T-Shirt! When pets get injured, they need to wear something to protect their wound or injury.
Vets will often assign a Cone of Shame for the dogs to wear around their necks. This prevents them from reaching or licking wounds and stitches. Cones can also be made from pool noodles, and other inventive ideas.
Hunting dogs typically run into sharp sticks, barbed wire, other critters, or whatever else waits afield.
Hide tears are common. The hide gets torn but not the meat. Its not a bloody wound but needs stitches and maybe a drain. To place stitches or deal with the wound, a bandage is often applied. This area needs to be protected from dirt and any licking, scratching or chewing.
Having had a lifetime of dogs, this is not our first injury rodeo. It goes with the territory.
T-shirts make a good cover but here are some tips.
Use the right size
Keep the shirt forward enough to allow for pottie needs. The shirt can’t hang below the mid-belly area.
Tie slack shirt material into a knot or use a hair scroungy to knot up the loose material. Duct tape that is stuck to the shirt can be helpful to reduce any slack fabric.
Place the shoulder /neck harness over top the shirt. This really helps keep the shirt in place and snug.
Don’t use your best and newest garments.
Pets may lick the leg areas where the shirt fabric ends.
Change the shirt daily. This is especially important if a drain in the wound is involved.
Pet care requires us to be creative.
Montana Grant
