Today I found a hack for the standard dog cone. Bax has a hurt on his tail he is licking and bothering and has been coned (started prednisone yesterday, it’s beginning to work).
He hates the cone and has been whinging and sighing. I was brainstorming alternatives and cast my eye upon our neck support pillow (the kind lotsa people use on planes). It fits perfectly around his neck and snaps shut. Voila! He can’t reach backward to lick and it’s far more comfortable (he’s a 70lb Staffie). As others wrote, pet suppliers also have something akin to the people pillows.
OMG, keeping Celtdog still after his fixins was a nightmare. He is a very active little terrier, and at that point in his life jumping up and down off of things was his primary activity.
I discussed it with the vet and he gave me enough pain pills to keep him zonked the first day, and calm for the next three days. The vet had no problem with him moving about freely after that. The vet didn’t fully understand what “Moving freely” meant to Celtdog though.
He was a little weird for about ten days, but once the hormones regulated again he was a much calmer, happier dog. I think you should talk to the vet again and get more specific advice. There’s a big difference between the questions “How long until he is fully healed” and “How long should I try to prevent him from moving around much.”
I totally understand the"No doggie daycare" rule though, as the other dogs can get obsessed with licking the wound for him, and infections can ensue.
Oh, and the best way to keep him from jumping was to make ourselves comfortable on the ground. We just brought some pillows and blankets into the living room and leaned against the sofa instead of sitting on it. Once we did that it was all pretty easy.