Have you ever had to use an elizabethan collar? You know, those lampshade-like devices that are supposed to keep your pet from licking at wounds or stitches?
If you have, you know what a pain they can be for some dogs and cats. They remind me of that thing the Count of Monte Cristo had to wear on his head for all those years. Some pets tolerate these collars better than others. But, whenever a dog or cat's peripheral vision is impaired, they are deprived of critical information. The sense of sight and smell are key to dogs and cats and to their sense of well being.
I've seen critters get downright depressed from having to wear an elizabethan collar. And, these devices can also wreak havoc in the living room as the dog wanders through knocking stuff off the coffee table because they can't see it.
Well, the days of the "lampshade" may be waning thanks to an enterprising entrepreneur (is that a redundancy?) from Chicago land.
I met the inventor and president of an interesting alternative to the "lampshade" at last month's Western Veterinary Conference in Vegas. Nancy Winestock thought up the idea for "Stopbite™" out of necessity after a couple of miserable nights with a dog wearing an elizabethan collar.
She thought the there had to be a better way. She teamed with her veterinarian brother and an engineer to come up with a protective collar that does not deprive a dog or cat of peripheral vision. Dogs and cats can eat and sleep normally and they tolerate these collars very well, according to Nancy.
These collars come in four different sizes and fit securely around your pet's neck preventing them from getting to most areas of their bodies with their teeth and tongues. These collars can be very helpful in allowing surgical incisions to heal. They are great for hot spots too and prevent dogs from licking off topical medications.
Visit Nancy's web site to see them in action and find out where you can buy them. You can even order one on line.
My only advice to Nancy might be a better name for this product. As a former marketer it's important that a product name communicate something quick and easy about it's use. When I first saw the word
"Stopbite", I thought it had to be some alternative to a muzzle for an aggressive biter, not a protective collar to prevent self trauma. Maybe "Stoplick" might be better. Or even "Stopscratch".
I saw another interesting elizabethan collar option worth mentioning, too. Called the ProCollar®, this thing is more like a donut that fits around a dog's neck. It looks a lot better than the dreaded alternative to me and the salesman I talked to said they were quite durable. That was my only question after examining this device. I wondered if Miles might not be able to shred one of these with a hind foot. The inner bladder is protected by a canvas lined outer jacket that might just keep Miles at bay.
So, now we have at least two good alternatives for dogs and cats that don't like elizabethan collars. That's great news for dogs, cats and their people.