't watch them and they hated it.

> Everytime she went to lick her stitches I told her to leave it and she did.

I feel so lucky that all mine have obeyed the leave command too.  When I read the posts from people who are having nightmare problems I always feel so sorry for them.

Well in the end we took it off after 8 days as the wound was so nicely knit, and she hasn't touched her belly.

I have never really had issues with small wounds etc, but I have this awful vision of their guts spilling out, with abdominal surgery.