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How to put a cone on a dog?

How to put a cone on a dog?

If there’s something you can safely say about dogs is that they hate cones, or also called Elizabethan collars. However, your dog will at some point or another have to wear one. It’s simply inevitable. Now, while dogs hate cones, we humans tend to be a bit confused by them. It seems like we have no idea how to put a cone on a dog.

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However, it does not have to be that difficult! No matter how intimidating cones seem, they still are a critical health accessory and you will have to learn how to put them on your dog.

In this article, we’re going to learn exactly that. We will teach you the easiest way to put a cone on your dog.

How to put a cone on a dog?

Before we explain the right way of putting a cone on your dog, we first need to explain why dogs need cones.

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Your pooch (or cat) needs a cone to prevent them from chewing or scratching at an incision or a spot on them that is supposed to heal.

How to put a cone on a dog
Cones are necessary, they are basically a critical health accessory

Basically, the cone is a physical barrier to prevent them from licking or tearing at their wounds. However, it doesn’t only have to be a surgical wound.

A cone can also be used when your canine keeps scratching or itching excessively at a specific spot. In that case, the cone prevents that.

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For how long do dogs wear cones?

Now that we know why dogs wear cones, let’s see for how long your dog will have to wear it.

Dogs usually have to wear a cone between seven to ten days. That is if your pooch wears the cone all the time.

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If you keep taking the cone off and on, your dog will have the opportunity to itch, scratch, and pull on his or her wounds. This will only make them worse, and your dog will have to wear the cone for longer.

dog with a cone on
Dogs usually wear cones for seven to ten days

Besides this, we also need to state that only your veterinarian can decide if your dog doesn’t need a cone anymore. So please don’t take it off on your own only because you think your dog is fine.

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Putting on a cone on your dog

Obviously, your veterinarian will be the one who puts on a cone on your dog. However, in the case that you at some point take the cone off of your dog, you should also know how to put it back on.

This is exactly how you can put the cone back on:

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  • First you need to untie the strings holding the cone together
  • then put the cone over your dog’s head like you would if you were putting on a shirt for example
  • it’s important that your dogs’ ears are inside the cone
  • The next step is to tighten the cone. When you do this you want to make sure two to three fingers can fit between the rim and your dog’s neck. You do not want the cone to cause your dog any disconfort.

If you need more help on how to put on a cone on a dog, we have a video for you that explains the whole process perfectly.

Tutorial on putting on a cone on your dog
My name is Jackie and I am a veterinarian with a degree in veterinary medicine. With extensive experience in treating various animals, I am known for my compassionate and personalized approach to animal care.