Depends. Didn't stop our Lab from licking a wound on his front leg. Had to go back to the cone.

Yep, my pup sported one last summer after surgery. Much less bumping into things with the inflatable and he had a built-in pillow for napping :-)

Dogs adapt well to the standard cone. Just because something may look more comfy to a human doesn't mean it is to the dog. They all restrict movement. Just my opinion but a donut, inflatable or stuffed seems to restrict neck mobility more than a cone. The cone merely doesn't allow the dog to reach the surgical site. Just something to think about.

I used a very soft cat cone in my small dog oince. the inflatable one might be hot

Depending on the size of dog and location you don’t want her reach, consider cutting a pool noodle and use it for a collar.

https://www.budget101.com/tips-n-tricks/pet-care/577194-diy-pool-noodle-collar/

I think the inflatable would be more comfortable for the dog.

Whether an inflatable works or not depends on the sizing of the dog and the inflatable. I suspect that snub nose dogs are better candidates for the inflatable than dogs with a long snout. I work with Goldens a lot and many of them seem to be able to overcome the inflatables. I have used a soft cone successfully.

The inflatable collar was recommended by my vet over the plastic cones. It was fully adjustable and there was no restriction of neck movement....he just was unable to bend well enough to reach the incision site.

We are doing dental work, so basically we don’t want him scratching his mouth with his paws.

My nieces Sheba tore his ACL last fall and needed surgery. She initially used the cone and then a friend lent her an inflatable one and he was so much happier. Easier to sleep and eat. I'm his dog walker and he really was happier on his walks as well.

That seals the deal. Picking on up tomorrow at PetCo.

I agree with maifleur. Dogs can stretch quite a bit when they want to reach an itchy spot.

Mmmm, i will have to give this more thought. They show a dog with a wound on his leg, which means he can‘t bend to lick it. so wouldn’t the reverse be true?

Easy way to check to see if it would work for your particular dog is to look at him when he is laying down. If his paws are near his face he can reach it.

I use a Comfy Cone for my dog. I like it better than the hard plastic cones.

Comfy Cone

You also may want to consider if the dog will be able rub its face on the ground with a "donut" versus a traditional cone. Seems something that extends to the front of the muzzle would be a safer choice for a dental surgery recovery.

I didn't have to use a cone of any type on my dog - I should have had to but then he was very sensitive to his own pain - the only dog who didn't have to wear one. But I know that there are soft cones and hard cones and that depending on the surgery/injury one is preferred over the other.

Maybe check with your vet about the cone required - the vet tech may have given you an alternative but perhaps not the best advice - a second opinion is always welcome. I am just grateful that our dog did not need one - he was of course only sensitive to his own pain...

After a minor surgery, my dog was unable to navigate stairs in the hard cone. I think it threw his balance off just enough, or his vision, or something. We switched him to a soft inflatable collar and he seemed much happier and could do stairs again.

You can certainly try it. Just keep an eye on him and if it doesn't work you'll know. :)

Maybe check with your vet about the cone required - the vet tech may have given you an alternative but perhaps not the best advice

YES! This! My best friend was a vet tech for years. Number one rule is they are not to give out advice outside their sphere. The rule for them is to respond with, "you should talk to Dr. about that". Vets don't need the additional stress of clients taking advice for after care from others.

Yes, we are going to wait and see what they send us home with.

Ask beforehand, if they can provide a comfy soft cone. Or purchase it yourself and leave it with the dog. After numerous dogs bashing into furniture and walls, scraping our legs and freaking out the other dogs with the noise, somebody finally told us about them and the vet said "sure". Have no idea why they never offered it before instead of the hard plastic. The dog did fine with it and the rest of us were mighty happy. And the inflatable collars never worked for us.

cute alternatives