Back to the vets again this morning because of Gus's paws and he has recommended wearing a collar to prevent him from licking them.
Problem is , Poor Gus hates the thing . He keeps bumping into things and is now sitting at my feet , looking all sorry for himself :(
Vet says to keep it on at night time too but I dont how how he's going to sleep - it looks so uncomfortable . Looks like he's wearing a giant lampshade. He cant even get in his crate with it.
Has anyone elses dog had to wear one before -  I suppose they do get used to it in the end .......
Lel

They do get used to them quite quickly, you'll be amazed how soon the collar turns into a lethal knee bashing weapon :)

Good luck

At the moment He's trying to go to sleep at my feet but he wont rest his head down on it - he keeps looking up at me as though to say "What are you doing to me Mum" :(
I Feel really mean but I know he has to wear it...

A day or 2 and your shins will be black and blue

Have you tried taping a soc over his paws at night to stop him licking at them? If he's anything like the staffi's I know he'll eat the sock in 30 seconds but it might be worth a try?

Yes we have tried putting on little baby socks but even they keep falling off his little skinny legs ;)
Bless

Jasper had one of them last year when he broke his leg.  He quickly found out that with a knock you in the back of the legs your legs would buckle under you.  I contacted my vet as Jasper was constantly walking into the door frsmes and kept catching on the hedge when he wanted to go for a wee.  Bless his little heart.  The specialist said it was fine to take it for short periods, like when he was out for a wee but then to put it back on.  We then resorted to one of my husbands socks and attached it with micropore tape.  It lasted all of about 30 seconds.

Eating was fun.  Food was getting caught in the thing.  He ended up with more in the "lampshade" then actually eaten.  Water was the same.

He was nicknamed "lampshade" by the neighbours children. 

Oh Lel - poor Gus - and poor you!  I've still got bruises on the back of my legs from Purdey@s buster collar, when she had her haematoma!!

Instead of being a large tank, she became a large bulldozer!!

She got used to it though - we cut a loop out of the bottom to make it easier for her to eat & drink!

Margot

hi,
If the "lampshade" isn't one of the clear plastic ones - ie its the white cloudy older ones, maybe worth changing to new clear one.
dogs seem to tolerate them better as they can see out of all sides and not just forward

Hi Lel,

Abby had to wear a lampshade for nearly seven weeks - 2 surgeries for a broken leg and spayed in September.   Dogs never do seem to get the hang of accounting for the lampshade in terms of the amount of space it takes up.  They do get used to wearing them though - I swear Abby would use hers as a "scooper" when she went for her walks.  She'd scoop up whatever interested her in the grass - not at all pleasant at times :-)

Stacey

The first time my mongrel Elsa had the collar on she freaked and literally threw herself on the floor! I felt sorry for her, but it was SO funny. I am about to have my 1 year old GSD spayed, and am in dread of her wearing a buster collar, as she goes everywhere like an express train, and I'm worried about her hurting her neck when she tries to hurtle through doorways (not to mention hurting us) They are truly lethal, and I'm sure that secretly the dogs take great pleasure in getting their own back with them!
Kat

You can get a neck brace which is an alternative to an elizabethan collar.  It fits snugly around the dogs neck and under its chin keeping the neck rigid.  Nothing to hinder the vision which is easier for the dog to get used to.
Lara x

I agree Lara, they are better, and my vets let clients 'loan' them for the duration. However, my last GSD still managed to reach her stitches (probably as GSD's are very long in the body), but I think I'll borrow the other one as well and play it by ear!
Kat